A tentative agreement has been reached between Ontario's public high school teachers and the province.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) is the last of the four major teachers’ unions to settle its contract dispute with the Ford government.
The deal brings to an end months of rocky negotiations that saw a withdrawal of administrative services in November, as well as province-wide and rotating strikes from December to February.
Details of the new agreement have not been made public, but OSSTF President Harvey Bischof has said the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor in putting the contract talks to bed.
"While this tentative agreement does not satisfy all of our concerns, we recognize the current environment we are in and the need for students to have stability once this emergency is over," Bischof said in a statement. "Even now, educators continue to do their best for students during this crisis and look forward to welcoming them back to the face-to-face support we know is best for most students."
Bischof noted protecting the education system was the union's main priority throughout talks with the Ontario government and the province’s school boards association.
"With the support of the public and our members, we mounted a strong public awareness campaign that highlighted the government's dangerous approach to education. As a result of our combined efforts, this government, although early in its term and holding a majority, was pushed back from some of its most egregious proposals," said Bischof.
The Ford government previously announced it was backing down on the number of mandatory online courses required by secondary students and would allow parents to opt-out of e-learning entirely on behalf of their child. It also reversed course on plans to increase class sizes.
"During this entire process, our aim was to ensure our young people receive the best education we can offer, so they can develop the skills they need to succeed in the classroom and in the jobs of the future," Education Minister Stephen Lecce said. "We will remain focused on the government's dual priority of keeping students safe while ensuring the continuity of education. Moreover, we remain determined to continuously strengthen teacher-led learning and virtual learning for the benefit of our students, and we continue to look to our educators to rise to the challenge and deliver quality education to every child, wherever they may live."
The two sides resumed bargaining at the start of the month. The talks had to be held by teleconference due to concerns over COVID-19.
The province's three other main teachers unions - the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and Association des Enseignantes et des Enseignants Franco-Ontariens (AEFO) reached deals with the Ontario government in late March and early April.
OSSTF's more than 60,000 members will hold a ratification vote on the new deal in May.