MEDIA ADVISORY - BC, Ontario, Canadian teacher union presidents available for interviews this Wednesday

TORONTO, May 1, 2012 /CNW/ - The presidents of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), and Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) will be available for one-on-one media interviews in Toronto this Wednesday May 2 at 10:00 am.

BCTF President Susan Lambert and CTF President Paul Taillefer will join ETFO President Sam Hammond to talk to the media about labour relations between teachers and provincial governments across the country. Lambert, whose teachers have been in a 'work-to-rule' situation for over eight months as part of BC contract negotiations, is in Toronto to address ETFO's local presidents. ETFO recently announced that it will bargain with local school boards, the legal bargaining process under the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

"We've invited Susan to address our local presidents because we're concerned that the Ontario government is going down the same road as the BC government in terms of disrespecting teachers," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "We don't want to see students facing a deterioration of public education that we're seeing elsewhere. There are positive options which Paul will talk about."

WHAT:	Media Availability- BC, Ontario and Canadian teacher federation presidents available for one-on-one interviews
WHEN:	Wednesday May 2^nd, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
WHERE:	Hilton Toronto Hotel 145 Richmond Street (at University Ave.) Toronto Harris Room

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

Valerie Dugale, ETFO Media Relations. Cell: 416-948-0195