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REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING ON 

ETFO’S EQUITY AND WOMEN’S PROGRAMS

work-family balance and “mother guilt.” First Vice-President Susan Swackhammer and Vice-President 
Maureen Weinberger spoke on the history and statistics of women’s leadership in ETFO, followed 
by an “all participants focus group”, where we asked participants to discuss barriers and support to 
participation and leadership in ETFO. Work-family balance was a recurring theme. General Secretary 
Victoria Réaume ended the morning with a presentation on the Women’s Programs Review.

The conference ended with a presentation by Erin Konsmos and Krysta Williams on the Walking With 
Our Sisters project. Participants learned a great deal about the project and its connection to the 
murdered and missing Indigenous women. 

BODY IMAGE PROJECT

A cross-service area group of writers is finalizing the revitalization of ETFO’s online Body Image Project.  
The work will connect Body Image issues and action with those of poverty, social justice, equity and 
women’s programming by making connections across ETFO content, research, resources and advocacy 
links.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR WOMEN WP

Designed as an introduction to collective bargaining for women not yet involved in bargaining at the 
local level, the conference was attended by 60 members of teacher, occasional teacher and DECE 
locals in April 2015. Maya Bhullar provided an overview of the importance of unionism as a tool to 
elevate the salary, working conditions and protections afforded to marginalized workers through 
sharing her work with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organizing service workers 
and health care workers. 

Trish Hennessy from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives provided economic background and 
information about unionism and the middle class, and the shadow of the Mike Harris agenda. The 
conference planning team, composed of teacher, occasional teacher and DECE local leaders, shared 
their paths to leadership and facilitated sessions on the collective bargaining process, accessing 
information, and helping participants to understand how to navigate local constitutions and to prepare 
themselves to move into leadership roles at the local level. 

DIGGING DEEPER, REACHING HIGHER WP

One hundred and thirty women members attended this PRS conference. Participants explored legal, 
professional and health issues that may affect women both professionally and personally. Resources 
and strategies were provided to assist with addressing these challenges.

EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR WOMEN LEADERS WP

This two-day workshop, held in June 2015, offers training on the advanced communication skills 
necessary for effective local executive and collective bargaining leadership. The workshop builds 
skills for complex negotiations and dispute resolution. The target audience for the workshop has 
changed for the 2015-2016 school year. Rather than women who aspire to positions of leadership, the 
workshop has been redesigned for women already holding positions of leadership in the Federation, 
e.g., chief negotiators, local executive members, committee chairs, etc., who are looking to refine their 
communication/negotiation skills.