THUNDER BAY -- The Lakehead Elementary Teachers of Ontario have a contract in place for the first time in 18 months.
On Wednesday, approximately 150 members voted 97 per cent in favour of the deal that was reached before Christmas with Lakehead Public Schools.
After the vote, Dave Paddington, LETO president, told Dougall Media the terms of the deal take effect immediately, which will include:
- Prep-time payback
- Travel-time consolidations
- Further acknowledgement of time with parent-teacher interviews
- Recognition of days of significance according to creed and faith as well as Indigenous people
There are two tiers of bargaining when it comes to education agreements with Queen’s Park that include the financial side of things. Paddington and his team look at workers’ rights.
In December, Ontario’s public elementary teachers ratified their agreement with the provincial government with the assistance of a conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario stated the agreement includes a remedy for two of the three years of constrained wages under a law known as Bill 124, with the resolution for the third to be decided at arbitration.
Paddington said arbitration occurred on Jan. 16.
