Ontario has reached a tentative agreement with the striking Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), the Education Minister announced yesterday.
OECTA has some 45,000 members across the province.
“We are pleased to announce a tentative agreement has been reached between the Crown, OECTA, and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, the first agreement with a teachers’ union in this round of collective bargaining, that will ensure stability for our kids and their parents,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, in a statement to the media.
Liz Stuart, OECTA president said details of the agreement remain confidential pending ratification.
In accordance with the association’s ratification procedures, should the OECTA Provincial Executive and local unit presidents recommend approval, Catholic teachers will participate in a province-wide vote on April 7 and 8,” she said.
“Effective immediately, all OECTA strike action is suspended during the ratification process,” she added.
“The time is now to drive deals with all remaining union partners as parents expect action, not delays. We agree and will remain a positive and driving force at the bargaining table, advancing the priorities of parents and students,” Lecce added.
The larger unions such as ETFO, which represents some 83,000 elementary school educators, and OSSTF, which has some 60,000 secondary school staff members, are still on a job action,