NOTE: THE CONTENT OF OECTA PROVINCIAL BARGAINING UPDATES IS CONFIDENTIAL TO
MEMBERS. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS INFORMATION OR POST IT ONLINE.
Support Your Bargaining Team with a Strong Strike Mandate!
As we approach the all-member strike vote, to be held on October 18 and 19, the Association is providing Catholic teachers with information on some key issues at the bargaining table – to highlight what is at stake and emphasize the need for members to return an overwhelming strike mandate, to support your Provincial Bargaining Team (PBT) .
Last week, in Provincial Bargaining Update #27, we outlined some of the Association’s priorities, and the
Ford Conservative government’s attempts to erode your working conditions and rights. The PBT is fighting
at the bargaining table to protect:
- your benefits plan;
- your preparation and planning time; and
- your professional judgement.
Issue 4: Protecting Your Sick Leave Plan
The ability to access sick leave, including short-term leave and disability, is fundamental to the health of everyone in the school community. The Ford Conservative government already received widespread public backlash during the COVID-19 pandemic for refusing to provide paid sick leave to Ontario workers. The Association is attempting to ensure that your sick leave plan continues to meet your needs – and affords you the necessary time to recover should you fall ill or become injured.
Simply put, the government and school boards are attempting to gut your sick leave plan, making it more
difficult for you to take short-term sick leave when you need it.
Issue 5: Fighting to Eliminate the Hybrid Learning Model
One of the things the COVID-19 pandemic made abundantly clear is that the hybrid learning model is an
unmitigated disaster. Teachers hate it; students hate it; families hate it. In the Association’s bargaining
survey, Catholic teachers overwhelmingly identified the elimination of hybrid learning as a key priority.
NOTE: THE CONTENT OF OECTA PROVINCIAL BARGAINING UPDATES IS CONFIDENTIAL TO
MEMBERS. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS INFORMATION OR POST IT ONLINE.
Despite all of the evidence pointing to the futility of hybrid “learning,” at the bargaining table the
government is insisting on giving school boards the ability to impose hybrid on teachers, including, for
example, during inclement weather days and in situations where a student is unable to attend in person.
Issue 6: Protecting Your Compensation
Inflation and price increases have steadily eroded Catholic teachers’ purchasing power. In 2022, the average inflation rate in Canada was approximately 6.8 per cent, and it is expected to be an average of 3.8 per cent in 2023.
Teachers – like all workers – deserve fair compensation for the vital work that you do. And you deserve compensation that accounts for the rising cost of living in recent years. However, the government does not agree, and is proposing a compensation package that is woefully below inflation and would represent a significant real-dollar wage loss for Catholic teachers.
Strike Vote Rally Location Information Coming Soon!
As you are likely aware, the Association will be hosting a series of strike vote rallies starting next week. Strike vote rallies will be crucial opportunities for Catholic teachers to learn more about the issues being discussed at the bargaining table and to ask questions of the members of the Provincial Executive and/or the PBT.
Due to the sensitive and confidential nature of the negotiations, details of bargaining issues cannot be discussed publicly, so a rally is held to provide more context to members regarding the issues the PBT is facing at the bargaining table.
It is essential that you try to attend the strike vote rally in your area so that you are better informed about the key issues at the bargaining table and are prepared to vote YES to give your PBT an overwhelming strike mandate.
Location and timing information for the strike vote rallies are just being finalized, and a communication with important details will be sent to you from your local unit, as well as from Provincial Office. So, stay tuned and continue to regularly check your personal email address.
Additional information on strike vote rallies can be found in the Association’s Strike Vote FAQs. Members are also strongly encouraged to watch OECTA President René Jansen in de Wal’s bargaining-focused video address, which can be found in the Members’ Area of catholicteachers.ca.