Contracts and Rights

Healthy and Safe Workplaces

You have the right to work in a healthy and safe environment. That right is outlined in the Ontario Ministry of Labour's Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The Association strives to ensure that you are safe and protected in your workplace, that boards comply with legislation in all schools, that the laws that govern health and safety in the province are continually strengthened, and that all members know their rights and receive the information they are entitled to by law. We have dedicated health and safety representatives in every local unit who sit on the joint health and safety committees at the board. Also, regional health and safety seminars are put on every year, and we have a provincial Health and Safety Committee dedicated to providing input to the Association on issues related to keeping you safe in your workplace.

Your rights also address bullying, physical and psychological abuse, harassment, discrimination, and more. We have pulled together a series of resources to help you understand your rights as they pertain to your health & safety in your workplace.

Your Collective Agreement

Since the passage of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014, bargaining takes place at a both the provincial and local levels, resulting in a provincial agreement that is applicable to all members, and local agreements specific to the members in each local unit. A complete collective agreement includes both portions.

On September 25, 2015 members ratified a new Memoradum of Settlement (MOS), which completes the provincial portion of your collective agreement. Thereafter, local units began negotiation the local component of their collective agreement. Ratification of the local components occurs at various times, specific to each unit.

The latest news and information on bargaining is provided to members in the Bargaining Centre section of the Members’ Area. Make sure your personal email is registered with the Association to ensure you receive these important updates in a timely manner.

Leave Provisions

Pregnant? Need to take a leave of absence? Unable to work due to injury or illness? We can help you handle issues related to approved absence, maternity and parental leave, transfers, employment insurance, long-term disability, and the Workers' Safety and Insurance Board.

Grievances are the mechanism that OECTA uses to ensure employers respect and implement the provisions of the agreement that governs members’ salary, benefits and working conditions.

The Ontario Labour Relations Act provides for the arbitration of grievances arising from the application, interpretation or violation of the collective agreement.

If you have reason to suspect that your collective agreement has not been applied, interpreted or administered in accordance with its terms, you should immediately contact the Association representative in your school, your unit's grievance officer, or the Provincial Office.

Grievances

Grievances are the mechanism that we use to ensure employers respect and implement the provisions of the agreement that governs members’ salary, benefits and working conditions.

The Ontario Labour Relations Act provides for the arbitration of grievances arising from the application, interpretation, or violation of the collective agreement.

If you have reason to suspect that your collective agreement has not been applied, interpreted, or administered in accordance with its terms, you should immediately contact the Association representative in your school, your unit's grievance officer, or the Provincial Office.

Benefits

You have access to supplemental health and dental benefits, as well as long-term disability and life insurance, as part of your collective agreement. These provisions are negotiated locally and may differ from board to board.

Log in to the Members’ Area to access your local collective agreement. If you have questions about the provision of benefits by your board, speak with the Association Representative in your school or call your local unit office.