Defeating Ford Will Require All of Us to Mobilize for Change

With the optimism that a new school year brings, I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to you for your commitment to public education. Your skills and dedication – invested year after year into your classrooms and schools – have made Ontario’s public education system one of the best in the world.

Educators contend with a lot of challenges 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 address these and other issues. We are lobbying the government, advocating for members through working groups and running public campaigns to ensure that educators’ concerns are amplified and represented.

With ongoing global conflicts, educators across the province will need to continue to work to support students and colleagues affected by war. There are currently 400 million children around the world living in or fleeing conflict zones such as the Ukraine, the Middle East, Haiti, Myanmar, Nigeria and Afghanistan. This summer, I attended the 10th Education International (EI) World Congress where education unions warned about the global rise in armed conflict, noting that some states choose to ignore international laws that protect schools, education, and civilians, especially children. Stressing that “education is the key to fostering sustainable peace and democracy,” EI member organizations (including the Canadian Teachers’ Federation) committed to finding ways to build critical thinking through education and enable individuals and societies to challenge oppression, tyranny and inequality.

Last year, ETFO successfully secured central agreements for all our members after one of the longest bargaining rounds in our history. These included significant wins, a Bill 124 remedy and an arbitrated settlement on wages for the 2022-2026 collective agreement.

The protection of member rights extends well beyond bargaining. Along with a successful 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. After nearly a 10-year legal battle, this historic decision provides guidance about reasonable expectations of privacy in the workplace.

Even with all of the gains we have fought for and won with this regressive government, we know they will continue to underfund public education and the other public services Ontarians rely on. It is widely expected that the Ford Conservative government 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 accountable for underfunding our public services, privatizing healthcare and privatizing alcohol sales that generate millions of dollars for public services, among many other decisions that prioritize private interests over the public good.

Last election was met with record low voter turnout. It will take everyone who believes in a fairer and more just Ontario to do their part to make the outcome of this election a better one. The power of any union comes from its members and I encourage you to get involved. This fall, released officers will be meeting in locals to build connections, 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 members. etfo.ca for all the most up-to-date member 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