ONTARIO – The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) announced on Monday, April 20 that they had reached an agreement with the province and their employers.
OSSTF, and other teachers’ unions had been engaged in ongoing strike action since the later part of 2019.
“Our main priority has been to protect the education system by reaching a deal that respects our members and ensures students get the best education possible,” said OSSTF President Harvey Bishof. “We thank our members for their support, solidarity, and sacrifice during these many months of negotiations. Our union remains stronger and more united because of their demonstrated commitment on the front lines across this province.”
“While this tentative agreement does not satisfy all of our concerns, we recognize the current environment we are in and the need for students to have stability once this emergency is over,” Bishof went on to say.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said that the province remained committed to providing virtual learning, which was a sticking point for the union.
“We will remain focused on the government’s dual priority of keeping students safe while ensuring the continuity of education,” Lecce said in a statement. “Moreover, we remain determined to continuously strengthen teacher-led learning and virtual learning for the benefit of our students, and we continue to look to our educators to rise to the challenge and deliver quality education to every child, wherever they may live.”
