Ontario teachers to get 2.75 per cent retroactive pay due to Bill 124
A third-party arbitrator has awarded Ontario elementary and high school teachers additional retroactive pay related to Bill 124, which capped their salary increases at one per cent for three years.
The news was announced in a joint release issued late Friday afternoon.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Teachers have already been awarded an additional 0.75 per cent annually for the first two years the bill was in effect. The third year’s remedy was referred to an arbitrator.
The arbitrator, who acts as a third-party decision-maker in negotiations, awarded members of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) and the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario (ETFO) with a 2.75 per cent increase for 2021-2022.
In total, with the one per cent increase members already received, this equals a 7.25 per cent increase over the three years.
“This decision reinforces what we have known all along; our members have been underpaid and undervalued for years while the Progressive Conservatives underfunded public education and shortchanged Ontario’s students,” OSSTF President Karen Littlewood said in a statement.
The news comes just days before Ontario’s Appeal Court will release a ruling on whether Bill 124 was constitutional.
In late 2022, the Ontario Superior Court found the legislation had infringed on the collective bargaining rights of unions.
The government appealed the case in June and that appeal will be decided on Monday.
“This arbitration award is a clear acknowledgement of the egregious, unlawful suppression of wages that deliberately undermined our members’ rights and livelihoods,” ETFO President Karen Brown said. “The (Doug) Ford government’s unconstitutional attack on public sector workers must never be repeated.”
Multiple unions have already received remedies in relation to Bill 124, including teachers, nurses and civil servants.
The government has 60 days to provide school boards with funds to cover OSSTF and ETFO’s Bill 124 remedy, and boards must issue payments to eligible members no later than 120 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
AS IT HAPPENED Wildfire reaches Jasper Wednesday night, causes 'significant loss'
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park reached the townsite Wednesday night and caused 'significant loss.'
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.