What Ontario parents need to know about teacher bargaining as school starts

Kids are returning to school this fall amid some uncertainty as teachers continue to negotiate for new contracts. Here's what you need to know.

Kids are returning to school this fall amid some uncertainty as teachers continue to negotiate for new contracts.

None of the four unions representing teachers and some education workers in Ontario have reached a consensus with the provincial government on a new collective agreement, with three of the four committing to strike votes in the fall.

Here’s what parents need to know about a potential strike:

The following unions are in talks with the provincial government: the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSTF), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).

All but the OSSTF have rejected the province’s offer of binding interest arbitration, which would ultimately put the final bargaining decision on a neutral third party. This process could, if agreed upon, help avoid a strike in public high schools.

The short answer is no. Work action won’t likely happen for a few months, if at all.

All three remaining unions have said they will go forward with a strike vote in the fall if negotiations continue to fall flat. The votes are scheduled for mid-September to mid-November.