Ontario school boards association says ETFO seeking $3.2B in demands

The elementary teachers’ contract dispute continues to heat up with the province’s school boards now saying the union is seeking more than $3.2-billion in contract demands.

The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) are embroiled in a bargaining dispute and elementary teachers have been on an administrative strike since May.

“ETFO’s initial monetary position is in excess of $3.2 billion. ETFO’s proposal on wages includes a three per cent increase each year for three years plus a cost of living allowance,” the OPSBA said in a statement.

Both sides had signed ground rules preventing them from discussing bargaining details in public, but due to an ad campaign and statements in the media by the teachers’ union, the school boards say they are speaking out.

“OPSBA and ETFO signed ground rules that prevented either side from bargaining in the media […] however, ETFO has taken to the media, including full-page ads, to assert their positions and misrepresent ours,” the school boards association said in the statement.

“We believe that Ontario parents and students need to know the facts.”

ETFO released a statement in reply to OPSBA’s statement, saying the “Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has not formally tabled any salary position at the central bargaining table with the government and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.”

ETFO president Sam Hammond accuses the school boards of trying to “deflect” pressure from the need to produce report cards.

Hammond also said the ongoing negotiations are not about money but rather class size, fair hiring practices and other issues.

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