TORONTO, ON – Close to 700 public elementary educators will attend the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) between August 14 and 17, 2023, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.

ETFO’s first annual meeting was held 25 years ago in 1998. At that meeting, ETFO was formed—a new union that brought together the Federation of Women Teachers’ Associations of Ontario and the Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation. Since its formation, ETFO has been able to win many improvements in working conditions, defend members’ rights, make equity and social justice a key priority, and protect public education.

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board against the government over its refusal to bargain in good faith.

ETFO’s complaint, filed on August 8, 2023, cites that the government violated its obligation under bargaining legislation to negotiate in good faith when on July 28, 2023, it released Program/Policy Memorandum 168: Reading Instruction and Early Reading Screening (PPM 168).

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), the unions representing more than 125,000 teachers and education workers in publicly funded schools across Ontario, have released the following statement in response to the new Policy/Program Memorandum 168 – Reading Instruction and Early Reading Screening (PPM 168), which was released Friday without notice by the Ford Conservative government.

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce has repeatedly claimed that “stability is critical to Ontario students,” but his government continues to introduce sweeping changes without providing the necessary time and resources for proper implementation. These changes will violate collective agreements when the new requirements mandated through policy memorandum are implemented, ignoring the collective bargaining rights of the professionals who care for and teach students across Ontario.

The Canadian House of Commons designated August 1 as Emancipation Day in 2021. This day commemorates the enactment of the Slavery Abolition Act across British colonies in 1834 and serves as an important reminder that slavery was once part of Canadian society.

TORONTO, ON – Changes to the updated Language curriculum are substantial, especially in the areas of reading and media literacy. In addition, the Language curriculum is no longer organized under the strands of Reading, Writing, Oral Communication, and Media Literacy.

These changes are significant and educators need sufficient time, dedicated resources, and sustained professional learning opportunities to properly implement any new or revised curriculum. To support this, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is calling for a minimum two-year implementation period.

TORONTO, ON – In November 2022, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and other unions won a major victory at the Ontario Court of Justice when Justice Markus Koehnen ruled that Bill 124, which capped wage increases for public sector employees at one per cent annually for three years, infringed upon union members’ right to freedom of association under the Charter. Instead of accepting the court’s decision, the Ford government pressed forward with an appeal that is being heard this week.

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) on Bill 98, The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act:

“Earlier today, despite strong opposition from education stakeholders, the Ontario government pushed through legislation that sets public education back decades, undermines student outcomes, diminishes accountability and transparency, and lays the groundwork for further privatization of public education.

Chronic underfunding of public education responsible for rise in violence

TORONTO, ON – An alarming number (77 per cent) of members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) say they have personally experienced violence or witnessed violence against another staff member, according to a survey conducted for the Federation in February and March 2023.

“Learning is being disrupted and violence is being normalized in schools because the Ford government refuses to adequately invest in public education. The system is suffering from chronic underfunding, under-resourcing, and understaffing, creating environments where student needs are going unmet,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “The province must provide adequate funding so learning and working environments are physically and psychologically safe for students, teachers, and education workers.”