TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO):

“ETFO celebrates the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark decision to uphold the fundamental rights of educators to workplace privacy. This monumental victory, achieved through ETFO’s steadfast advocacy, ensures that school boards, as governmental entities, respect the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in all that they do.

After nearly a 10-year legal battle to protect its members, this historic decision provides welcome guidance about reasonable expectations of privacy in the workplace, and the unintended or accidental disclosures of private communications. It unequivocally reaffirms ETFO’s position that educators have a right to the protections under section 8 of the Charter against unreasonable search and seizure and a reasonable expectation of privacy at work, a principle that is crucial for maintaining a safe and respectful working environment.

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO):

“ETFO stands with those who are exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest. As a labour organization, we recognize the historic and present power that non violent demonstrations rooted in justice have in our society. The right to protest is intertwined with the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly, which must be protected. These rights and freedoms are essential to democratic societies.

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) on today’s Cabinet shuffle:

“ETFO welcomes Todd Smith as the new Minister of Education. We look forward to working collaboratively to rebuild and strengthen our public education system after several challenging years of budget cuts and policies that have not prioritized the best interests of Ontario’s students and education workers.

TORONTO, ON – To mark the beginning of Pride Month, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) stands in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to fostering safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for its members, students, and individuals in the community who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

Instances of transphobic and homophobic hate and violence are disturbingly common across the province. ETFO calls on all levels of government to work together with allies to ensure a future where everyone can live authentically and free from discrimination.

TORONTO, ON – In December 2023, teacher and occasional teacher (OT) members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) ratified a central agreement that included the referral of compensation (salary and daily OT rate) to binding arbitration; the hearing was held on April 17. Today, the Arbitration Board, chaired by William Kaplan, issued its decision.

The Arbitration Board awarded ETFO’s 80,000 teacher and OT members salary increases of 11.25 per cent over the term of the 2022-2026 collective agreement—an 11.73 per cent increase when compounded over the four years. This represents increases of three per cent for 2022-23, three per cent for 2023-24, 2.75 per cent for 2024-25, and 2.5 per cent for 2025-26. The compensation award applies to salary grids, wage schedules, applicable premiums and allowances, and the daily OT rate, and represents the highest increase over the term of an agreement in over a decade.

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) calling on public school board trustees across Ontario to reject cuts to student services and programs that are a direct result of the Ford government’s chronic underfunding of public education:

“Faced with increased costs due to inflation and inadequate provincial funding, school boards across Ontario are again being asked to do more with less. This means possible cuts to valuable student programs and services as trustees seek to balance their budgets. In many cases, these services support our most vulnerable students, including those with special education needs, Indigenous and racialized students, and English language learners.

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has filed an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) initiating an unfair labour practice complaint against the Conservative government as a result of the Minister of Education’s April 28 announcement of revisions to Program/Policy Memorandum (PPM) 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct.

“We have begun a formal process to remind the Ford government of its legal obligation to bargain in good faith, and to respect and honour central agreements,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “The Ford government reneged on its commitments to ETFO at the central bargaining table; they simply cannot be trusted. We intend to fight these unprincipled actions—actions that, time and time again, attack workers’ rights.”

TORONTO, ON – On May 21 and 22, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear the Ford government’s appeal of the Court of Appeal for Ontario’s decision to rule Bill 307 unconstitutional and declare the offending provisions null and void. The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) condemning the government’s appeal and calling for the rights of Ontarians to meaningfully participate in the province’s democratic processes to be restored:

“In a blatant disregard for the Courts and the rights of Ontarians, the Ford government is appealing the resounding decision that declared Bill 307 unconstitutional. This is a betrayal of those who they were elected to serve, not silence.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is holding an advocacy day at Queen’s Park on May 14 to call for urgent action to address increasing violence in schools. ETFO local presidents from across the province are bringing our concerns on this issue directly to members of provincial parliament (MPPs).

“Rather than moving inadequate funding from one envelope to another, the Ministry of Education must reverse its cuts to school board funding and address increasing violence in schools. The safety and well-being of students and educators are non-negotiable priorities,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “The government’s lack of support for struggling students puts staff and students at unacceptable increased risk of harm.”

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) responding to today’s provincial government announcement that includes revisions to Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 128 – The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct: 

“During recent central bargaining between ETFO and the government, ETFO fought for improvements that would address increasing violence and disruption in schools – a key priority for our 83,000 members. As a result of our strong advocacy at the bargaining table, several new measures were agreed to in bargaining, including publicly facing school  signage that communicates behaviour expectations for everyone, as well as a revision of PPM 128 to address behaviour, consequences, and safety.