ETT Members,
Your ETT Negotiations Team met with the TDSB Negotiations Team on Monday, June 3rd.
After careful consideration, we believe the best way to move bargaining forward is to file for conciliation.
Background:
You and your colleagues have told us repeatedly that winning improvements for your working conditions and your students’ learning conditions is crucial in this round.
As you know, we have been bargaining in good faith with the TDSB for almost a year for these much needed improvements.
In the initial three bargaining dates in May – on May 9, 13, 21, we saw an increased level of actual back and forth and movement from the TDSB in key areas such as staffing, surplus and transfer, meaningful consultation, and professional development. We tentatively agreed upon important language related to surplus teachers’ abilities to express preference in placement, and part-time teachers requesting am or pm assignments.
In our last bargaining session on May 27, we discussed the definition of consultation, and teacher input into the school professional development plan. We continue to stand strong on our proposals in other key areas including health and safety, school climate, violence, Special Education and preparation time.
At the May 27 bargaining session we became concerned with significant inconsistencies in TDSB bargaining, specifically changing language mid-process, and unnecessarily slow progress on issues, especially to do with respect for your voice and input. The Board talks about valuing staff contributions, shared leadership, and respectful working relationships but when it comes to this round of bargaining, we are instead seeing a disturbing lack of willingness to actually negotiate on these commitments.
On Monday, June 3, we presented the TDSB with language that was largely their own (presented to us in an earlier submission) and they refused to agree to it.
We have now filed a request for conciliation.
ETT’s application will allow the Minister of Labour to appoint a conciliation officer who will attempt to assist the parties in reaching a tentative agreement but has no authority in the decision-making process (i.e., the conciliator cannot force the parties to accept an agreement – they are not an arbitrator). We are continuing with our next bargaining date with the Board on June 13, and we remain committed to making gains that will improve your working conditions, as well as refusing TDSB’s strips such as their egregious proposals to surplus teachers after 10 years at a school, and surplussing whole schools.
Our goal is to move forward positively in this process, and to reach a strong tentative agreement with the gains in local bargaining that you need. When a tentative agreement is reached, it will be brought to you for full discussion and a ratification vote.
Our on-going visible solidarity together, fighting for the schools we all deserve, is more important than ever.
Our next bargaining date is June 13th.
- Wear your Red for Ed.
- Organize your solidarity Walk Ins that morning.
- Take your pics and post to social media with the #ETTRedForEd tag and send to your Executive Officer.
CONCILIATION: Frequently Asked Questions
I heard ETT has filed for conciliation. What does this mean?
Under Section 18 of the Labour Relations Act, either party may initiate conciliation at any time during the process of negotiations. Filing for conciliation is an attempt at resolution. Essentially, it is a request for third-party assistance. ETT has filed an application to the Minister of Labour requesting a provincially appointed conciliator.
What happens in conciliation?
Once the conciliator is appointed by the Minister of Labour, they will meet with the parties in an effort to help discussions progress. The parties to bargaining must meet at least once with the conciliator. The conciliator can make suggestions, but they have no authority to impose a settlement on the parties.
What does conciliation mean for ETT members?
During conciliation, ETT members engage in their professional responsibilities as they normally would.
What happens if conciliation is successful?
If conciliation is successful, a tentative agreement will be reached and will be brought to ETT members for ratification.
If a majority of ETT members vote in favour of the tentative agreement, it becomes our new local agreement. We would then have both a local and central agreement (since ETFO has already settled centrally).
What happens if conciliation fails?
ETT’s goal is to reach a fair local agreement for our members. One that meets your needs and priorities for improved daily working conditions. We are optimistic that the conciliation process will be successful. As such, your Union is putting our total focus right now on conciliation. We are hopeful that as a neutral third party, the conciliation officer can help us make progress in bargaining.
However, if the conciliation fails to produce a positive result:
- the parties can continue to bargain without the presence of a conciliator; or
- either party can ask the conciliator to file a “no board” report stating that they may be at impasse.
When will the meeting with the conciliation officer take place?
We will advise members as soon as the conciliation officer has been appointed and a meeting has been set. This process may take some time as it depends upon the availability of Ministry of Labour conciliators.
How can I stay informed about bargaining developments?
ETT provides bargaining updates to members through:
- The ETT Weekly which comes out every Thursday, as well as special bargaining bulletin updates in ETT Briefly’s
- From you Executive Officers to your Stewards
When should I expect to receive retroactive pay owed to me as a result of the Central compensation/salary award?
Your retroactive pay is your “bird in the hand” now and you will receive all of your retroactive pay no later than 30 days following the ratification of our local agreement.
For more information on the central agreement salary award decision, please check out ETFO’s FAQ’s here:
