Elementary teachers’ union to withdraw extracurricular activities

ETFO calls on OPSBA, government to return to bargaining table

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will escalate its strike action by withdrawing all extracurricular activities.

Beginning Oct. 28, ETFO teachers and occasional teacher members will withdraw from all voluntary extracurricular activities. 

According to the union, the labour action comes after the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and the provincial government failed to respond to its efforts to resume central table bargaining.

“The Liberal government and OPSBA have ignored all attempts by ETFO to get them to return to the central bargaining table, including an offer to refer one issue to binding arbitration,” said ETFO president Sam Hammond.

“Our members do not undertake this escalation of strike action lightly, but they understand that reaching a fair and reasonable agreement will not happen unless OPSBA and the government are present at the bargaining table.”

According to the union, ETFO members have been working without a contract since August 2014. The union represents 78,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across Ontario.

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