Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - Report No 342, June 2006

Case No 2305 (Canada) - Complaint date: 09-OCT-03 - Closed

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 35. The Committee last examined this case at its November 2005 session. The Committee requested the Government to continue to pursue its best efforts to maintain a stable and harmonious labour relations atmosphere in the education sector and to continue to keep it informed of results achieved at the Education Partnership Table [see 338th Report, paras. 35-37].
2. 36. In a communication dated 14 December 2005, the Government states that it continues to work with education stakeholders to bring peace and stability to the sector. For the first time in the history of Ontario, teachers’ unions and school boards settled four-year collective agreements (running from 1 September 2004 to 31 August 2008), without any strike or lockout. This new collaborative approach was facilitated by the Government’s discussions with teachers’ unions and school boards, and led to the development of provincial frameworks and policies, which formed the basis for the peaceful negotiation of local agreements. The Government is also establishing a provincial stability commission to provide a forum for a collaborative response to province-wide issues arising out of the four-year agreements.
3. 37. In addition, the Government has established the Education Partnership Table, a new forum designed to get broad and diverse insights from the education sector on provincial education policy early in the policy development process. The Table consists of representatives from unions and employers in the education sector, as well as students, parents and school principals. Participants agree to work towards consensus and, wherever possible, to raise issues first at the Table for all to examine and help solve collectively. The first meeting of the Table was held on 6 March 2004; it is anticipated that meetings will be held on a quarterly basis in 2006.
4. 38. The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government in the present case, which reflects a constructive and preventive approach with respect to labour relations in the education sector based on social dialogue with all stakeholders.