Elementary School Teachers in Ontario Voted 95% in Favour of Central Strike Action

Toronto – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced on Wednesday, October 18th that its teacher and occasional teacher members voted 95 percent in favour of central strike action.

“This strong strike mandate sends a very clear message to the government,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Our members have been working for over a year without a contract, and their patience has run out. We need the government to stop stalling and start negotiating seriously on our members’ key priorities, like providing more support for students with special needs, acknowledging the staffing crisis in education, putting a fair compensation offer on the table, and addressing violence in schools.”

This strike mandate does not necessarily mean that ETFO members will be engaging in work-to-rule strike action or heading to picket lines at this time. Negotiations will continue at ETFO’s Teacher/Occasional Teacher Central Table.

Adds Brown, “With the assistance of the conciliator appointed by the Minister of Labour, we continue to work diligently to reach an agreement that is fair for our teacher and occasional teacher members. We remain focused on getting government cuts off the table and on getting the improvements ETFO members and students need and deserve.”

ETFO represents approximately 80,000 public elementary teachers and occasional teachers, and 3,500 designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel. Details about ETFO collective bargaining and bargaining dates are available at etfocb.ca.