Voices

I’d like to start by thanking you. It’s been a long and stressful 14 months of central bargaining for members.

ETFO leaders and staff have worked hard to secure collective agreements for all 78,000 members. Through it all ETFO members have stood together. Thank you.

ETFO has proven itself over and over again this year. Let’s start with our finances.

On Friday, September 11, after just seven days of bargaining, the Ontario Public School Boards Association and government negotiators told the mediator facilitating our discussions they “were done” and wouldn’t negotiate further with ETFO. In effect, they walked away from the table.

Ontario Regulation 274/12 (also called “Regulation 274”) was filed by the provincial government on September 11, 2012 under the Education Act. Regulation 274 establishes consistent and transparent steps all publicly funded school boards in Ontario are required to follow when hiring for long-term occasional (LTO) and new permanent teaching positions.

ETFO is a union that takes action even in the quietest of times. But these are not quiet times, and ETFO’s activism is at the heart of an organization that cares about the future of public education and the social justice and equity issues that affect women, children, families and communities in Ontario and beyond.

Technology has as many uses for learning as ketchup does on food. Heinz would tell you it's endless. I'll tell you the same (excluding the ketchup analogy). Boosting engagement, eliciting smiles, commanding attention and increasing efficiency through technology at the points of instruction and learning are effective. But why not use technology creatively at the point of assessing?

A major focus at ETFO provincial office is determining the needs of locals and members across the province and offering programs to meet those needs.