OPSEU is a member of the Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW). It is through the OCEW that OPSEU negotiated the central agreement with the Council of Trustees’ Association (Catholic and public school boards) and the Crown (the Ontario government).
Below are highlights of the OCEW settlement. It is very similar to other recent settlements in the education sector and follows the same pattern. An electronic copy of the complete Memorandum of Settlement will be sent out on January 4.
Term
The three-year agreement runs from September 1, 2014, to August 31, 2017.
Wages
- September 1, 2014: no increase
- September 1, 2015: 1 per cent lump sum (full details to follow) and elimination of the half‑year delay in grid movement
- September 1, 2016: 1 per cent wage increase across the board
- February 1, 2017: 0.5 per cent wage increase across the board
Benefits
Benefits are expected to move to an employee health trust. Startup funds to create the trust have been allocated, in addition to an increase in funding of 4 per cent in 2015-16, 4 per cent in the 2016-17 school year and an additional $300.
Other items
- The work year for educational support workers will be a minimum of 194 days. There is an option to take the retirement gratuity before retirement at a reduced rate.
- Employees on family medical leave and critically ill child care leave will be topped up to 100 per cent.
- There will be sick leave of 11 days at 100 per cent and 120 days at 90 per cent.
- Employees will be paid, when directed, for required attendance at meetings and other events outside regular working hours.
- Job security language improvements have been made.
- There will be working groups, committees or consultation on the following:
- early childhood education issues
- long-term disability plan
- violence prevention training
- professional development
- health and safety
- Employees are eligible for up to two unpaid days’ leave on days designated by the school board.
- There will be one additional PA day with no loss of pay (excluding casuals).
- The top-up for pregnancy leave will be 100 per cent for the first eight weeks, to replace other provisions, if any, during the first eight weeks.
- Sick days can be used for personal medical and personal dental appointments.
Road show and ratification
Ratification votes will be held at the local level across the province between January 6 and 14.
Prior to the votes, the chair of the bargaining team and members of OPSEU staff will be travelling to each and every vote location to conduct question-and-answer sessions.
Please look for notices from your local telling you when and where your local will be holding its question-and-answer session and ratification vote.