SCOOP: As teachers map out bargaining, could they be deemed essential?
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ABOVE THE FOLD
BEHIND THE SCENES OF BARGAINING — Monday marked the first and only full day of negotiations this month between a major education union and the province, with contracts set to expire August 31.
Here’s what went down at the nine-hour marathon meeting:
— According to the union, CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions, they focused on setting the ground rules for contract talks and the scope of central bargaining — the issues that will be hammered out at the central bargaining table, which applies provincewide, rather than the local contracts, which apply to the specific district or school board. Those issues tend to deal with financial matters, which is a big sticking point for the union.
— Local bargaining can legally start now. A preliminary Zoom meeting for local bargaining units is set for Wednesday.
— One rule for this round of negotiations: There is no media blackout. In a memo to members, obtained by Queen’s Park Observer, CUPE says that’s a good …