The Government of Prince Edward Island is disappointed that Island teachers did not vote to ratify the tentative agreement reached with the PEI Teachers' Federation.
"Our government negotiating team and the Teachers' Federation negotiating team worked hard to ensure that a fair and reasonable negotiated settlement was reached," said the Honourable Mitch Murphy, acting Minister of Education. "After talks broke down earlier in the month, government invited the Teachers' Federation back to the table and we were able to reach a tentative agreement at the negotiating table."
Minister Murphy said the tentative agreement had included fair salary increases and provisions to maintain the current number of teachers in the public school system during the three-year term of the tentative agreement.
"Our best estimates of declining enrolments over the three-year period tell us that we would have maintained 54 teaching positions through this measure," said Minister Murphy.
The Education Negotiation Agency and the Teachers' Federation also tentatively agreed on positions on solutions to issues relating to distance education and student services.
"We are obviously disappointed that teachers did not accept the tentative agreement," said Minister Murphy. "We certainly respect their right to do so and we will continue to work with the Teachers' Federation as we move through the remaining steps of this process."
BACKGROUNDER
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TEACHERS' FEDERATION
There was a strong desire on the part of the Teachers' Federation and government to achieve a negotiated settlement.
The Teachers' Federation was one of the first of several major public sector groups to come to the negotiating table.
The major elements of the tentative agreement were as follows:
Salaries:
September 1, 2001 - 2.25 percent increase to grid and allowances; September 1, 2001 - 1.0 percent adjustment to the grid and allowances in lieu of an employer contribution to a cost-shared LTD plan; September 1, 2002 - 3.25 percent increase to grid and allowances; September 1, 2003 - 3.25 percent increase to grid and allowances. This compounds to a 10.07 percent increase over the three-year period.
Teachers are one of only a few public sector groups who do not have a cost-shared LTD plan, although they do have a disability provision in their pension plan for total and permanent disability.
Principal & Vice Principal Allowances:
September 1, 2001 - To address recruitment and retention issues, the base allowance increased from 8 percent to 10 percent of grid salary for principals and from 4 percent to 5 percent of grid salary for vice-principals. These increases are in addition to the salary increases noted above.
Staffing Levels:
By letter of understanding, a commitment to, for the term of the agreement, maintain the number of teachers at a level equal to the total number of teachers employed in the 2001/2002 school year. This measure would have retained fifty plus teachers in the system to help alleviate staffing issues such as special education, small schools and large class sizes.
Special Education:
Agreement to develop policy and a dispute resolution procedure for teachers dealing with students with special needs.
Distance Education:
Establishment of a committee to discuss issues related to distance education.
Teacher Assignment:
New language to address concerns about assignments but recognizing the overall needs of schools and students.