The union representing Ontario's public elementary teachers says its members have overwhelmingly approved a tentative agreement with the province.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) says the central deal with the government, the Ontario Public School Boards Association, and the Council of Trustees' Associations was approved by 97 per cent of teachers and occasional teachers, while 94 per cent of education workers voted in favour.
“Our goal was to defend public education and the working and learning conditions that have made Ontario’s education system one of the best in the world,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond in a statement released Tuesday. “While these negotiations were prolonged and difficult, our educators – with the support from parents and other community members – stood firm in the face of planned government cuts to education.”
According to the union, the deal preserves 100 per cent of special education funding that was negotiated in 2017, as well as elementary class size language, and the one teacher to one early childhood education worker ratio in kindergarten classes. The ETFO said there will be no class size increases during the life of the agreement. It also said proposed funding cuts of $150 million at the elementary level will be scrapped.
ETFO members will get annual raises of one per cent.
ETFO locals will now negotiate local agreements with their respective school boards.