Education worker members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) voted 80 per cent in favour of accepting the 2022-2026 Education Worker Central Agreement reached with the Council of Trustees’ Associations and the Ontario government.

The term of this central agreement for ETFO’s 3,500 education worker members is from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2026.

“Our union believes in the power and voice of its members, which is why we worked to bring a tentative agreement forward that our education worker members could vote on. And they did just that, demonstrating their support for a four-year central agreement that addresses many of their key bargaining goals, including salary increases, maintaining funding for current benefit levels, paid professional learning, job security, and a Supports for Students Fund that protects special education roles in our schools. In addition, the agreement includes a mechanism to ensure members receive a Bill 124 financial remedy,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “While these negotiations were prolonged and difficult, ETFO stood firm refusing to accept contract strips, and will continue to do the same as we negotiate a central agreement for ETFO’s 80,000 teacher and occasional teacher members.”

Under ETFO’s double majority ratification vote process, a majority of ETFO education worker locals must also vote to accept the agreement in order for ratification to occur.

ETFO locals representing members who are education workers will now work with their respective school boards to negotiate local collective agreements.

ETFO represents approximately 3,500 designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel, and 80,000 public elementary teachers and occasional teachers. Details about ETFO collective bargaining and bargaining dates are available at etfocb.ca.