The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Director of Education Sean Monteith says he can’t be happier now that the province has reached a tentative deal with elementary teachers and support staff.
Monteith says it’s a huge weight off the shoulder of the Board, Trustees and teachers, but stresses kids are the ones who will be benefiting the most.
Monteith believes action on the issue should have been taken a long time ago, given the fact members of both union’s have been without a contract since August 2014.
It was a long and bitter dispute and Monteith suggests it took the Premier stepping in to finally get a deal done.
Monteith notes it was a frustrating couple of months given that talks were driven at the provincial level.
He says they have had positive bargaining sessions with both unions and notes the unresolved issues were provincial in nature.
Monteith says they will plan a few days of negotiations and is optimistic they can now reach an agreement at a local level.
