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REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING ON 

ETFO’S EQUITY AND WOMEN’S PROGRAMS

The tour generated a significant amount of positive local media coverage for ETFO in its first three 
weeks. Favourable print and/or radio coverage has appeared in London, Windsor, Sarnia, Wallaceburg, 
Peterborough, Belleville, Kingston and Cornwall. CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning also profiled the initiative 
in a province-wide story.

Researchers have been contracted to conduct an impact analysis of the Spirit Horse initiative using a 
mixed-methods strategy including focus groups interviews, online survey, and document examination.

A TIMELINE: THE LABOUR MOVEMENT, THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT AND ETFO

Over the last year, a project has been underway to create a resource showing how the history of ETFO 
intertwines with that of the labour movement and the women’s movement in Canada. 

A Timeline: The Labour Movement, the Women’s Movement and ETFO

 is a PowerPoint presentation that 

looks at our history from the 1800s to the present. It is also designed to be broken into shorter 
presentations. Some smaller segments include:

• Firsts for Women in Canada;
• Milestones in Canadian Laws Addressing Discrimination Against Women;
• A History of ETFO and Teacher Unionism in Ontario;
• A History of Women’s Work, Women’s Wages;
• Women in Unions Change Unions; and
• Canadians March for Rights and Justice.

This resource will begin to see a wider use within ETFO in 2015-2016, in a variety of venues, programs 
and formats. 

TRANSGENDER POLICY 

ETFO is seen as a leader amongst other unions in the breadth and depth of equity and social justice 
work it does. Although much work has been done on the “LGB” of LGBTQ, there is a need for ETFO to 
continue its initial work on transgender issues. 

Some of ETFO’s trans work includes:

• featured speakers at various ETFO events and conferences to discuss trans issues (e.g., 

Representative Council, Fall Leadership, the GSA Symposium, Equity Conference, etc.);

• two articles published in VOICE about trans and gender identity 

issues; and

• one lesson per division on trans, gender identity and gender 

expression included in the Social Justice Begins With Me kit.

The Executive has developed a comprehensive Transgender Policy 
for ETFO, which will be voted on by delegates at the 2015 Annual 
Meeting.