Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario to hold strike vote, VP says

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is set to vote on whether to go on strike, according to the union’s vice-president, Shirley Bell. The timing of this vote has yet to be determined. In response to this news, the Ministry of Education cautioned against premature strike threats, emphasizing that such actions serve neither students nor parents well, and that their priority should be reaching a deal that keeps students in the classroom.

This move follows the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) announcing its own strike vote in November, urging members that such a vote would signal to the government the need for meaningful progress at the bargaining table. Currently, negotiations between the major education unions are at an impasse as the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) examines which issues should be negotiated centrally between the unions and the province, and which should be left to be handled by local unions and school boards.

The unions have accused Education Minister Paul Calandra of pushing local issues into the central negotiation sphere, such as certain working conditions. However, the Ministry claims that the unions are hindering the process with their appeals to the OLRB. "We respect their right to do so, but this process has delayed the start of bargaining.

Once the OLRB process has concluded, we will be ready and willing to negotiate whenever the unions are ready to begin." ETFO represents around 84,000 members, comprising public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, education support personnel, professional support personnel, and designated early childhood educators.