Teachers who work at French-language school boards across Ontario have a tentative deal with the province.
It comes more than 18 months since their last contract expired.
The deal still needs to be ratified by the over 8,2000 members with -hundred members with the the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).
No details are being immediately released as teachers must still ratify the proposal.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce is happy with the agreement, saying it will provide stability in the classrooms and schools.
“This agreement ensures there will be no province-wide job actions or strikes in all elementary and secondary schools in the 12 publicly funded French-language school boards for the next three years,” says Lecce in a statement.
“This deal provides stability for families across the province and helps students in Ontario schools look forward to a full, in-class, uninterrupted learning experience that emphasizes life and job skills.”
The agreement comes more than 18 months since the teachers’ last contract expired.
“Thank you to the members of the teaching and substitute staff for their support during these long negotiations,” says Anne Vinet-Roy, president of AEFO.
“It is thanks to their solidarity and their collective strength that we have succeeded in demonstrating to the government and school boards that education in French must be recognized for its true value, that it must be funded equitably and that their particular needs must be taken into account, without forgetting that it is essential to prioritize supports and resources in the classroom to improve students’ learning conditions.”
There are still negotiations to be held at the board level.
The AEFO has agreed not to trigger a strike during these negotiations.
Separate from the tentative agreement, AEFO members will receive a bump up in pay related to the court’s ruling on Bill 124 that declared it unconstitutional.
In a decision by an arbitrator, their salaries will increase 0.75% for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years and 2.75% for the 2021-22 year.
The union says any increase for future years will be settled before a neutral arbitrator.
