ETFO York Region Locals to stage one-day strike on Thursday December 13

TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - ETFO York Region teachers and occasional teachers will stage a one-day strike this Thursday December 13^th to send the government a message that Bill 115 is severely impeding local collective bargaining.

"There are two solutions to the chaos that the minister of education has created," said Sam Hammond, President of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. "Along with repealing Bill 115, the minister needs to step aside and give school boards and ETFO locals the latitude to have concrete and respectful discussions with all options on the table, in order to reach collective agreements."

"This minister has single-handedly damaged a local bargaining process that has worked for the education sector for decades," said David Clegg, President of the York Region Teacher Local. "By removing local autonomy, she has left us no option but to take strike action."

"Teachers have been stripped of their democratic rights and we must take a stand, no matter how difficult or inconvenient that may be," added Nadia Ciacci, President of the York Region Occasional Teacher Local.

York Region Teacher Local moved into a legal strike position on November 19, 2012. York Region Occasional Teacher Local moves into legal strike position as of December 10, 2012.  They received no board reports through the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to resolve their bargaining impasse with York Region District School Board.  During a vote on October 4, 2012, the locals received overwhelming mandates for strike action from their members.

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 York Region Teacher Local represents 5,087 elementary teachers employed by York Region District School Board. The York Region Occasional Teacher Local represents 1,383 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

David Clegg, York Region Teacher Local, 905-727-7014, [email protected]
Nadia Ciacci, York Region Occasional Teacher Local, 905-726-7925, [email protected]