The President’s Closing Address

ETFO President Sam Hammond paid tribute to the 800 Annual Meeting delegates as the ultimate decision-making democratic body of the Federation. The appearances of Ontario Federation of Labour president Chris Buckley and Unifor President Jerry Dias at the meeting reminded members that ETFO must continue to ensure that it remains at the centre of the labour movement to work on issues that are immediately relevant to the Federation and those that involve social justice and equity for all communities.

President Sam Hammond

With regard to the Charter challenge victory that ETFO won regarding the imposition of Bill 115, President Hammond said that local leaders will meet in September to help the Federation negotiate the best remedy possible on behalf of members.

In the coming year, ETFO will pursue a public relations campaign to highlight the priorities outlined in its Building Better Schools (BBS) education agenda.  Over the past five years, the Federation and its members have worked hard to move issues forward such as smaller class sizes and increased support for students with special needs. It is important that the Federation continue to push BBS priorities for the benefit of students, ETFO members and publicly funded education. In closing, President Hammond said that ETFO would work hard to ensure that it is ready for the next round of bargaining.