Agreement is good for students and young teachers, says OECTA

TORONTO, July 6, 2012 /CNW/ - "The agreement that the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) reached with the government is good for both students and for young teachers," says OECTA President Kevin O'Dwyer, in reference to a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the government on July 5, 2012.

There will be no loss of student programs, no increases to class sizes and no teachers will lose jobs as a result of the agreement OECTA has negotiated. Catholic Teachers will be in their classrooms in September to ensure that student learning continues and our schools continue to be among the best in the world.

Today, some other unions offered their views on our agreement. It is important that we clarify a few apparent misunderstandings.

The fair and reasonable settlement that OECTA has reached ensures the following:

• Young teachers will receive their increments and will be in the same place on the salary grid at the end of this agreement as they had hoped they would be;
• Young teachers will benefit from a new, fair and transparent hiring practice that will give everyone an equal opportunity for permanent teaching positions;
• Teachers will have a greater ability to exercise their professional discretion regarding the use of assessment and diagnostic tools and their use to help improve student learning;
• The opportunity for local bargaining to occur to negotiate matters not addressed in the agreement;
• Stability in schools in the fall, since there will be no strikes, lockouts or contract stripping by school boards during local negotiations.

"School boards are facing a funding reduction of $2 billion," O'Dwyer adds. "Some unions may choose to negotiate with cash-strapped school boards in the hope of improving circumstances for their members. OECTA made the decision to negotiate an agreement with the government that minimizes the impact of those cuts on our members while protecting student learning."

Diana Thomson, Associate Editor
416-925-2493 xtn 507
[email protected]