Ontario Reaches Tentative Central Agreement With Teachers in French-language Schools

TORONTO — On Thursday, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement:

“Our singular focus has always been to keep students learning in class without the disruption of a strike. Stability in the classroom ensures that students benefit from our government’s back-to-basics agenda, focused on what matters most: boosting reading, writing and math skills.

My #1 priority has been landing deals that keep kids in class.

Today we take another positive step forward as we announce a tentative deal w/ @AEFO_ON_CA.

We are urging the sole outlier @OECTAProv to end this needless delay — sign the deal.

ALL students deserve to be in class. pic.twitter.com/UN7qKr5A9r

— Stephen Lecce (@Sflecce) February 15, 2024

Today, I am pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative central agreement with the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).

This agreement ensures there will be no province-wide job actions or strikes in all elementary and secondary schools in the 12 publicly funded French-language school boards for the next three years. This deal provides stability for families across the province and helps students in Ontario schools look forward to a full, in-class, uninterrupted learning experience that emphasizes life and job skills.

We have successfully negotiated tentative central agreements that cover 72.5 per cent of Ontario’s teachers in publicly funded schools. There is no justification for further delay. We are urging the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association to put students first and sign a deal that ensures all Ontario families benefit from three years of peace, stability and a renewed focus on academic achievement.”

On background:

• The AEFO represents about 8,200 elementary and secondary teachers at French-language school boards in Ontario.
• Previously, central agreements have been reached with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) teachers and education workers, the Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) teachers and education workers.

SOURCE Province of Ontario