Ontario budget means more cuts to education

TORONTO, ON – Below is a statement from Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) following today’s provincial budget announcement:

“The provincial government had the opportunity to strengthen public education in Ontario through this year’s budget, but instead they are forcing school boards to make cuts to services, which means cuts to student supports. This budget ignores rising costs due to inflation and ongoing pandemic-related pressures on public schools.

Instead of supporting workers and the public services Ontarians rely on, the Ford government has chosen to continue to provide billions of dollars in tax giveaways to corporations, and end workers’ access to three paid sick days.

There seems to be a deliberate dismissal of public education as a sector that needs investment and attention. The government has once again ignored recommendations from ETFO and other education stakeholders. Our budget recommendations would have helped undo the damage caused by years of funding cuts.

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Member Advisories re EQAO

EQAO testing starts this year on May 10 in the primary and junior divisions.  ETFO’s provincial executive advises members:

  • NOT to participate in the voluntary EQAO teacher questionnaire.
  • NOT to complete the voluntary online EQAO training and webinars unless release time is provided.
  • NOT to participate in EQAO marking activities.

You can learn more about ETFO’s position on standardized testing here.

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UPDATE: ETFO’s 2023 All-Member Violence Survey

ETFO’s 2023 All-Member Violence Survey is an opportunity to share your experience with violence in schools. The deadline has been extended to 5:00 p.m. on March 22.

We would appreciate it if everyone could take a few moments to complete the survey. Violence in our schools is a growing issue and ETFO will use the data collected to raise public awareness and advocate for change.

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ETFO calls for government to address mental health crisis in schools

TORONTO, ON – In new data released today by People for Education, principals report that students and school staff are under “severe stress,” and that mental health and well-being are their top priorities. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) continues to call on the province to provide adequate mental health resources and funding, and on school boards to deliver the comprehensive supports educators and students need.

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ETFO calls for action to address gaps that continue to negatively impact Black Canadians

TORONTO, ON – As we begin Black History Month 2023, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) reaffirms its solidarity with the United Nations in demanding the protection of human rights of people of African descent.

Black History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black Canadians, as well as to address the gaps that continue to negatively impact Black Canadians.

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ETFO, other unions win major Charter challenge victory, Bill 124 declared unconstitutional

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and other unions have won a major court victory at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The Court found that the Ontario government’s decision, under Bill 124, to impose a three-year wage freeze for ETFO members and other public service workers was unconstitutional and violated workers’ collective bargaining rights. The decision does not address a remedy for this Charter violation.

“Given the content and timing of the legislation in 2019—in the midst of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements in the education sector—Bill 124 was a direct attack on teachers and education workers,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Today’s decision reinforces what we have known all along: Bill 124 violates the democratic rights of all workers in Ontario’s public sector and is a clear violation of ETFO members’ freedom of association as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

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ETFO responds to Ontario government’s fall economic statement

TORONTO, ON – Once again, the Ford government has delivered a fall economic statement that ignores students, educators, and other education workers. Despite expected growing surpluses over the next few years, the government is projected to underfund public education by $6 billion over the next six years.

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Statement from ETFO President Karen Brown on need for free collective bargaining

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

“On Sunday, it became known that the Ford government intended to table legislation that would impose a collective agreement on 55,000 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education workers in Ontario.

On behalf of ETFO’s 83,000 members, I want to say that we unequivocally condemn the Ford government’s imposition of a concessionary contract on some of the lowest-paid education professionals working in Ontario’s schools. ETFO stands with CUPE members and their right to strike for better pay and working conditions, and not with a regressive government that is cloaking anti-labour legislation as being pro-education.

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ETFO celebrates Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day

TORONTO, ON – Today, on Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) joins Ontarians in recognizing and celebrating child care workers and designated early childhood educators (DECEs) for their exceptional contributions to the development, success and well-being of children.

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Bill 124 an unconstitutional attack on public sector workers that must be retroactively repealed

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) strongly believes Bill 124 circumvents the legal framework for negotiations set out by the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, which requires parties to engage in good faith bargaining. It is a clear violation of ETFO members’ freedom of expression and association guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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