Press Release
The collective agreement between the Rainy River District School Board and its secondary teachers expired on Aug. 31, 2014.
The School Board Collective Bargaining Act created a new two-tier bargaining process, or central and local bargaining as it often is referred to.
This means issues such as salary, benefits, and paid leaves are negotiated on a province-wide basis at a central table.
All other issues then are negotiated locally.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, the provincial government, and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association announced a ratified central agreement on Sept. 18.
Meanwhile, the board and OSSTF District 5B–Rainy River Teachers’ Bargaining Unit have met over the course of several months, but have been unable to reach a local tentative agreement.
OSSTF District 5B–Rainy River Teachers’ Bargaining Unit began taking legal job action, or sanctions, in the form of a partial withdrawal of services on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Discussions between the federation and the school board have not continued since the first week of December.
As a result, the school board is contacting a professional mediator to assist in reaching a local tentative settlement with OSSTF District 5B teachers as soon as possible, in the new year, ending the sanctions currently in place at its high schools.
The Rainy River District School Board is committed to ongoing, respectful, and productive negotiation discussions with its local federations, and will continue to bargain in good faith.
