Our Vision
OPSBA believes that teachers and education workers deeply influence a positive and productive learning environment for students and are supported in this role through the peace and stability engendered by successfully negotiated collective agreements.
It is OPSBA’s goal to negotiate fair and equitable collective agreements through the collective bargaining process. Our priority continues to be the improvement of student achievement and well-being. That remains the focus of our bargaining.
Collective Bargaining: Background
Collective Bargaining Status Updates
*as of January 27, 2023
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF)
OPSBA received Notice to Bargain from OSSTF on June 6, 2022. On August 25, OSSTF, OPSBA and the Crown reached an agreement on matters to be bargained centrally for OSSTF Teachers. Bargaining continues as of December 7, 2022.
On April 20, 2020, OPSBA and the Crown reached a tentative settlement of central terms of the collective agreement with OSSTF Teachers.
On May 22, 2020, OPSBA and the CTA announced that the tentative central agreement has been ratified. The ratification process is now complete.
News release: OPSBA Ratifies Settlements Reached with OSSTF Teachers and Education Workers
OSSTF Education Workers
The Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) received Notice to Bargain from OSSTF Education Workers on June 6, 2022. On August 25, OSSTF-EW, the Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) and the Crown reached an agreement on matters to be bargained centrally for OSSTF Education Workers. Bargaining continues as of December 7, 2022.
2019-2022
On April 20, 2020, OPSBA, the CTA and the Crown reached a tentative settlement of central terms of the collective agreement with OSSTF Education Workers.
On May 22, 2020, OPSBA and the CTA announced that the tentative central agreement has been ratified. The ratification process is now complete.
News release: OPSBA Ratifies Settlements Reached with OSSTF Teachers and Education Workers
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
OPSBA received Notice to Bargain from ETFO on June 13, 2022. Initial meetings have have occurred.
On March 20, 2020, OPSBA and the Crown reached a tentative settlement of central terms of the collective agreement with ETFO Teachers. On April 28, 2020, ETFO provided notice that their members had ratified central terms of the 2019-2022 collective agreement. OPSBA announced the same on the same date.
ETFO Education Workers
The CTA received Notice to Bargain from ETFO Education Workers on June 13, 2022. On September 8, ETFO-EW, the Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) and the Crown reached an agreement on matters to be bargained centrally for ETFO Education Workers.
On March 20, 2020, OPSBA and the Crown reached a tentative settlement of central terms of the collective agreement with ETFO Education Workers.
On April 28, 2020, ETFO provided notice that their education worker members had ratified central terms of the 2019-2022 collective agreement. OPSBA announced the same on the same date. News Release: OPSBA Ratifies Settlements Reached with ETFO Teachers and Education Workers
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
The CTA received Notice to Bargain from CUPE on June 3, 2022. Initial meetings have occurred and agreement has been reached on matters to be bargained centrally. On August 26, CUPE filed an application for conciliation with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. This means a conciliation officer will be appointed to assist the parties, but does not put the union in a strike position.
On October 3, CUPE announced the results of its member strike vote, with 96.5% of its 45,433 members voting yes. On October 7, CUPE asked the conciliation officer assisting the parties for a “no-board” report.
On October 14, The Council of Trustees’ Associations, The Crown, and CUPE agreed to enter into private mediation in an effort to reach a collective agreement.
On October 30, CUPE served notice that it planned to commence a strike involving a full withdrawal of services on Friday, November 4, 2022, if no agreement was reached before then. The Crown, through Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, indicated later that day that the government would introduce legislation on October 31, which, if no other agreement was reached, would seek to prevent a CUPE strike from occurring and impose the offer presented on October 30. Later on October 31, CUPE announced it intended to strike on November 4 regardless of the legislation.
On November 3, mediation with the the Council of Trustees’ Association, the Crown and CUPE ended with no agreement having been reached. The Government’s Bill 28, Keeping Students in Class Act, 2022, was passed and signed into law on November 3. This legislation imposed central terms and rolls over the local terms of all CUPE collective agreements in the education sector. CUPE’s 55,000 education worker members participated in a strike on November 4 and 7. However, on November 7, Premier Ford announced that the government would rescind the Keeping Students in Class Act, which occurred on November 14. As a result, CUPE advised their members they should return to work on November 8. The imposed central terms and rolled over local terms of all CUPE collective agreements will no longer be in effect.
On November 16, CUPE once again served notice that it planned to commence a strike involving a full withdrawal of services on November 21. Bargaining continued until November 20, when a tentative agreement was announced by all parties.
CUPE announced on December 5, 2022, that its membership voted to accept the tentative agreement. Members of the Council of Trustees’ Associations (OPSBA, the Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario [ACÉPO], Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques [AFOCSC] and Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association [OCSTA]) announced that they had ratified the tentative agreement on December 23.
News Release: OPSBA ratifies agreement reached with CUPE
2019-2022
On November 4, 2019, CUPE provided notice that they ratified central terms of the 2019-2022 collective agreement. All four education sectors have also reported to the Crown that they have ratified the central terms. The ratification process is now complete.
OPSBA Statement Regarding Ratification of Settlement with CUPE
Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario (EWAO)
The CTA received Notice to Bargain from EWAO on July 5, 2022. Five OPSBA boards have membership in EWAO. Initial meetings have occurred.
2019-2022
The CTA received Notice to Bargain from EWAO on May 10, 2019. On September 11, EWAO, the CTA and the Crown concluded discussions regarding the scope of central bargaining, resulting in an agreement.
On December 10, the CTA and the provincial government announced that they had successfully negotiated a tentative settlement on central terms of a collective agreement with EWAO.
On February 3, 2020, EWAO provided notice that they ratified central terms of the 2019-2022 collective agreement. The three affected education sectors (English public, English Catholic and French Catholic) that have EWAO bargaining units have also reported to the Crown that they have ratified the central terms. The ratification process is now complete.
News Release: OPSBA Ratifies Settlement Reached with EWAO
Ontario Council of Education Workers (OCEW)
The CTA received Notice to Bargain from OCEW on July 19, 2022.
On December 11, it was announced that that the Council of Trustees’ Associations/School Board Associations (CTA) and the provincial government had successfully negotiated a tentative settlement on central terms of a collective agreement with OCEW. Twelve OPSBA boards have membership in OCEW. OPSBA, in conjunction with the Council of Trustees‘ Associations, and with approval from the Crown, announced on January 26 that it had ratified the tentative agreement that was reached with the Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) on December 10, 2022.
News Release: OPSBA ratified agreement reached with OCEW
2019-2022
The Council of Trustees’ Associations received Notice to Bargain from OCEW on June 24, 2019.
On September 13, OCEW informed the CTA and the Crown that they would file for conciliation on September 16.
On November 15, OCEW announced the results of its local strike votes, with 96% of members voting in favour of central strike action.
On April 4, 2020, OPSBA, the CTA and the Crown reached a tentative settlement of central terms of the collective agreement with OCEW. On May 5, it was announced that all parties had ratified the central terms. The ratification process is now complete.
News Release: OPSBA Ratifies Settlement Reached with Ontario Council of Education Workers
School Boards Collective Bargaining Act (SBCBA) Review
OPSBA, along with the three other school board/trustee associations, gave a joint submission to the Standing Committee on General Government regarding Bill 92, School Boards Collective Bargaining Amendment Act, 2017, on March 8, 2017. This followed a letter to Minister Mitzie Hunter on Feb. 10, 2017, outlining school board concerns with respect to a number of issues related to the SBCBA.
Stakeholder Consultation Summary
Following the conclusion of the first round of bargaining under the SBCBA, the government consulted with its partners in order to review the Act to see if there were improvements that could be made to the process. On July 4, 2016, the Minister of Education publicly released the summary of those consultations.
