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Catholic Teachers

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New Deal For Kenora Catholic Teachers

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Trustees with the Kenora Catholic District School Board and members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association have come to a local agreement.

The union represents 124 full-time teachers in Red Lake and Kenora, as well as 79 occasional teachers.

Terms haven’t been disclosed.

The contract was finalized last week, with teachers voting 100% in favour of it on Tuesday.

Director of Education Derek Haime says “We have a very good working relationship with our partners OECTA and so we’re very pleased to come to consensus fairly quickly. So it’s nice to have that out of the way so we can face together the challenges that await us.”

OECTA Kenora Unit President Leanne Davidson says “”We are very happy to have finalized our local bargaining process and ratified both our Permanent and Occasional Teachers’ Local Collective Agreements. I know that KCDSB and OECTA will continue to work together as we move forward into the future.”

Davidson says union members decided quickly on the terms of the local agreement as full-time teachers took three days to ratify it, while part-time instructors only needed one day.

It’s a three contract retroactive to September 1st, 2019.

(With files from Tim Davidson)

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Local Support For New Catholic Teachers Deal

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A new deal for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association is good for its members and students alike.

That’s the word from local regional spokesperson Leanne Davidson.

94% of OECTA members voted in favour of the three year contract last week.

Davidson says they were able to secure funding to better support vulnerable students.

Davidson says the agreement includes improvements in health and safety as well as reporting violence in the classroom.

She adds concerns over large class sizes and mandatory E-learning were also addressed.

Davidson stresses even though it was cold, it was worthwhile for them to walk off the job for several days this past winter.

“If our teachers had not been willing to make that commitment and get out on the line, we would not have achieved what we did achieve in this deal, and we would still be sitting at mandatory E-learning and 28/1 class sizes.”

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Contract Secured For Catholic Teachers

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Members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association have ratified a new three year contract.

The deal addresses concerns surrounding violence in the classroom and E-learning requirements as well as guarantees funding for programs and supports for vulnerable students.

Union President Liz Stuart admits it was a difficult round of negotiations, in which the government was seeking significant cuts to publically funded education.

However, Stuart stresses their bargaining team put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to reach an agreement that allows Catholic teachers to continue providing high quality education over the long team.

She says “Catholic teachers made it clear every step of the way that we would do what it took to stand up for students.”

The deal was reached on March 12th following more than 50 meetings, a withdrawal of services and rotating walkouts.

The Association will now start the process of negotiations between individual bargaining units and Catholic school boards for local terms of the agreement.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce is pleased with the ratification.

Lecce says the government will continue to advance efforts that improve and modernize the provincial education system and serve the needs of students and their families, while being fiscally responsible.

“Our aim is to ensure our system is responsive and adaptive to the challenges on the horizon, and we have full confidence that educators will rise to the challenges and work hard to ensure students learn and succeed.

He adds the deal will provide predictability and certainty to parents, students and educators.

Lecce stresses it’s now time to lock up deals with other teachers’ unions.

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Strike Action By Catholic Teachers Next Thursday

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Members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association are set to strike again.

The province-wide walkout is scheduled for next Thursday.

The union had called off strike action for this past Monday to return to the bargaining table which ended without a deal after just one day of talks.

Locally, the one-day walkout next Thursday will affect the Northwest Catholic, Kenora Catholic and the Thunder Bay District Catholic School Boards.

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Catholic Teachers Plan Strikes Next Week

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The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has announced it will be doing rotating walk-outs starting next week.

In northwestern Ontario, strike action is being taken on Monday by the Northwest Catholic District School Board, impacting schools in Dryden, Sioux Lookout and the Fort Frances area.

Catholic schools in Red Lake, Kenora and Thunder Bay will be closed next Tuesday.

This follows a one-day walkout by all teachers unions on Friday.

The OECTA says it does have negotiations planned for Wednesday with provincial representatives and the Catholic Trustees Association.

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Catholic Teachers Planning One-Day Strike

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Catholic schools across the province will be closed next Tuesday as part of on-going job action against the Ford government.

This is the second round of walk-out’s launched by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.

Teachers held their first one-day strike last week.

A number of issues remain unresolved in stalled contract talks.

They include a cut to hiring, the elimination of certain positions at schools and mandatory e-learning.

 

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Catholic Teachers Upset With Lack Of Movement

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The President for the Northwest Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association says instructors are just trying to bargain a fair deal and return to the classroom to teach kids.

A one day walkout was held today (Tuesday) at catholic schools across the region to back contract demands.

Dryden’s Dan Maltais says there’s been no movement at the table.

“Met with them for 40 days and they haven’t got any proposals, any new ideas. Their negotiating basically in the media, announcing what they are going to do but not bringing anything to the table which is very frustrating.”

Maltais says “The Ford government is trying to balance its budget on the back of the students. All of the teachers are here for the kids, that’s why they got into teaching, so let’s get them back in the classroom.”

He notes there are several outstanding issues.

“There’s been a cut to the hiring. We’ve had positions that are no longer in our schools. Going to e-learning, which is not the best for all students. When you make it mandatory, some students, you are sort of setting them up for a bad experience.”

Maltais says another bone of contention is a reduction in funding for local school boards in the north.

The Association says it has no plans to ease up on job action.

Maltais says instructors will be back in the classroom on Wednesday.

However, he points out teachers will continue with their administrative strike where they aren’t participating in EQAO testing, report cards and government services.

Maltais warns if there is no movement in talks, the union may hold rotating strikes or have another full withdrawal of services in the near future.

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Catholic Teachers Hold One Day Strike

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There’s no class today (Tuesday) at all English Catholic schools in northwestern Ontario.

A province-wide, one-day walkout by the union representing its elementary, secondary, and occasional teachers is being held.

The Northwest Catholic District School Board and the Kenora Catholic Board are among those impacted.

Bus service will still take place for students attending public elementary and high schools.

Childcare programs in the schools will continue to operate, but before and after-school programming has been cancelled.

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Catholic Teachers Holding One Day Strike

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Catholic teachers across the province say they will be walking off the job for one day on Tuesday, January 21st.

The escalated job action in the on-going contract dispute with the province means St. Joseph’s in Dryden and St. John’s in Red Lake will be closed that day.

Aldo Grillo of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association says they are hoping to pressure the Ford government into reaching a deal which has centred around class sizes and wages.

“Talks broke down last week and the Ministry of Labour-appointed conciliator basically cancelled further talks because there was no point.”

Grillo stresses planned cuts to education will impact students for years to come.

He believes the government is not prepared to move in bargaining, noting “there will never be an agreement reached if the two parties aren’t meeting. After 40 bargaining sessions, here we are, half way through the school year, without a contract.

OECTA President Liz Stuart says teachers would rather be in the classroom, but the government needs to recognize that they are united in opposition to their cuts.

“We cannot accept an agreement that would have devastating, long-term consequences for our students and schools. We appreciate that strike action will be difficult for parents, but we are confident they will understand our need to demonstrate our resolve to protect our world-class education system.”

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Catholic Teachers Start First Wave Of Job Action

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The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association is ramping up job action against the government starting today. (Monday)

Regional spokesperson Leanne Davidson says they are stepping up action after contract talks broke down last week.

“Become very clear in negotiations that the government has no intention of re-considering the cuts that they are making to public education that affect our students, namely the class size and the mandatory e-learning.”

Davidson says they are withholding administrative duties, which will only affect the Ministry of Education and the school board itself.

She stresses student learning won’t be impacted.

Davidson adds teachers are expected to be out in front of local Catholic schools before and after class to update parents about their job action.

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