O production of resource documents, statistical and clausal analyses, trends in negotiations, and
other materials relevant to bargaining.
Collective agreements provide rights, entitlements, and protection against arbitrary treatment. The
following are a few items which would not be there without collective bargaining:
Your Salary
It is not set by law. In fact, teachers are exempt from the law which provides minimum wage protection
to most other workers in this province. The fact that your salary rises each year, and that there is an
experience grid which causes it to rise even further in your first ten or so years of teaching, is due to
collective bargaining.
Your Insured Benefits
The coverage you receive for prescription glasses, prescription drugs, dental services, hearing aids, and
semi-private hospital room care is negotiated at the bargaining table. So, too, are your life insurance
policy and your long-term disability coverage.
Your Workday
The general framework in the Education Act with respect to school day and student instructional
time leaves wide scope for collective bargaining. Therefore, your collective agreement can cover the
instructional day, preparation time, supervision time, and an overall limit to the working day.
Your Work Assignment
For teachers, transfer, seniority, and lay-off
provisions are all subject to collective bargaining.
So, too, are the rights of part-time teachers. For
occasional teachers, the size of the call-out list,
the right to remain on the list, the system of call-
out, and the posting and allocation of long- term
positions are all bargainable items.
Your Peace of Mind
One of the most important parts of your collective
agreement is your “just cause” clause. Without
it, your job tenure would be much less secure
and your employer would be able to discharge or
discipline you far more easily.
Collective Bargaining – An
Evolving Process
Collective bargaining is an ongoing process which
continually evolves, gaining more protections
and better working conditions for educators over
time. Each and every ETFO member has a stake in
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