There appears to be some light at the end of the teachers' strike tunnel. Late this afternoon, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the province and is suspending strike action during the ratification process.
OECTA president Liz Stuart issued a statement at around 4:30 p.m. on March 12.
“OECTA has reached a tentative agreement with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association and the Government of Ontario on central terms for a new collective agreement. Details of the agreement remain confidential pending ratification," Stuart's statement reads. "In accordance with the Association’s ratification procedures, should the OECTA Provincial Executive and local unit presidents recommend approval, Catholic teachers will participate in a province-wide vote on April 7 and 8.
"Effective immediately, all OECTA strike action is suspended during the ratification process.”
Ontario teachers' unions all voted to pursue strike actions in November 2019, with escalating job action beginning at the end of November when OSSTF members engaged in a work-to-rule campaign. In the new year, teachers stepped up job action, staging rotating daily strikes in various jurisdictions as the weeks dragged on and no deal was reached with the province.
Salaries are an issue in the strike, but teachers focused on class size changes and new e-learning provisions the province wants to introduce.
