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Get involved at the committee level of your Federation! The application deadline is March 1, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
The vacancies for the 2024-2026 term and the online application form are at members.etfo.ca. Registration and log in are required.
The ETFO Awards Program recognizes distinguished academic achievements and outstanding contributions to education and the Federation by members and others.
ETFO distributes more than $120,000 annually through the program. Members can nominate themselves, their colleagues and/or community members, as applicable.
Learn more at etfo.ca/awards and apply before February 1, 2024.
Today, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO), along with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), stood before an arbitrator to argue for a fair remedy to the Ford government’s unconstitutional Bill 124.
“It’s been a day long coming,” stated OSSTF/FEESO President Karen Littlewood. “Our members have been waiting four long years to reclaim wages stolen by the Ford government under the unlawful Bill 124. Today, we had the opportunity to go before a neutral arbitrator to present our arguments for what would constitute a fair remedy for our members. Every public sector worker, including all teachers and education workers as well as the students, parents, and communities they serve have been negatively impacted by this disastrous legislation. It’s time to finally put an end to this unjust bill.”
Read more: ETFO and OSSTF/FEESO argue for fair Bill 124 remedy in front of arbitrator
Toronto, ON – Teacher and occasional teacher members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) voted 90 per cent in favour of accepting the 2022-2026 Teacher/Occasional Teacher (T/OT) Central Agreement reached with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and the Ontario government. The term of the four year central agreement is from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2026. OPSBA ratification is required for the agreement to take effect; their vote is scheduled for next week.
“While this round of bargaining was exceptionally lengthy and difficult, ETFO members stood firm in the face of cuts, pressed for improvements to working and learning conditions, and won,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “This agreement is proof that the legal bargaining process works when it’s allowed to unfold as intended. I want to thank members for their strength, resistance and persistence.”
Read more: ETFO teacher, occasional teacher members ratify central agreement
TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has reached a tentative central agreement for its 80,000 teacher and occasional teacher members with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Ontario government.
“After 14 months of central bargaining, we’re pleased to be able to bring forward a tentative agreement to our teacher and occasional teacher members that protects their collective agreement entitlements and also addresses key bargaining goals,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “This has been the longest round of central bargaining in ETFO’s history, but we persisted. We remained focused on getting government cuts off the table and on addressing members’ working conditions, which are students’ learning conditions.”
Details of the agreement will be shared with ETFO teacher and occasional teacher members on Thursday, November 23, after a meeting with their local presidents and chief negotiators. A ratification vote is being scheduled; details of the vote will be shared with members once they are confirmed.
Read more: ETFO reaches tentative agreement at Teacher/Occasional Teacher Central Table
TORONTO, ON – Despite expected growing surpluses over the next few years, the Ford government continues to underfund public education in Ontario. The fall economic statement delivered today ignores the needs of students and educators, and is another missed opportunity to undo damaging cuts to public education.
“In its 2023 budget, the Ford government had the opportunity to strengthen public education in Ontario, but chose, instead, to make cuts to services that impact student success and well-being,” says Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President Karen Brown. “And now, with its fall economic statement, we’re seeing the same refusal to prioritize public education. They must reverse the cuts and deliver the funding Ontario students deserve.”
Read more: ETFO responds to Ontario government’s fall economic statement
TORONTO, ON – Today, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced that its teacher and occasional teacher members voted 95 per cent in favour of central strike action.
“This strong strike mandate sends a very clear message to the government,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Our members have been working for over a year without a contract, and their patience has run out. We need the government to stop stalling and start negotiating seriously on our members’ key priorities, like providing more supports for students with special needs, acknowledging the staffing crisis in education, putting a fair compensation offer on the table, and addressing violence in schools.”
This strike mandate does not necessarily mean that ETFO members will be engaging in work-to-rule strike action or heading to picket lines at this time. Negotiations will continue at ETFO’s Teacher/Occasional Teacher Central Table.
Read more: ETFO members’ 95 per cent strike mandate sends resounding message to government to start bargaining seriously
On Wednesday, October 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (EST), ETFO will be holding a telephone town hall meeting on violence in schools. Members will receive advice about how to engage in violence-related work refusals in compliance with health and safety legislation, and ETFO’s new Checklist for Violence resource will be shared and reviewed. Results of ETFO’s 2023 All-Member Violence Survey will also be discussed.
Members who would like to participate in this town hall must pre-register here.
Note: Members who do not pre-register will not be able to attend the town hall meeting. However, an audio file of the meeting will be available to all members on ETFO Secure as of Monday, October 30.
This past weekend, Premier Doug Ford made it clear that he has no idea what “school boards actually do” when he dismissed their law-abiding efforts to protect 2SLGBTQ+ students’ rights. In an attempt to deflect from the ongoing Greenbelt scandal, he made dangerous, inflammatory remarks that put students, educators, and others at risk of great harm.
In a perfect climate, all students go home to a safe and supportive environment, but we know this isn’t the case for all. Teachers and other education workers work every single day to ensure the safety of all students in schools across the province. Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) members work each day to ensure quality public education that may include resources that support 2SLGTBQ+ students and their families.
Read more: ETFO responds to Premier Ford’s comments that put 2SLGBTQ+ students at risk
TORONTO, ON – Given the unacceptably slow pace of bargaining, earlier today the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) advised school board agency and government representatives that the Federation would be applying for conciliation with the Minister of Labour for its two central tables – teacher/occasional teacher and education worker.
“Over the past year, ETFO’s central bargaining team has attempted to resolve key issues to secure a fair deal for its teacher, occasional teacher, and education worker members. But after a full year of bargaining without sufficient progress and negotiations at a standstill, the Federation is filing for conciliation,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Our members have been incredibly patient, but their patience has run out.”
Read more: ETFO files for conciliation in effort to reach fair agreements