The Ontario government is in the final stages of reviewing two major pieces of legislation that govern work and could make an important difference in women’s working lives.
POLITICS
In April, ETFO and other education unions won a major victory at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The court found that the Ontario government’s Bill 115, imposed in the fall of 2012, was a violation of the collective bargaining rights of education unions.
Given that education unions have memberships that are predominantly female, austerity in the education sector is clearly a women’s issue.
Voice in conversation with Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada.
Eighty-one percent of the members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) are women and, in many ways, the history of women teachers reflects the struggles of all Canadian women.
Westheimer’s view is that the goals of education have shifted away from preparing students to be active and engaged citizens. Through standardized curriculum and standardized testing, schools have moved to a more narrow focus on career preparation and individual economic gain.
On June 1, 2008, just days before the Prime Minister’s public apology to residential school survivors and their families and communities, the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established.
From this beginning, our class began a journey that would collect more than 5,000 items for donation in a little over a week’s time!
Participation in political rallies gives ETFO members an important opportunity to support their union’s bargaining position; it gives them a public voice on how contract provisions directly affect classroom working and learning conditions. ETFO members find themselves once again compelled to protest the government and employer stance at the bargaining table.