Photo: Kathryn Gaitens

Photo: Kathryn Gaitens

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO

REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Advancing and Protecting Our Union, Our Values and Our Profession

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Canadian Labour Congress and 

Ontario Federation of Labour

ETFO welcomed and helped promote the second 
round of television ads for “Together Fairness 
Works” the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) cam-
paign to push back against the anti-union agenda. 
In 2014, ETFO strengthened its ties with the CLC 
by assigning Communications and Political Action 
staff to the CLC’s Political Action Committee and 
its Solidarity and Pride Working Group.

ETFO was also active with the Ontario Federation 
of Labour (OFL) with Vice Presidents Maureen 
Weinberger and James McCormack serving as 
Executive Board members. ETFO joined affili-
ates in a meeting with the Minister of Labour to 
discuss issues including public services program 
spending, Ontario’s Retirement Pension Plan, tax 
reform and recommended revenue tools, and 
privatization of Hydro One. ETFO also helped 
plan an OFL Women’s Summit held in June. More 
than 150 women attended the summit including 
30 ETFO members. The sessions focused on lead-

ership and getting ready for the federal election 
around issues such as child care.

While the OFL provided support for the mass rally 
at the Liberal annual general meeting in June, 
ETFO members were involved with OFL advocacy 
efforts at the grassroots level. Members attended 
OFL community meetings and mobilized around 
issues including raising the minimum wage, equal 
pay, worker health and safety, the March for Jobs, 
Justice and the Climate, and equity and anti-racist 
initiatives. 

Federal Election Preparedness

In the past, ETFO has focused primarily on elec-
tions at the provincial and municipal levels, as 
they are the source of education governance and 
funding and where primary responsibility for the 
social issues of most interest to the union lies. 
Times have changed. The economic and social 
policies of the Harper government increasingly 
intersect with key ETFO concerns and directly 
affect the viability of unions, the status of women, 
and social and economic equality. Direct ETFO 
engagement in the next federal election has 
become an imperative.

For these reasons, the Executive approved a plan 
to actively engage members to have an impact 
on the outcome of the 2015 federal election. The