The Sudbury Elementary Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board have ratified a new one-year collective agreement effective September 2003 to August 2004. The new agreement includes a benefit package for retirees consisting of dental coverage, extended health care and group life while the monetary portion of the contract will see the teachers’ salaries increase by 1.5 percent effective September 2003, an additional 1 percent in February 2004 and 1 percent on June 1 of 2004.

Ray Vincent, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic School Board is pleased with the fact that the contract has been ratified by the membership, stating that, “ the Board is very happy that we had an agreement reached on friendly terms. Our two most important assets are our students and the teachers we hire to educate them. The ratification of this contract underscores the common goal of the Board and the Elementary Teachers’ Local Bargaining Unit to provide the best possible education to the Catholic children of this community.”