Elementary, Catholic teachers resume bargaining with Ontario government

Published March 12, 2020 at 6:27 pm

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TORONTO — Two of Ontario’s major teachers’ unions are in bargaining today trying to hammer out a new contract with the province.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is negotiating with the government for the second day in a row, after talks went late into the evening Wednesday.

ETFO has warned that if bargaining doesn’t produce an agreement, it will resume job action after March break.  

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association is also back at the bargaining table for a fifth day after resuming talks last Friday.

Negotiations resumed with all unions except the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation after Education Minister Stephen Lecce made recent concessions on two key issues.

The government offered to increase average high school class sizes from 22 last year to 23 next year instead of the government’s original target of 28, and allow an opt-out for e-learning courses it previously said would be mandatory.

The Canadian Press

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