Negotiations Once Again Reach Impasse

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 23, 2015) - Following two days of discussions involving a seasoned mediator, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) is disappointed to report that negotiations with the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Public School Boards' Association have once again arrived at an impasse.

OSSTF/FEESO President Paul Elliott said, "In spite of our best efforts to find a path to an agreement, the Government and OPSBA continue to attack our existing contracts, and insist on contract strips that would have a negative impact in Ontario classrooms for teachers and students alike. We want nothing more than to reach a negotiated settlement, but we simply can't agree to terms that undermine our members' working conditions, and can only lead to inferior learning conditions for our students."

OSSTF/FEESO will now apply for conciliation under the Ontario Labour Relations Act for central table bargaining.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.