The Oakville Beaver, W e d n e sd a y June 4, 2003 - A S Public board settles with high school teachers By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER After a couple of near misses on swinging a deal, Halton's pub lic high school teachers and its board have avoided possibly strik ing out on a third attempt by set tling a drawn-out contract dispute. After three months of on-andoff negotiations, the board and its 750 fulltime-equivalent second ary teachers have reached agree ment on a two-year deal. It will see teachers receive a blended net pay boost of 6.24 per cent by the end of the contract. It also ends a three-month work-to-rule campaign by teach ers. The settlement runs from Sept. 2. 2002 to Aug. 31,2004. The two sides reached a tenta tive deal late on May 23 after six hours of bargaining that day and seven hours with a mediator the day before. Joe Harw ood, president of the local chapter of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, said a "strong majori ty" of 88 per cent of the union's membership voted in favour of an agreement at a May 30 ratification meeting. Harwood said the contract calls for a three per cent pay boost retroactive to September, 2002 and another 0.46 per cent increase on Aug. 31, 2003. There is a 1.9 per cent raise on Sept. 1. 2003, a 1.7 per cent increase on Feb. 1, 2004 and a 0.75 per cent raise on Aug. 31. 2004. The Ontario government had guaranteed school boards funding for a one-year, three per cent raise for its employees. The end pay rate for Halton's senior public high school teachers at the top of the salary grid is being boosted 8.04 per cent and will be $75,700 by the end of the contract. By comparison, the top-end payout for senior secondary teachers at the other Greater Toronto Area boards averages about $76,000. said Dawn Beckett-Morton. chief negotiator for the Halton District School Board. Morton is relieved a deal is done. "There is no loss of jobs but there are no additions either. We both made movement." Beckett-Morton said the net cost of the contract "is higher than we had hoped but many (deals) across the province are much higher." Harwood said the contract is a decent one for the union. "We were able to maintain the status quo with benefits. That may not seem like a victory but they (board) had been looking for a co payment on premiums and they were looking for that across the agreement" from all teachers, said Harwood, noting the board will continue to pay 100 per cent of benefit costs. 'T he agreement had a number of significant changes that are long overdue." he added, "like related experience for our tech nology teachers." They will now get one year credit of seniority for every year worked outside the board, compared to the 2:1 ratio previously used. HAPPY 80t h MHMMH W ish in g You Many M ore W ith Love & Kisses FROM ALL OF US JUNE · 2 · 2003 R o s n CRRN0UHLE H o u se Catholic secondary teachers have tentative deal The Halton Catholic District School Board has reached a tentative one-year contract with the Halton Secondary' Unit of the Ontario English Catholic teachers Association (OECTA). The deal, reached Thursday, covers the period between Sept. 1. 2003 to Aug. 31. 2004. Halton Secondary' Unit members plan to meet to ratify the new Memorandum of Agreement but no date has been set. The Agreement will be presented for ratification by the Board of Trustees at its regular June 17 meet ing. No further details of the agreement will be made available until after ratification by both parties. 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