P.E.I. Teachers Federation agrees to conciliation over contract
Teachers' union has already filed for binding arbitration
The P.E.I. Teachers Federation and the provincial government will attempt conciliation to come to an agreement on a new contract.
The Island's teachers have been without a contract since the beginning of the school year.
An application for binding arbitration, filed by the teachers, is still underway. Federation president Bethany MacLeod said conciliation is an interim step.
"We want to enter into that first. So that's a step before arbitration," said MacLeod.
"Hopefully an agreement will be reached in that process."
The union applied for binding-arbitration after 30 days of failed negotiations.
Conciliation is non-binding, but the goal is to find common ground before a contract is forced on either side.
Teachers on P.E.I. do not have the right to strike.