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Tentative deal reached with Catholic school teachers

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The tentative agreement should keep Catholic elementary and secondary schools open this fall and avoid a possible strike.

Specifics of the deal have not been released, pending ratification by 34 000 English Catholic school teachers, but it’s believed that the outline will closely resemble an agreement last week with Ontario high school teachers.

That deal included a lump sum, 1% payment this year, another 1% next September, and an additional half-% later on even though the province insisted there was no new money available for Ontario teachers.

Education Minister Liz Sandals wouldn’t explain the details of how negotiators managed to satisfy both sides but did say the deal won’t cost the province additional dollars.

Board chairman Pat Daly was reluctant to comment before the deal gets approval from the teachers but said it’s safe to say he’s happy and that comment was echoed by Lawrence Lech who heads the parent’s committee.

The big question however is whether the largest teachers union in the province, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, will see enough benefit in the two new deals to cut a contract of its own with the province.

The union representing 76 000 elementary school teachers does not return to the bargaining table, until September 1st..