As we head into March Break, we want to provide an update regarding the status of Central Bargaining. As you know, we received a strong strike mandate from our members this past January where HDEAA voted 99% in favour giving our union & EWAO the support we need to achieve a fair contract.
At this time we are scheduled to meet with a conciliator from the Ministry of Labour along with representatives of the Government of Ontario and the School Boards, to work on finalizing our contract and to arrange your remedy payment following our court victory over Bill 124. This meeting is currently scheduled to take place on March 26 & 27th, 2024.If we are not able to make meaningful progress at that time, we expect we will make a request to the conciliator to move us further into a strike position.
We have heard your questions around potential wage increases, remedy payment and the maintenance of our benefits. You may have heard the most recent news that OECTA has signed a central deal with the CTA and the Crown and that this means that the Province has a negotiated settlement with all the Teachers Unions.
While technically true (subject to ratification for a couple) it is important to understand that in the Central negotiations for wages, OECTA, OSSTF, and ETFO have agreed to have their wage increases determined at interest arbitration so no one knows yet what their increases will be for their Teachers, and in OSSTF’s case, their support workers too. CUPE, OCEW and ETFO settled for an increase of $1.00 per hour per year of the contract.
EWAO is watching both comparables closely as we endeavor to achieve the highest possible increase for our members as the arbitrator may deem a higher increase than the $1.00 per hour per year and that places EWAO in a position where a me too clause is valuable.
There is also a similar situation in the remedy payment where OSSTF, ETFO and CUPE have agreed to the Arbitrator’s decision on the Remedy payment that grants an additional .75 % for 2019, .75 % for 2020 and an additional 2.75 % for 2021, and yet OCEW is now pleading its case in front of another arbitrator who may come to a different decision.
We will keep you updated as things develop.
Yours in Solidarity.