ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Teachers and Occasional Teachers Begin Work-to-Rule on November 26, 2012

TORONTO, Nov. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Teacher Local and ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local have received no board reports through the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to resolve their bargaining impasse with Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.  As a result, the two locals will begin work-to-rule on November 26, 2012.

Local bargaining stalled following the passage in September of Bill 115, which has imposed drastic cuts to ETFO members' collective agreements and attacks their democratic rights.

"This strike is the direct result of the Minister and her government passing Bill 115," said Sam Hammond, President of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.  "To ensure labour peace, school boards must be given the flexibility to respond to local needs; that is how collective agreements will be reached."

"It's been very demoralizing for our members to see a government they trusted betray that trust and tear up the very same contracts Premier McGuinty once promised to uphold," said David Wing, President of the ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Teacher Local.  "The job action we are beginning is rooted in that betrayal."

"The Minister of Education told the public for months that Bill 115 would ensure peace in the education system," said Marsha Jones, President of the ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local.  "This destructive bill has done the opposite - it has created nothing but unrest."

During a vote on September 6, 2012, Kawartha Pine Ridge Teacher and Occasional Teacher Locals received overwhelming mandates for strike action from their members. The Ontario Labour Relations Act requires that a strike mandate and a no board report must be received, and 16 days must pass following the receipt of the no board report, before legal strike action can occur. 

Fast Facts: 

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is the professional and protective organization representing over 76,000 teachers, occasional teachers, and education professionals employed in the public elementary schools of Ontario. 

ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Local represents over 1,330 elementary teachers employed by Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.   ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local represents 510 Occasional Teachers employed by the Board. 

Collective agreements for all ETFO locals expired on August 31, 2012.  Since then, ETFO members have been working without collective agreements in place.

SOURCE: Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario

Lisa Mastrobuono, Collective Bargaining Communications - Cell: 416-200-3674 
[email protected]