ETFO Peel locals to stage one-day strike on Tuesday December 18

TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2012 /CNW/ - Peel public elementary teachers and occasional teachers will stage a one-day strike this Tuesday December 18 to continue sending the government a message that Bill 115 is severely impeding local collective bargaining.

"To date, the education minister has yet to do anything to assist local school boards in pursuing fair and respectful negotiations with our members," said Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO). "She can end the chaos she has created by repealing Bill 115 and letting local bargaining proceed without interference."

"Bill 115's rigid parameters have severely damaged a local bargaining process that has worked for decades," said Tim Cunningham, president of the Peel Teacher Local. "The minister needs to rethink her approach and let the school board and our local continue discussions in a fair and respectful manner to find solutions."

"Regardless of how difficult or inconvenient a strike may be, our members are standing up for our democratic rights, and the rights of all working Ontarians. If we don't, who will?" said Shelly Jan, president of the Peel Occasional Teacher Local.

During votes this past fall, the locals received overwhelming mandates for strike action from their members. The locals moved into a legal strike position on December 10, 2012. Prior to that, they received no board reports through the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to resolve their bargaining impasse with Peel District School Board. 

Fast Facts:

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 Peel Teacher Local represents 6,450 elementary teachers employed by Peel District School Board. The Peel Occasional Teacher Local represents 2,266 Occasional Teachers.

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

Tim Cunningham, Peel Teacher Local President, 416-574-6110, [email protected]
Shelly Jan, Peel Occasional Teacher Local President, 647-203-1014, [email protected]