FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEFEATING FORD WILL REQUIRE ALL OF US TO MOBILIZE FOR CHANGE
W
ith the optimism that a new school year brings, I want to begin by express- ing my sincere gratitude
to you for your commitment to public edu- cation. Your skills and dedication – invested year aſter year into your classrooms and schools – have made Ontario’s public educa- tion system one of the best in the world. Educators contend with a lot of chal-
lenges each school year. Years of funding cuts from the Ford government mean larger classes and fewer resources for the students who need them. Schools are struggling with fail-to-fills, violence in the classroom and very little access to mental health and other supports. Your union is working hard to ad- dress these and other issues. We are lobbying the government, advocating for members through working groups and running pub- lic campaigns to ensure that educators’ con- cerns are amplified and represented. With ongoing global conflicts, educators
across the province will need to continue to work to support students and colleagues af- fected by war. Tere are currently 400 mil- lion children around the world living in or fleeing conflict zones such as the Ukraine, the Middle East, Haiti, Myanmar, Nigeria and Afghanistan. Tis summer, I attend- ed the 10th Education International (EI) World Congress where education unions warned about the global rise in armed con- flict, noting that some states choose to ig- nore international laws that protect schools, education, and civilians, especially children. Stressing that “education is the key to fos- tering sustainable peace and democracy,” EI member organizations (including the Canadian Teachers’ Federation) commit- ted to finding ways to build critical thinking through education and enable individuals and societies to challenge oppression, tyr- anny and inequality. Last year, ETFO successfully secured cen-
tral agreements for all our members aſter one of the longest bargaining rounds in our histo- ry. Tese included significant wins, a Bill 124 remedy and an arbitrated settlement on wag- es for the 2022-2026 collective agreement.
Te protection of member rights extends
well beyond bargaining. Along with a suc- cessful fight against the Ford government on Bill 124, ETFO also won a landmark decision in the Supreme Court of Canada in June, which upholds the fundamental rights of educators to workplace privacy. Aſter nearly a 10-year legal battle, this historic decision provides guidance about reasonable expecta- tions of privacy in the workplace. Even with all of the gains we have fought
for and won with this regressive govern- ment, we know they will continue to under- fund public education and the other public services Ontarians rely on. It is widely ex- pected that the Ford Conservative govern- ment will call a snap election this school year and I don’t think it will surprise anyone that, overwhelmingly, ETFO members want change. Doug Ford must be held account- able for underfunding our public services, privatizing healthcare and privatizing alco- hol sales that generate millions of dollars for public services, among many other de-
cisions that prioritize private interests over the public good. Last election was met with record low
voter turnout. It will take everyone who be- lieves in a fairer and more just Ontario to do their part to make the outcome of this elec- tion a better one. Te power of any union comes from its members and I encourage you to get involved. Tis fall, released officers will be meeting in locals to build connec- tions, listen and learn about the needs of our members. I encourage you to attend and to reach out to others to do the same. We will need our strength and determination over the next school year. Defeating this government will require all
of us to mobilize for change. Make sure you are subscribed to the enewsletter at mem-
bers.etfo.ca for all the most up-to-date mem- ber news and that you have joined the public campaign at
BuildingBetterSchools.ca! I look forward to organizing with all of you in the upcoming year.
– Karen Brown ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 5
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE COUSINS
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