Campaign success
A provincial bargaining framework leads to a first-ever four-year agreement. Local negotiations are conducted within this framework. ETFO wins landmark gains in its new contract, including:
– 200 minutes of guaranteed preparation time per five-day cycle, phased in by 2008
– capped supervision time
– salary increases totalling 10.6% over four years
– Access to roughly $500 per teacher for individual professional development
– gains by locals in parental, pregnancy, medical and personal leaves, as well as enhanced protection for members.
The prep-time victory was the culmination of a 17-year effort to secure 200 minutes per week for every ETFO member. Although some ETFO locals had achieved limited prep time within their own negotiations, this was the first time that a province-wide standard was established through which every ETFO member was guaranteed a minimum number of minutes of prep time.
The Greater Essex Teacher Local becomes the first local in the province to guarantee its members 200 minutes of prep time.