New Brunswick teachers ratify five-year collective agreement

New Brunswick teachers have ratified a new five-year contract that their union says will help them attract more people to the profession.

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation, which represents teachers from kindergarten to Grade 12, said 93 per cent of its members voted in favour of the collective agreement.

“The new agreement recognizes areas of concern for teachers in the province, including salaries, time and flexibility, and respect for the profession,” said co-president Eric Godin in a news release. “We are pleased to see the openness to exploring ways to better recognize teachers’ work beyond instruction.”

The contract will run from March 1, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2031. Their most recent deal expired last February.

“We are pleased that the teachers across the province have voted in favour of this new collective agreement,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy in a news release from the province. “Credit goes to the hard work of the negotiating teams on both sides, who worked diligently to reach an agreement that demonstrates the respect and appreciation that our teachers deserve.”

More details about the new deal will be made available during the official signing in June.

“We have been raising the concern for some time about the lack of certified teachers in our classrooms,” said co-president Heidi Ryder. “With a large number of teachers nearing or at retirement age, we will need to fill those positions.

“New Brunswick’s education system must attract new teachers. This new agreement should help.”

The provincial government says the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation represents roughly 7,800 teachers in the public school system.

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