ONTARIO ELEMENTARY TEACHERS VOTING THIS WEEK ON WHETHER TO ACCEPT PROVINCE’S DEAL

Ontario English elementary teachers will vote this week on whether to accept the province’s tentative agreement, ending over a year’s worth of negotiating between the two parties.

The deal, which includes retroactive pay due to Bill 124 and sends unresolved issues to binding arbitration, was made last month.

Once ratified, the agreement would be in effect retroactive to Sept. 1, 2022 and expire on Aug. 31, 2026.

A copy of the tentative agreement with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), obtained by CTV News Toronto, show teacher salaries will be among the issues referred to a third party.

At the same time, the province agreed to retroactive pay as a result of Bill 124, a piece of legislation that capped public sector worker wage increases at one per cent for three years.