On May 23, 2012, ETFO received updated parameters for the 2012-2014 Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) from the provincial government. The updates to the May 23, 2012, PDT proposal are as follows:

Revised - Sick Leave:  Effective September 1, 2012 introduce a short-term sick leave plan which offers 10 sick days paid at 100% salary and 24 weeks at 66.66% salary each year. Sick days cannot be carried forward from year to year.

New - Province Wide Collective Bargaining: Consultations in the fall of 2012 to develop legislative and regulatory framework for a more centralized approach to collective bargaining. If approved by the legislature, provincial bargaining would take effect by January 1, 2014.

New - Benefit Plans: Establish a committee composed of teachers' federations, support staff unions, school board trustee associations and the government to investigate the creation of provincial benefits plan(s) for the education sector. The committee would complete its work by January 1, 2014 for consideration during collective agreement discussions in 2014.

The May 23rd PDT proposal fails to address ETFO members' concerns about the unprecedented demands being made by the provincial government: the drastic erosion of sick leave, the freeze of salary grid movement for both experience and qualifications, the elimination of retirement gratuities and the unwarranted interference in the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Its content and tone also demonstrates the government's continuing unwillingness to engage in a respectful discussion process that supports the negotiation of fair collective agreements.