Ontario's education minister says public elementary teachers in the province have reached a tentative deal with the government.
Stephen Lecce says it means stability in schools.
Members of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario had previously voted 95 per cent in favour of a strike, with union leadership saying it would help to put pressure on the government to reach a deal at the bargaining table.
"After 14 months of central bargaining, we’re pleased to be able to bring forward a tentative agreement to our teacher and occasional teacher members that protects their collective agreement entitlements and also addresses key bargaining goals," says ETFO President Karen Brown. "This has been the longest round of central bargaining in ETFO’s history, but we persisted. We remained focused on getting government cuts off the table and on addressing members’ working conditions, which are students’ learning conditions."
Details of the agreement will be shared with ETFO teacher and occasional teacher members on Thursday, Nov. 23, after a meeting with their local presidents and chief negotiators. A ratification vote is being scheduled; details of the vote will be shared with members once they are confirmed.
The government is still in bargaining with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, whose members also voted in favour of a strike, and with the union representing teachers in the French public system.
Meanwhile, public high school teachers have gone to binding arbitration with the government in order to get a new contract, eliminating the possibility of a strike.
Lecce says he is urging the remaining teachers' unions to sign an agreement.