WELLINGTON COUNTY – Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) members will no longer supervise extra-curricular activities or field trips.
And, if there is no progress in talks with the province, ETFO members will begin rotating one-day strikes next week.
In a Jan. 9 press release, EFTO officials announced that as of Jan. 13 public elementary school educators will not supervise extra-curricular activities or participate in field trips.
ETFO members will also not arrive to work earlier than 20 minutes before the start of the instructional day and will leave within 15 minutes of the instructional day.
“They will not plan or participate in any assemblies except to provide supervision to students,” ETFO officials state.
The new job action restrictions are in addition to previous withdrawal of services announced Dec. 10 and Nov. 26 including:
– planning new field trips scheduled before June 30;
– collecting money for school-based activities, excluding charitable causes;
– serving as teacher in charge;
– distributing memos/letters from a school and/or school board;
– completing select requests by an administrator or supervisor;
– attending meetings;
– participation in professional learning or training;
– completion and filing of report cards; and
– responding to emails.
Union officials say that if the “government refuses to address critical issues” by Jan. 17, ETFO members will begin rotating one-day strikes on Jan. 20.
However, the government said it’s working to deliver further agreements with the priority to keep students in school.
“Union leaders promised that their escalation would not impact students and their learning,” said minister of education Stephen Lecce in a Jan. 9 press release.
“Regrettably, they have again broken that promise, however we will uphold our commitment to parents, to stay at the bargaining table and work as hard as it takes to reach a deal, that keeps students in class.”
ETFO represents 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province.
In the Upper Grand District School Board, ETFO represents elementary and occasional teachers.
