sive communication and mobilization plan for 
the central strike vote was developed by ETFO’s 
Collective Bargaining service area. It included:

O

 steward training sessions and steward-led 

worksite meetings; 

O

 mass meetings in each ETFO local; 

O

 a special central strike vote section on the 

Our Union CB website; 

O

 CB eNewsletter and bargaining bulletin 

updates; 

O

 a social media strike vote awareness 

campaign; 

O

 provincial telephone town hall meetings and 

automated voicemail messages;

O

 a mailing to members’ homes; and

O

 a toll free strike vote help centre.

A member-only online voting site provided infor-
mation, a close captioned video of President 
Hammond discussing the strike vote and an audio 
file of the provincial telephone town hall meetings.

December 4: Central Table 
list of items reached

A Memorandum of Settlement is reached between 
ETFO, OPSBA and the government which lists the 
items for central bargaining for the teacher and 
occasional teacher central table negotiations. 
ETFO participates in negotiations of these items 
in January, February and March, 2015. 

February 23: OPSBA/
government table demands

OPSBA and the government present ETFO with 
their demands, which include: 

O

 stripping sick leave provisions;

O

 increasing supervision time; 

O

 allowing principals to direct how members 

use their preparation time; 

O

 ending members’ ability to determine how 

many and what types of diagnostic tests are 
necessary for their students; 

O

 removing any provisions from local collective 

agreements about staffing, hiring, class size 
and other entitlements superior to central 
terms; and

O

 wanting the ability to assign members 

extra duties before, during and after the 
instructional day. 

Teacher/Occasional Teacher  Central Bargaining - Timelines 

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO

REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Advancing and Protecting Our Union, Our Values and Our Profession

10

Photos: Vitusha Oberoi