OCEW members approve tentative contract

TORONTO, Jan. 21, 2016 /CNW/ - All member unions of the Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) have voted in favour of the 2014-17 tentative central agreement that was negotiated with the Council of Trustees' Association and the Crown. The result comes on the heels of a series of votes that member unions held with their constituent locals across the province.

The tentative agreement had been reached on December 2 at the end of a 19-hour bargaining session.

OCEW Chair Hilary Campbell said she was proud of the support and resolve that the membership had shown during a difficult round of bargaining. "I'm pleased that we were able to obtain a settlement that is very similar to other settlements in the education sector without resorting to a strike."

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of OPSEU, was delighted with the outcome of the vote. "It's always great to see a tentative agreement win approval. But it's particularly satisfying when, as in this case, you receive unanimous support from a diverse group of member unions. I know it was tough going at times, and I congratulate everyone involved for their efforts in making things work to the benefit of our educational workers and their students."

The OCEW

The OCEW is a partnership of unions committed to achieving a strong central collective agreement for its constituent members who do critical work in Ontario's education sector. They are:

Ontario Public Service Employees Union
COPE Ontario and its Locals 103, 429, 454, 527 and 529
Educational Resource Facilitators of Peel
Essex and Kent Counties Skilled Trades Council
Labourers' International Union of North America, Local 837
Maintenance and Construction Skilled Trades Council

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Kathy Whipple, Chair, Education Sector, OPSEU, 705-698-4113