OCEW Tentative Agreement reached

January 5, 2023

The Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) reached a tentative agreement with the Council of Trustees’ Association (CTA) and the Ontario government on central terms for a new collective agreement. The summary of the tentative agreement is below.

Bargaining Background

The Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) (OPSEU/SEFPO are members of the Council) sent Notice to Bargain on July 19, 2022.On August 18 and September 26, 2022, OCEW met and had discussions with the Council of Trustees’ Association (CTA) and the Ministry of Education on ground rules for bargaining and preliminary discussions to determine central and local table issues.OCEW bargaining dates:

October 24, 2022
November 28, 2022
December 9, 2022

Tentative Agreement Reached December 10, 2022 (see Summary below).

Highlights of Tentative Agreement

Term:

Four (4) Years – September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2026

Wage increases:

For all job classifications within the collective agreement:

2022-2023 $1 per hour (retroactive following ratification of Local terms)
2023-2024 $1 per hour
2024-2025 $1 per hour
2025-2026 $1 per hour
“Me Too” clause if any other Education Workers table(s) negotiates additional wage increases.

OCEW benefit Summary:

Increased funding to the Employee Life and Health Trust (ELHT) benefit plan per FTE:

September 1, 2022 – 1% $5712.00,
September 1, 2023 – 1% $5769.12,
September 1, 2024 – 1% $5826.82,
September 1, 2025 – 1% $5885.08,
August 31, 2026 – 4% $6120.48.
No reconciliation of excess monies in the ELHT benefit plan and monies shall be kept in the benefit trust plan.

Support for Students Fund:

Investment and the allocation of funding to school boards whereby these funds must be spent on OCEW positions.

$9,960,986 in 2022-2023
$10,726,749 in 2023-2024
$10,593,273 in 2024-2025
$10,913,190 in 2025-2026

Indigenous Employees:

Ability to allow Indigenous employees to use existing short term paid leave for purposes of voting in elections and attendance at Indigenous cultural/ceremonial events.

No Reprisals:

No reprisal, discipline, claims or proceedings for any OCEW member(s) who participated in any job action on November 4, 2022.

Letter of Agreement:

Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave
Workplace Violence

Questions and Answers

What happens next?

OPSEU/SEFPO will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting this month in regards to reviewing the tentative agreement. Details will be sent to your personal email address.

Ratification Vote:

Arrangements are being made for central tentative agreement ratification votes to be done electronically.

Tentative Agreement Document:

Please click the links below to the tentative agreement.Memorandum of Settlement Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV

Who gets to vote in the ratification vote?

All education workers bargaining centrally through the Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) will get a chance to vote, including OPSEU/SEFPO Sector 3 members.In other words, all full-time, part-time, and temporary/casual workers represented by OPSEU.Locals represented by OPSEU/SEFPO:

Local 283 – Peel District School Board
Local 283 – Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
Local 292 – Peel District School Board
Local 330 – Simcoe County District School Board
Local 423 – Ottawa Catholic School Board
Local 478 – Consortium Centre Jules-Leger
Local 514 – York Region District School Board
Local 614 – Rainbow District School Board
Local 663 – Moosonee District School Area Board
Local 742 – Kenora Catholic District School Board
Local 999 – Halton District School Board
Local 2100 – Peel District School Board

Important: Please ensure that you update your email address as soon as possible with your Local and on the OPSEU/SEFPO Member Portal.Click here for Member Portal Intro