Ontario’s finance minister says the government will stick to its plan to cap wage increases for public sector workers, including teachers, at one per cent.<\/p>\n
Rod Phillips says there’s a limit to what Ontarians can afford to pay in bargaining talks.<\/p>\n He also says the Progressive Conservative government has been clear about its plans since announcing the wage increase cap last spring.<\/p>\n Phillips’ comments come at a time when the province is in the middle of bargaining talks with two major teachers unions.<\/p>\n The Tory government was able to negotiate the one per cent cap into a tentative agreement struck with 55,000 education workers over the weekend.<\/p>\n Ontario’s high school teachers have said they are asking for a cost-of-living adjustment that comes in at roughly two per cent a year.<\/p>\n High school and elementary teachers’ contracts expired at the end of August and negotiations are ongoing.<\/p>\n