Collective Bargaining

ETFO collective agreements expire at the end of August 2012 and bargaining for new agreements is about to begin. As we move into active  bargaining, members can expect to be challenged about what we are asking for in our next contract.

ETFO collective agreements expire next August. Preparations for the next round of bargaining are now underway. In 2004 and 2008 bargaining took place at both the provincial and local levels.

ETFO launches its bargaining campaign ETFO’s November 2011 collective bargaining conference brought together 300 local presidents, negotiators, and members of collective bargaining committees.

For ETFO the October provincial election was a success story: we worked hard to ensure the election of a majority of education-friendly candidates and that goal was accomplished with the election of 53 Liberals and 17 New Democrats.

There was an emergency evacuation at an Ontario school last October. Over a period of three days, staff had reported headaches and difficulty breathing. By the time the school was evacuated, some staff required medical help.

Imagine having over five  hours of  assigned supervision a  week, in  addition to  a  full teaching load.  Not so long ago, there were some ETFO members  in  Ontario who did.  If  you’re a woman, imagine having to resign from your job if you married  or became  pregnant.

As ETFO educators, we want to  make a  difference in the lives of our students. We expect challenging and  rewarding  careers. What we don’t expect  are  working conditions that  push stress levels  toward burnout.

Quick quiz –  how long is  your collective agreement? 25  pages