FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY


DETERMINED BARGAINING YIELDS NEW AGREEMENTS AND A SECURE PATH FORWARD


W


ith bargaining, lobbying, public campaigns, govern- ment


submissions, legal challenges, dozens of con-


current programs and all of the other work that ETFO does in service to our members, this fall was an extremely busy time. As part of our public campaign this year, we gave Ontarians an opportunity to thank a spe- cial educator on World Teacher Day. ETFO was overwhelmed by the number of people that responded, telling stories about how an Ontario educator (Teacher, OT, DECE, PSP or ESP) made a positive difference in their lives and the lives of their children. ETFO shared these thank you messages on bill- boards across the province. I want to begin by recognizing the huge difference you make in your classrooms every day and to tell you that your work is valued and has a tremen- dous impact on the lives of students. Te positive impact you have on your stu-


dents is especially important in light of the conflict we have seen in the world this past year. Tese situations have deeply affected our students, their families and our colleagues. We have seen a significant increase in anti- semitism and Islamophobia as a result. Last year we also saw a rise in hate crimes, threats and protests against transgender rights and rainbow activism in public schools. Tank you for continuing to work for equity, for standing up against oppression in all its forms, and for making sure all your students feel welcome, accepted, supported and seen. In November, the ETFO bargaining com-


mittee was happy to report that ETFO had reached a tentative central agreement


for


Teacher/Occasional Teacher members. It was ratified with 90 percent support on De- cember 15. While no agreement will solve all issues in our schools, this tentative deal represented a meaningful step forward in ad- dressing the concerns that members across the province felt were key. Tis agreement preserved ETFO members’ sick leave entitle- ments and professional judgement language, provided meaningful increases in funding to sustain your benefits plan into the future, included hundreds of additional permanent teaching positions to provide screening and intensive reading supports for struggling


6 ETFO VOICE | WINTER 2023


readers in Grades 1, 2 and Year 2 of Kinder- garten, enhanced the Support for Students Fund to include a minimum of 30 percent of the positions focused on supports for stu- dent behaviour and self-regulation. It is very unlikely that we could have achieved these gains through binding arbitration. However, in order to attain meaning-


ful salary increases – including increases to the daily teacher occasional rates – our best path forward in this bargaining round was determined to be binding arbitration. As a result, this agreement includes a commit- ment that salary issues will be addressed by a third-party arbitration board that will weigh factors such as inflation and rising costs, as well as the recruitment and retention crisis in education, in its decision. Education workers ratified their central


collective agreement on October 23 with 80 percent support. Tis education worker central agreement provides


supports for students with special needs, has measures


to address violence in schools and ensures job security for ESP and PSP members. Te agreement provides appropriate funding to maintain your benefits and sick leave entitle- ments and offers a compensation increase that is fair. It allows locals that need to nego- tiate long-term disability and paid breaks to do so and preserves local bargaining. Both of these agreements provide a path


to a remedy for Bill 124. All ETFO members will see salaries and wage scales increased retroactively. I want to thank you for your support and


solidarity through one of ETFO’s longest rounds of bargaining in history and for your incredible work in the classroom through it all. I look forward to moving forward to- gether, working to make sure that every On- tario student gets the public education they deserve and that educators are valued and respected by this government. Wishing you a happy new year. – Sharon O’Halloran


PHOTO BY CHRISTINE COUSINS


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