Happy first day of school. While kids are heading back to the classroom, OCEW is heading back to the bargaining table with the Ministry of Education and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE).

Here’s where things stand. OCEW has told the employer side that we’ve hit an impasse on defining which items should be bargained centrally versus locally. Because we can’t agree, OCEW is filing an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board under section 28(4) of the School Board Collective Bargaining Act, 2014, asking the Board to decide.

The parties last met on July 24. At that meeting, the Crown and CODE put forward a proposal for central bargaining that included several items that were bargained locally in the last round. OCEW maintains those items are better suited for local bargaining, where they can reflect the specific needs of each board and community.

We’ll share more bargaining dates and updates as they’re set. Thanks for your patience, and welcome back to the new school year!

#backtoschool #ontedunited #onpoli