Education Minister Laurel Broten has imposed contracts on public school teachers while at the same time saying the government will end Bill 115, the legislation that eliminated pay raises and collective bargaining for teachers. The decisions are necessary said Ms. Broten because of the Ontario’s multi-billion dollar deficit. Today’s action employs the force of Bill 115 to impose the contracts even though the bill itself will be eliminated. These are powers the government gained last fall, with the support of the Progressive Conservatives, and which it used to force contracts on about 130,000 elementary and secondary school teachers. The agreements will be similar to deals signed by Catholic and French-language teachers last year. They will include: Freezing wages for most teachers, a reduction in sick days, a limit on the amount of unclaimed sick days that teachers can cash out when they retire. The imposed contracts will expire in August 2014.Ont imposes contracts on public school teachers
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Education Minister Laurel Broten has imposed contracts on public school teachers while at the same time saying the government will end Bill 115, the legislation that eliminated pay raises and collective bargaining for teachers. The decisions are necessary said Ms. Broten because of the Ontario’s multi-billion dollar deficit. Today’s action employs the force of Bill 115 to impose the contracts even though the bill itself will be eliminated. These are powers the government gained last fall, with the support of the Progressive Conservatives, and which it used to force contracts on about 130,000 elementary and secondary school teachers. The agreements will be similar to deals signed by Catholic and French-language teachers last year. They will include: Freezing wages for most teachers, a reduction in sick days, a limit on the amount of unclaimed sick days that teachers can cash out when they retire. The imposed contracts will expire in August 2014.