No strikes or job sanctions by Catholic teachers

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Responding to confusion caused by recent media attention on proposed job sanctions in the education sector, Kevin O'Dwyer, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) states, "It is important to clarify for the public and the media that teachers in Ontario's Catholic elementary and secondary schools are not in a legal strike position and are not involved in any form of organized job sanctions."

"Catholic teachers across the province remain on the job educating their students," adds O'Dwyer. "Instructional days will not be missed, and many OECTA teachers continue to volunteer their time on a wide range of extra curricular activities."

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which OECTA signed with the government in July, local OECTA bargaining units have been meeting with school boards to negotiate local collective agreements. To date, 10 tentative local agreements have been reached with more expected before the end of December. The tentative agreements still require ratification by the local membership and school boards.

"This is a good news story for those units that have reached settlements with their boards," says O'Dwyer. "We will continue to work through our issues with our school boards."

O'Dwyer adds that OECTA respects the rights of teachers and support workers in other unions to engage in job action. OECTA members will respect, and not interfere with, those actions.

For more information and to watch OECTA's video on our extraordinary teachers, visit www.oecta.on.ca

OECTA represents the 43,000 professional women and men who teach all grades in publicly funded English Catholic schools in Ontario.

SOURCE: Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

Michelle Despault, Director of Communications
416-925-2493 ext 509, [email protected]