Elementary school teachers have ratified their tentative agreements with the government, effectively ending labour disputes for fulltime and occasional teachers across the province.
On a provincial, but not yet a local level, the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 13 to accept the tentative deal on the table after 14 months without a contract and widely-publicized negotiations.
Greg Weiler, president of the union local in Waterloo Region, says that it’s time for everyday activities to get back to normal.
“I think everybody is relieved that we are at the end; that we will be moving on,” he said last week, mentioning that he is happy to see the union’s escalated strike action was effective in reaching an agreement. “The goal of the action in the first place, especially in education, was to get things moving. Typically in a labour agreement, on either side, if there are sanctions then you cease those.”
Included in the ratified agreement were stipulations calling for class size reviews, the right for teachers to use professional judgment in assessments and evaluations, the implementation of health and safety recommendations, room keys for occasional teachers and the development of recommendations on how to better support special needs students.
“Some of these may not seem big, or they may appear to be common sense, but they all had to be fought for and many of them are a start to getting commitment to address ongoing issues that affect teachers and students,” said Weiler, expressing frustration at the processes it took to get the teachers’ union where it is now. “I think for the most part there is simply relief that the process, which has taken 14 months and required escalated job action, is over. At the same time, there remains a lot of frustration that the process took 14 months, and a feeling that if the Ontario Public School Board Association (OPSBA) and the government had been as serious about things at the outset as they were at the end it could have been finished sooner and with less difficulty for everyone.”
Weiler says schools were already getting back into the groove of things in the Waterloo Region and in Elmira before the vote took place, but after the tentative agreement was announced.
“Especially (because) this process went on for 14 months, even without any of the specific things that were part of these sanctions, it affects the stability in the school – it affects the climate,” he said. “Even if the students, like my kids for example, never reported to me noticing anything different for them. But, everyone knows that something is going on. It is not the same. Just the fact (we are) moving back towards not having this hanging over everyone’s head, not having all of those things there, that is better for everyone including the students.”
With union ratification of the tentative agreement, on both provincial and local levels, Marty Deacon, superintendent of communications and engagement at the Waterloo Region District School Board, is glad to see such a high rate of yes votes cast by teachers. Ninety-eight percent of ETFO local offices voted in favour of accepting the deal.
“It was very high,” she said. “We are very, very pleased with that. Everybody wants to move forward and work on this new normal. We can work together. The Chair of the Board with tell you that, parents, teachers – everyone.”
The next step for Weiler and the local ETFO office is to continue negotiations on a local level. Although the central, province-wide agreement has been ratified, there is still more work to do for the WRDSB and the ETFO.
