Ontario’s English Catholic teachers have reached a tentative contract with the province.
That makes the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association the first of the four major teachers’ unions to reach an agreement in a highly contentious round of bargaining.
Meanwhile, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is negotiating with the government currently.
ETFO also announced Thursday it would suspend rotating strike action, set to begin on March 23, that’s after March Break, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Negotiations resumed with all unions except the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation after Education Minister Stephen Lecce made recent concessions on two key issues.
The government offered to increase average high school class sizes from 22 last year to 23 next year instead of the government’s original target of 28, and allow an opt-out for e-learning courses it previously said would be mandatory.

(files from Canadian Press)

(photo by station staff)

Filed under: ETFO, OECTA