The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is the second of the province’s four major teachers’ unions to announce strike vote dates for November. In an email to CP24.com, a spokesperson for ETFO said they announced to members this week that the central strike voting window will be between Nov. 9 and 18. ETFO represents approximately 84,000 public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, education support personnel, professional support personnel, and designated early childhood educators in the province. The move comes days after the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) confirmed that it will be holding a strike vote on Nov. 12 and 13. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) has not yet announced plans for a strike vote and the L’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) said next steps are “still being considered.” “At the moment, we are still having strategic discussions and are considering our next steps,” a spokesperson for AEFO wrote in an email to CP24.com on Tuesday. Earlier this month, the unions representing education workers issued a joint statement, indicating that despite assurances from the education minister about getting a deal done before Labour Day, teachers remain without contracts. “The Ford Conservatives’ push to centralize decision-making at the provincial level during this round of bargaining is not surprising. Alongside the employer bargaining agencies, the government has attempted to push long-standing local bargaining items into central negotiations, despite our clear opposition,” the statement read, adding that these items include staffing timelines related to transfer, surplus, and redundancy as well as local professional development funding. “Moving these items to the central table would: strip local autonomy; weaken the ability of our locals to address the specific needs and circumstances of our members, students, and school communities; and further concentrate power at Queen’s Park at a time when publicly funded education is already under immense strain.” In a statement to CTV News, Emma Testani, a spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra, said the province stands “ready to begin” negotiations. “The majority of the unions have gone to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to determine which issues should be negotiated at the central or local tables. 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,” the statement read. “Premature strike threats do not serve the interests of students and do nothing but create unnecessary panic for parents. Our focus is where it should be - getting to the table and reaching a deal that keeps students in the classroom.”
