During his speech, President Hammond referenced the demands that have been made by the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), which include:

• interfering with the self-directed preparation time teachers and occasional teachers need to plan their lessons and prepare specialized plans for students;
• having teachers do more testing and less teaching;
• taking education support staff away from their classroom responsibilities with students to do non-classroom tasks;
• allowing principals the ‘flexibility’ to pass over experienced, qualified educators for classroom positions.

President Hammond indicated that “things must change at the central bargaining table quickly. Our provincial Executive has determined that we will stay on course and begin a Phase 2 work-to-rule in addition to the current administrative strike action…effective the first working day of the 2015-2016 school year.”

For more information on ETFO’s Phase 2 work-to-rule, please go to the Our Union CB website.

• To protect the collective bargaining rights of all members.
• To defend publicly-funded public education.
• To serve the needs of the membership.
• To provide for the professional development of members.
• To support international assistance and co-operation.
• To promote the care and protection of the environment.
• To actively engage members in the Federation.
• To promote and protect the health and safety of members.

After adopting the priorities the delegates commenced the debate on constitution amendments.