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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WELCOME TO THE  

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 

2014-2015

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