Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

What Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association does

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) is a professional association and trade union founded in 1944 and headquartered in Toronto that exclusively represents approximately 45,000 English-speaking Catholic teachers working in Ontario's publicly funded Catholic school system, from Kindergarten through Grade 12. OECTA operates under statutory labour relations recognition in the province and discharges core functions of collective bargaining (notably with OCSTA and the Ontario government), member counselling and legal support, professional development, public advocacy on education funding and working conditions, scholarships, bursaries, and member benefits administration. Its current President, René Jansen in de Wal, was re-elected at the 2025 Annual General Meeting for a 2025-2027 term, with governance flowing through a Provincial Executive and a Council of Presidents representing local units across Ontario.

OECTA's product and service portfolio centers on member representation plus a fee-for-service professional development layer. Member-facing offerings include Additional Qualifications (AQ) courses (45+ courses across 19 subject areas, priced at CAD $649 per course, delivered online and face-to-face), the RISE leadership and PD program, the Common Good Conference, mental health and wellness resources, scholarships and fellowships (e.g., Mary C. Babcock, Margaret Lynch, and Cecilia Rowan fellowships), and OTIP (Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan) benefits access. Technology infrastructure is a standard web-based members' portal and LMS; the organization publishes resources, coordinates Days of Action, and runs the long-running Young Authors Awards program. The Catholic Teacher Magazine, previously published five times annually, was discontinued with its final issue in June 2025.

OECTA's revenue model is non-profit membership dues collected from its 45,000 members, augmented by AQ course fees, benefit plan administrative revenues, and investment income. It does not disclose financial figures publicly. The organization operates as part of a broader Ontario education union coalition with AEFO, ETFO, OSSTF/FEESO, and CUPE-OSBCU, which together represent more than 255,000 educators in coordinated bargaining and advocacy, and it is affiliated provincially with the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF) and nationally with the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF/FCE).

Name

Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

Legal name

Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

Website

https://catholicteachers.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OECTA is a Toronto-based professional association and trade union, founded in 1944, that exclusively represents 45,000 English-speaking Catholic teachers in Ontario's publicly funded K-12 Catholic school system through collective bargaining, advocacy, professional development, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teachers' Union and Professional Association Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Lesson Plans & Teaching Units (K–12) (EDAGAJAI)

Keywords

• Teachers union services
• Collective bargaining
• Professional development courses
• Member advocacy
• Education labour relations

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OECTA operates as a teachers' union funded through membership dues from its 45,000 Catholic teacher members across Ontario.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OECTA is the recognized trade union and professional association for 45,000 English-speaking Catholic teachers in Ontario's publicly funded Catholic school system. It negotiates collective agreements with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA) and the provincial government, provides member counselling and legal support, delivers professional development (notably Additional Qualifications courses and the RISE leadership program), runs the Young Authors Awards, and advocates publicly on Catholic education, labour rights, and social justice issues.

Product overview

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) is a professional teachers' union representing 45,000 Catholic teachers in Ontario. Rather than a technology product company, OECTA provides a suite of member services including professional development through Additional Qualifications (AQ) Courses and the RISE program, the Catholic Teacher Magazine publication, the Young Authors Awards writing program, an online Members' Portal, international Teaching Together partnerships, the Common Good Conference, mental health and wellness support, scholarships and bursaries, and OTIP insurance benefits. These services collectively support Catholic educators' professional growth, advocacy, and wellbeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catholic Teacher Magazine: Official publication of OECTA, published five times annually (final issue June 2025).
• Young Authors Awards / Prix jeunes écrivains
• RISE

Products and services

• Additional Qualifications (AQ) Courses More than 45 professional-development courses across 19 subject areas delivered online and face-to-face, priced at $649 per course, available to OECTA members seeking to expand teaching qualifications.
• RISE Professional Development and Training Program A leadership-focused professional-development and training program designed specifically for Catholic teachers in Ontario, offering leadership opportunities and career-advancement resources.
• Young Authors Awards / Prix jeunes écrivains Annual awards program celebrating student writing excellence in English and French, spanning poetry, short stories, plays, and non-fiction, for students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 in Ontario's Catholic schools (39+ years running).
• OECTA Members' Portal Secure online portal providing OECTA members access to handbook, contracts, rights information, professional-development materials, benefits plans, and association services.
• Teaching Together OECTA's international professional-development initiative that pairs Canadian Catholic teachers with educators in developing countries to share expertise and strengthen global Catholic education.
• Common Good Conference Annual conference providing professional-development and networking opportunities for Catholic teachers, with applications of interest accepted starting May 4 each year.
• Member Mental Health and Wellness Comprehensive mental health, wellness resources, and support services for OECTA members.
• Fellowships (Mary C. Babcock, Margaret Lynch, Cecilia Rowan) Fellowships for labour studies (Mary C. Babcock Fellowship) and catechetics/religious studies (Margaret Lynch and Cecilia Rowan Fellowships) awarded to qualifying OECTA members for advanced study.
• Scholarships Post-graduate scholarships for OECTA members, including the Michael Ennett Memorial, Shannon Hogan Memorial, Rose M. Cassin Memorial, Reverend J.H. Conway Memorial, and Doreen Brady Memorial Scholarships.
• Joan Rogers Kamps Bursary Annual bursary awarded in June for post-secondary studies from summer session through June 30 of the following year, available to OECTA statutory or voluntary members in good standing.
• OTIP (Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan) Insurance benefits program accessible to OECTA members through the Member Portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully challenged Bill 124 legislation as unconstitutional, protecting salary negotiation rights for teachers.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Coalition of Ontario education unions working together on collective bargaining and advocacy. OECTA joins with CUPE-OSBCU and other unions to represent over 255,000 educators in negotiations with the Ford government. The unions jointly serve notice to bargain and hold press conferences on education issues.
• Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Major Ontario teachers' federation working in coalition with OECTA for collective bargaining and province-wide advocacy for education funding and working conditions.
• Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Ontario elementary teachers' federation collaborating with OECTA on joint bargaining notices, press conferences, and Days of Action representing educators across the province.
• L'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026French-language Catholic teachers' association working with OECTA as part of Ontario's unified education union coalition for collective bargaining.
• Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF/FCE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026National federation representing teachers across Canada. CTF/FCE has launched a petition calling on federal government to annul or repeal provincial legislation restricting workers' rights through the notwithstanding clause. OECTA participates in joint declarations with CTF on national education issues.
• Education Leaders from All Provinces and TerritoriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Joint declaration by education organization presidents from every province and territory, representing over 420,000 teachers and education workers, condemning the use of the notwithstanding clause in collective bargaining contexts.
• Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOCSTA represents Catholic school boards in collective bargaining negotiations. OECTA negotiates central terms with OCSTA and the provincial government for teachers' collective agreements.
• Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial federation of teacher affiliates including OECTA, ETFO, OSSTF, and AEFO. OTF coordinates provincial responses on education policy and member support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): The largest labor union in the United States representing K-12 teachers and education professionals. While U.S.-focused, it is structurally comparable to OECTA in providing collective bargaining, professional development, advocacy, and member benefits to public school teachers.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): Major U.S. labor union representing K-12 teachers and public employees. Comparable to OECTA in providing collective bargaining services, professional development programs, and member benefits to public school educators, though operating on a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF): Provincial federation under which OECTA operates as an affiliate. OTF coordinates provincial responses and provides administrative coordination across the four Ontario teacher affiliates including OECTA.
• Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF/FCE): National federation of teachers' organizations including OECTA. CTF/FCE provides national-level advocacy and is the umbrella body through which OECTA participates in pan-Canadian initiatives like the notwithstanding clause petition.
• Canadian Union of Public Employees - Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU): Coalition peer representing education workers across Ontario school boards. Works alongside OECTA in province-wide advocacy and joint bargaining with the provincial government.
• Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO): Direct peer representing Ontario elementary teachers in publicly funded schools. Both organizations provide collective bargaining, professional development, and member services under the Ontario Teachers' Federation umbrella, and frequently partner in coalition advocacy.
• Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO): Direct peer representing Ontario secondary teachers and education workers. OSSTF partners with OECTA on joint bargaining notices, press conferences, and province-wide advocacy representing 255,000+ educators.
• L'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO): Direct peer representing French-language Catholic teachers in Ontario. AEFO is part of the same Ontario teachers' union coalition as OECTA, with overlapping membership, services, and bargaining dynamics.

Regional players

• Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA): Regional peer representing teachers in Alberta. Comparable in structure as a provincial teachers' association with collective bargaining, professional development, and member services for K-12 educators.
• British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF): Regional peer representing teachers in British Columbia's public school system. Operates as a comparable teachers' union with similar collective bargaining, professional development, and advocacy services across a different Canadian province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OECTAProv
• Facebookfacebook.com/OECTA
• Instagraminstagram.com/catholic_teachers/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association