ETFO Rainy River members begin job action on November 22, 2012

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2012 /CNW/ - ETFO Rainy River Teacher Local, ETFO Occasional Teacher (OT) Local and ETFO Educational Support Personnel (ESP) Local have received no board reports through the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to resolve their bargaining impasse with Rainy River District School Board.  As a result, the three locals will begin work-to-rule on November 22, 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.

"Bill 115 is a direct attack on the democratic rights of Ontario's education workers," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "ETFO members in Rainy River have been left with no option but to take strike action."

"My members are in strong support of job action, but their ultimate goal is to achieve a fair collective agreement," said Trevor Bowles, President of the ETFO Rainy River Teacher Local.

At this point, we are continuing to bargain to achieve that result."

"Let's put the blame for current labour unrest in the education sector squarely where it belongs: at the feet of this government, which chose to hamstring local bargaining by passing Bill 115," concluded Jackie Dupuis-Brandli, President of the ETFO ESP Local.

During a vote on September 12, 2012, Rainy River's Teacher, OT, and ESP 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 Rainy River Local represents 134 elementary teachers. ETFO Rainy River OT Local represents 85 elementary occasional teachers.  ETFO ESP Local represents 109 educational support personnel.  All are employed by the Rainy River District School 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]