Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teachers OK 4 Year Deal

February 8, 2006

Public elementary substitute teachers, members of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), ratified a tentative agreement, yesterday evening.

"Better opportunities for job vacancies, recognition for daily experience and some monetary improvements add up to a good agreement," said Emily Noble, ETFO President.

"When occasional teachers fight for job security, their efforts benefit everyone who has a stake in education. This new agreement recognizes the experience and the qualifications that my members bring to the job every day. Yet, there are still over a dozen boards who do not recognize the true value of these teachers," Noble said.

"My negotiating team was able to put some long missing pieces together and come up with a solid agreement. We successfully addressed a number of issues that needed to be addressed. The next team will have a very solid foundation from which to build upon" said Marsha Jones, President of the ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local represents 425 public elementary occasional teachers. Their contract ended August 31, 2004.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario represents 70,000 public elementary teachers and education workers across Ontario and is the largest teacher federation in Canada outside of Quebec.