A VOTE FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR FUTURE


AFTER A FRUSTRATING YEAR OF BARGAINING, ETFO IS ASKING MEMBERS FOR A STRONG STRIKE MANDATE TO SUPPORT FAIR AND MEANINGFUL NEGOTIATIONS.


BY LISA MASTROBUONO D


uring her live-streamed open- ing address at ETFO’s 2023 Annual Meeting on August 14, President Karen Brown announced that, aſter a long


and frustrating year of central bargaining, ETFO would be holding all-member, in- person central strike vote meetings across the province in September and October. ETFO’s bargaining team had done all it


could to move dialogue forward in negotia- tions, said President Brown. But the combi- nation of consistent stalling by the govern- ment/school board team in the spring of 2023, and unfair labour practices on the government’s part in late July 2023, made it clear that ETFO needed to use new tactics if positive movement at its negotiation tables was going to be achieved. President Brown laid out ETFO’s con-


cerns to Annual Meeting delegates in her opening address: Troughout this past school year, ETFO


has tried to bargain in good faith with this government. We have come to the bargaining table with reasonable proposals around spe- cial education, around class size, and around violence in schools. ETFO’s proposals would have ensured our members had agreements that kept up with inflation and could address the recruitment and retention of much-need- ed education staff.


We have had 30 teacher/occasional teach-


er and education worker central bargaining meetings this year. And we don’t have mean- ingful agreements to show for it at either table. In response to our constructive propos-


als, the government has refused to engage meaningfully and has recently insisted on tabling proposals that are tantamount to strips – to your salary, your benefits, and your working conditions. We have reached a tipping point. ETFO’s


patience has run out. Our members’ patience has run out. We now need to pressure this government to come to the table and start to bargain seriously with us. Te move to hold central strike votes is


not taken lightly. ETFO would have pre- ferred to reach central agreements long before getting to this point. For an entire year, your Federation has made it clear to government/school board teams across the table that we are ready to reach deals that acknowledge student needs, respect educa- tors’ skill and professionalism, and provide appropriate funding and staffing for the ser- vices that schools deserve. Instead, the government/school board


teams delayed, dragged their feet, and squan- dered opportunities to have meaningful dis- cussions and reach agreements that improve learning and working conditions. So how did we get here?


Right: More than 700 ETFO annual meeting delegates marched to Nathan Phillips Square in a show of unity and solidarity after President Brown made the announce- ment that ETFO would be taking strike votes in the fall.


8 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2023


PHOTO BY CHRISTINE COUSINS


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