Tag: Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario

Ontario Government Pre-empts Education Strike, Labour Pissed

Published on by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

A spooky surprise this Halloween for education workers in Ontario, especially the ones getting ready to strike this Friday. In a pre-emptive move before the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ deadline for job action this Friday, the Minister of Education has announced Monday that the Ontario government will be forcing the province’s librarians, educations and custodians back to work before they even have a chance to strike. Continue reading “Ontario Government Pre-empts Education Strike, Labour Pissed” →

Mask Mandate Removal Reaction is Generally Very Concerned

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Mask mandates are done in Ontario as of March 21. The new broke yesterday, and with all things COVID-19 there was an immediate reaction that was far from universal. While some people are looking forward with relief and optimism that the worst is over, there are still a lot of people raising the red flag that the province could be in danger in the short-term without masking mandates. Here’s some of the reaction from politicians, educators, and health workers. Continue reading “Mask Mandate Removal Reaction is Generally Very Concerned” →

Near Unanimous Derision for Latest COVID Response From ON Gov

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Yesterday’s announcement from the Government of Ontario about the latest COVID-19 prevention measures was not the news that anyone wanted to hear. The reaction from Ontario’s opposition parties and various advocacy groups were as unimpressed with the news about a new (semi)lockdown as almost everyone was given the near universally agreement that Premier Doug Ford made a bad call, or at least a late one, on Monday. Continue reading “Near Unanimous Derision for Latest COVID Response From ON Gov” →

Schools Closed Till January 25 By New Provincial Order

Published on by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

This coming Monday was supposed to be back to school day for all but post-secondary school students in southern Ontario, but the rising case numbers have been making both parents and educators thinking twice about going back to in-person classes so soon. On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford publicly agreed that it might be too  much of a risk to send thousands of students back to school right now. Continue reading “Schools Closed Till January 25 By New Provincial Order” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #224 – It’s Been a Long School Year…

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Last September at the Labour Day Picnic in Riverside Park, there were already signs that it was going to be a long year at the province’s schools. The contract with all four teachers’ unions in Ontario had expired, and the Ontario government was in no mood to approve new spending or pay raises for teachers and other school workers employed at our Catholic and separate public schools. That was only the beginning. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #224 – It’s Been a Long School Year…” →

Ontario Government Secures Deal With Second Teachers’ Union

Published on by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

For the second time in as many weeks, the Government of Ontario has announced that they’ve reached a deal with a teachers union. This time, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has reached a tentative agreement with the government, which means that the 83,000 teachers that the ETFO represents will be back to work without further labour disruption once the COVID-19 crisis has passed. Continue reading “Ontario Government Secures Deal With Second Teachers’ Union” →

Teachers Across Ontario Co-ordinating Province-Wide One Day Strike

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After weeks of separate, rotating one-day strike actions, Ontario’s four teachers’ unions are now combining their efforts for a one-day, province-wide walkout that will affect all schools – elementary, high, Catholic and French – and about two million students in total. For the first time in over 20 years, schools in Ontario will be empty because of labour action by teachers. Continue reading “Teachers Across Ontario Co-ordinating Province-Wide One Day Strike” →

Local Elementary School Teachers Take Their Turn on the Picket Line

Published on by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

Using the sidewalks along Woolwich between Norfolk and Baker Street was tricky on Tuesday as hundreds of local elementary school teachers took part in a rotating one-day strike by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO). The second week of strike action hit the schools in the Upper Grand District Board, but it’s only the beginning of local labour strife with elementary teachers. Continue reading “Local Elementary School Teachers Take Their Turn on the Picket Line” →