Elementary and French-language teachers reach deals with province

The province has reached a deal with unions representing French-language teachers and school board associations and 83,000 elementary teachers.

In a statement Tuesday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province is “committed to providing stability for our students and staff through the deal reached with French-language educators.”

Although details were not released, Lecce said the agreement addressed smaller class sizes, enhanced special education supports, and the protection of fullday kindergarten.

The teachers’ union, AEFO (Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens), represents 12,000 teachers and occasional teachers at 12 school boards. AEFO president Rémi Sabourin said all strike action has been suspended.

This agreement is the fourth to be reached by the government with teachers’ and education workers’ unions after a winter marked by rotating strikes.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s elementary teachers have agreed to salary increases of one per cent a year for three years, but will get higher benefit increases than the government originally sought, according to a memo.

Highlights of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario’s new tentative contract with the provincial government were sent to its members this week.

The government had previously said it would not budge beyond an offer to increase wages and benefits by one per cent per year, but ETFO secured four per cent annual increases to benefits.

Lecce had also wanted concessions on a regulation that dictates seniority-based hiring, and while the agreement doesn’t come with any such concessions, it also doesn’t come with guarantees that the government can’t make changes to the regulation.

The agreement also contains a two-year, $89-million “Support for Students” fund, which ETFO says will create about 434 teacher positions.

The government has also made a “binding, enforceable” commitment in writing to maintain the current full-day kindergarten structure, with one teacher and one early childhood educator.

Ontario committed to maintain current class sizes, which means an increase of one student in average class sizes for Grades 4 to 8 that the government imposed last year won’t be rolled back.

ETFO members are set to vote on ratification April 23 to 27.

With files from The Canadian Press.