Martin Long, Elementary Teachers of Toronto Local
Following graduation from the College of Education in London, England in 1970, and with Margaret Thatcher as Education Minister at the time, things looked bleak in England. Canada, by contrast, was a shining city on the hill where, with a French teaching qualification in hand, work was rumoured to be available.
Martin landed in Montreal in September 1972, and by January 1974, was hired by the Toronto Board of Education to teach Core French in grades four to eight at Park Public School, now Nelson Mandela Park Public School. Two of the schools he taught at in the neighbourhood – Regent Park and Sackville – have since closed but Nelson Mandela Park Public School has benefitted from an amazing refurbishment to go with the name change.
The hiring freeze led to layoffs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and resistance and activism was strong, especially in the inner city of Toronto. Martin was fully engaged in the struggle, volunteering at a staff meeting to be the Toronto Teachers’ Federation (TTF) representative at his school. Martin’s involvement at TTF progressed to local executive member, full-time grievance officer, negotiator and ultimately president.
The 1980s became the 1990s, women and men elementary teachers joined forces, while Mike Harris joined the seven Metro Toronto school boards into one mega-board. Martin saw this as a challenge and an opportunity, and was elected to the local executive charged with establishing the new local. Martin served as grievance coordinator, chief negotiator and ultimately president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto Local, while concurrently serving three terms as a member of the provincial Executive.
Martin has never for a moment regretted his choice of moving to Canada, becoming a teacher in Toronto and being active in our teachers’ union. Mentors, colleagues and sister and brother activists have been essential to all of Martin’s endeavours, and while he feels the Honorary Life Membership truly belongs to them all, he is happy to accept it on their behalf.
