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Download the Collective Agreement

Download the Collective Agreement 2019-2022

The term of the Collective Agreement is September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2019.

Negotiations

Under the Labour Relations Act, the Union negotiates terms and conditions of employment with the employer. The product of negotiations is a document called the Collective Agreement. It is a legally binding document which both parties agree to abide by. It is also a living document and subject to change upon its expiry date.

The Collective Agreement outlines a teacher’s salary, benefits and working conditions such as preparation time, supervision time and sick days.

It is vital that the Negotiating Team have a full understanding of the priorities of the membership. Thus, teachers have a responsibility to participate in the process fully. Typically, members are asked to fill out a survey which helps determine the Union’s priorities and directions in negotiations.

Negotiations ensue and at times, sanctions may be necessary to reach a tentative settlement. In the end, members vote on whether the tentative settlement is acceptable.

There are many things that the Union does, but negotiating the Collective Agreement is its central focus and the most important. Negotiating the Collective Agreement gives us all one opportunity every three or four years to sit down with our employer, address concerns and make improvements about our working conditions, benefits and salary. It is the one time that we are on an equal footing with our employer and can legally change the conditions we work under.

Negotiations are often lengthy, difficult and stressful but ETT asks everyone to be a part of the process by helping develop our positions around issues, keeping aware of the progress of talks, asking questions when you do not understand what is going on, and telling your Negotiation Team what you think.