An arbitrator appointed by a third party granted elementary and secondary school teachers in Ontario retroactive additional salaries related to Bill 124, which set a cap on their salary increases at 1 percent for three years.

The news was announced in a joint statement late on Friday.

Teachers had already received an additional 0.75 percent annually during the first two years of the bill's implementation, and the handling of the third year was referred to the arbitrator.

The arbitrator, who acts as a third-party decision-maker in negotiations, granted members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) a 2.75 percent raise for the 2021-2022 period.

Overall, with the 1 percent increase members have already received, this amounts to a 7.25 percent increase over three years.

Karen Littlewood, OSSTF president, said in a statement, “This decision reinforces what we have always known: our members have been underpaid and undervalued for years, while Progressive Conservatives have been underfunding public education and shortchanging Ontario students’ rights.”

This news comes just days before the Ontario Court of Appeal issues a ruling on whether Bill 124 is constitutional.

In late 2022, the Ontario Superior Court found that the legislation violated unions’ collective bargaining rights.

The government appealed the case in June, and this appeal will be decided on Monday.

Karen Brown, ETFO president, said: “This arbitration decision is a clear acknowledgment of the blatant and illegal wage suppression that deliberately undermined the rights and livelihoods of our members.” “The unconstitutional attack launched by (Doug) Ford’s government on public sector workers must never happen again.”

Several unions have already received remedies related to Bill 124, including teachers, nurses, and civil service workers.

The government has 60 days to provide school boards with funds to cover OSSTF and ETFO expenses related to Bill 124, and boards must issue payments to eligible members within 120 days.