ETFO Trillium Lakelands Teachers and Occasional Teachers Begin Work to Rule On November 26, 2012

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2012 /CNW/ - ETFO Trillium Lakelands Teacher Local and ETFO Trillium Lakelands Occasional Teacher Local have received no board reports through the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to resolve their bargaining impasse with Trillium Lakelands 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.

"Bill 115 has been a serious roadblock for local negotiations," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "It has slowed bargaining progress to a virtual standstill and created an increasingly unsettled climate in the education sector. This strike is a direct result of the government's actions."

"Bill 115 is not just a pause on wages" said Steve Colliver, President of the ETFO Trillium Lakelands Teacher Local. "It eliminates, with the stroke of a pen, terms that have been in collective agreements for decades. Bill 115 has also interfered with our ability to bargain to the point where job action is the only viable option to achieving fair settlements."

"My members are determined to achieve a fair collective agreement," said Tracy Blodgett, President of the ETFO Trillium Lakelands Occasional Teacher Local. "To that end, we are undertaking job action to expedite the bargaining process and reach a new agreement."

During a vote on September 20, 2012, Trillium Lakelands 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 Trillium Lakelands Local represents over 740 elementary teachers employed by Trillium Lakelands District School Board.   ETFO Trillium Lakelands Occasional Teacher Local represents 371 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

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