Toronto - May 16, 2020 — Members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) have voted to accept central bargaining agreements that were reached on April 20 with the Ontario government and associations representing the province’s school boards.

Education workers represented by OSSTF/FEESO voted to accept the Education Worker central agreement.

Teachers and occasional teachers represented by OSSTF/FEESO also voted to accept the Teacher/Occasional Teacher central agreement.

“OSSTF/FEESO members recognize these deals are imperfect but provide needed stability in these trying times,” said OSSTF/FEESO President Harvey Bischof. “While we were able to fend off some of the Ford government’s most egregious attacks on education, members will not forget this government’s efforts to undermine publicly-funded education in Ontario.”

“It’s true that without our efforts things would have been much worse,” continued Bischof. “But larger classes, mandatory e-learning, and reduced funding for student supports will still be a reality in the province’s schools next September.”

“OSSTF/FEESO will continue the fight to reverse these destructive policies,” concluded Bischof.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has over 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.