Monetary concession demands include:

O

 0% funding for compensation;

O

 maintaining the 97-day delay on salary grid 

movement for three more years;

O

 eliminating degree and qualification-based 

allowance language from local collective 
agreements; and

O

 limiting pregnancy and parental leave 

entitlement to eight weeks at 100% salary 
and eliminating any superior Supplemental 
Employment Benefits (SEB) from local 
collective agreements.

ETFO’s bargaining team advises OPSBA and the 
government on February 23, March 2, 23 and 24 
that ETFO will not agree to concessions, and that 
tabling these unacceptable demands does not 
promote a collegial working relationship at the 
bargaining table.

March 31: ETFO applies for conciliation

ETFO applies for conciliation regarding bargain-
ing at the teacher/occasional teacher table. On 
April 17, ETFO requests a no board report and is 
in a legal central strike position on May 11. 

May 11: ETFO commences work-to-rule

ETFO begins a province-wide administrative work-
to-rule strike action for all teacher and occasional 
teacher members. OPSBA and the government 
make no attempt to remove their central table 
strips. 

June 1: ETFO updates strike action

On June 1, ETFO updates its work-to-rule strike 
sanction for all teacher and occasional teacher 
members. 

Classes without EQAO!

As a direct result of ETFO’s administrative work-
to-rule strike action, the Ministry of Education 
cancelled spring EQAO testing in Grades 3-6 in 
public elementary schools.

For ETFO teachers, the cancellation provided wel-
come opportunities for more meaningful teach-
ing and learning. Teachers’ professional judge-
ment and day-to-day assessment provided a 
more meaningful and accurate reflection of what 
students know and can do. Teachers took to 
social media to express their relief and teaching 
plans for an EQAO-free spring. ETFO established 
a special section at www.etfocb.ca for mem-
bers to share their thoughts about EQAO and 
teaching practices in their EQAO-free classrooms. 
Many parents expressed their relief regarding the 
EQAO cancellation in traditional and social media 
and in letters to the Federation.

In June, ETFO ran a radio ad in which a teacher 
talked about how teachers assess students every 
day and that “standardized tests don’t really help 
teachers to teach or kids to learn.”

Teacher/Occasional Teacher  Central Bargaining - Timelines 

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO

11

Protecting Our Profession

To see more member comments about EQAO go to  
http://www.etfocb.ca/classrooms-without-eqao/