CUPE education support workers reach deal with Ontario government

Ontario has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), ending a work-to-rulecampaign by support staff in schools across the province.

The deal means the Liberal government doesn't have to follow throughon a threat to dock the pay of thoseCUPE members.

Talks continue with theOntario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and theElementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), who are also in the midst of a work-to-rule campaign.

• Paychequesof Ontario teachers could get docked this week
• Elementary teachers stop extra-curricular activities
• Wynnethreatens to dock teachers' pay if work-to-rule continues

Premier Kathleen Wynne had said if ETFO's76,000 teachers,CUPE's 55,000 support staff and other support staffrepresented by the OSSTF, didn't end their job action by Nov. 1, she would give permission to school boards to trigger five days' notice to dock their pay.

The deadline came and went with no word, and talks with those three unions continued.

Deputy Premier Deb Matthews says the government held off because talks appearto be making progress.

"I think everyone is focused right now on reaching settlements," she told reporters.

'Net-zero'

A statement issued by the province Monday morningsaid CUPE hadagreed to stop all job action pending ratification of the deal.The union's members includecustodial staff, office administrators, early childhood educators, tradespeople, library technicians andspeech pathologists.

The tentative agreement covers workers in all four school board systems:English public and Catholic, and French public and Catholic.

CUPE's last contract expiredin August2014.

Terms of the deal were not released, but Minister of Education Liz Sandals said in a statementit conforms to the government's "net-zero" approach to talks with public labour unions,meaningany salary increases are offset through savings elsewhere,

"The agreement recognizes the important work that education support workers do every day in our schools," said Sandals in a statement."They play an integral role in ensuring our schools provide welcoming, safe and clean environments that support student success."

ETFO talks continue

Talks continue with ETFOand support workers represented by the OSSTF. An update on those talks is expected later today.The latter represents aboutabout 15,000 support staff.

The government and Ontario school boards' associations have already reachedthree-year deals with the province's public high school teachers as well as unions representing elementary and secondary Catholic teachersand French-public and Catholic board teachers.

ETFO told CBC News this morning they have been bargaining through the night were still at the table Monday.

The work-to-rule campaign by ETFO members has put extra-curricular activities including sports teams and bands on hold.

ProgressiveConservative Leader Patrick Brown suggested the Liberals never meant to follow through with their threat to dock teachers' and support workers' pay.

"I just don't think it's an option that's being seriouslyconsidered by the government," he said. "I thought that was simplya show and a distraction."