FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2002

Are wages an issue?
In recent interviews with local and regional media, Dave Patterson, Local President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has stated that there are two issues on the negotiating table: wages and working conditions. So let’s talk about wages.

ETFO has requested wage parity with secondary school teachers in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. “This has been met”, explains Fred Deacon, Chief Negotiator for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. He adds, “As we view the region, we believe our teachers are paid competitively with neighbouring school boards”.

Chris Salt, Superintendent of Human Resources/Operations comments, “We feel this is very competitive. We have looked at elementary teachers’ salaries in Ontario, including Northern Ontario school boards that pay above average annual salaries due to their unique needs and Toronto and Ottawa where the cost of living is significantly above what we are experiencing in our region. What we have discovered is that the median salary paid to elementary teachers in this province is $70,152*”.

Salt adds that, “Our teachers’ benefits are covered 100%, noting that in other boards they may only cover 80% of the premium, the rest being the responsibility of the employee.” He continues, “Many district school boards have a more restrictive qualifications system. Our teachers enjoy the least restrictive system available allowing them the greatest opportunity to reach the maximum annual salary.”

*Ontario Teachers’ Salary Source: Provincial Elementary Teachers’ Federation - Quick Comparison of Public Elementary Teacher Collective Agreements