Delegates, brothers and sisters, friends: Welcome to our 2019 Annual Meeting, our 22nd
ETFO Annual Meeting! That's amazing. You know I just want to share something with
you. I don't know why for the last couple of days, couple of nights, I have not been
able to sleep. It's like I was anxious about something and last night, if you follow my
twitter feed, I ended up right here at about midnight and I tweeted out a picture of this
room when it was empty. No, not one person, well yeah there was one person, me in the
room. You could have heard a pin drop. It was so quiet.
What a difference today. Walking into this room with the amazing energy that you've brought
with you as you represent our members across this province. Thank you so much for being
here and I am excited about the week ahead. What a difference a year makes my friends!
I know you will agree that the Ontario we live in today has changed drastically since
last we gathered at our 2018 Annual Meeting. Over the past year we have faced deep cuts,
chaos, uncertainty, insults, attacks, but, as we always do, time and time again, we met
these challenges head-on and fought back. Together we made certain, absolutely certain
that our message and our resolve as a collective reached every corner of the province with
advertising on television, radio, billboards, transit, on-line and this year in Cineplex
theaters. And since our last annual meeting we have
wasted no time organizing and mobilizing our members and the public.
We stood together and successfully fought off some of the blatant attempts by the Conservative
government to undermine publicly funded public education and vital public services in this
province. This was thanks to your efforts, the unwavering solidarity of our members and
our amazing allies across this province. And on that note I just want to take a minute,
I want to recognize a few groups of people who were key throughout this year.
First and foremost I want to recognize your phenomenal Executive leadership team, including
Sharon, Jerry and Bobbi, our GS and DGSs and your executive members, thank you for everything
you've done this year. Next, I want to recognize our local presidents.
Local presidents that are in this room, the local leaders have done such an amazing job
this year. All year, as always you have been there when we have needed you. I would like
all local presidents in this room, will you please stand up so we can recognize and thank
you. What a team! I also want to take a minute and ask all the
first-time delegates in the room to stand up so we can recognize you. Thanks so much
for being here. When you get up to a microphone over the next few days for the first time
let us know that you are a first time delegate. As Lorna said, we have t-shirts for you. We
have these giant cannons that we shoot them at you. We shoot them out to you with it and
you have to catch them before you speak. Anyway, amazing, thanks.
Listen, finally before we get into this, I want to recognize some special guests that
are here, just a few of our amazing allies. I am going to ask them, they are at the back
of the room, I am going to ask them to stand up. But if you would do me a favour, if you'd
hold your thunderous applause to the end, that would be great so we can recognize all
of them together. First, we have the president of the Canadian
Teachers' Federation at the back, Shelley Morse. Shelley stand up. We have, go ahead
clap if you want. Let's do it that way. Like I'm going to tell you what to do.
The president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association and currently a CTF
vice-president, Dean Ingram. President of OSSTF, Harvey Bischof is here
at the back of the room. President of the Nova Scotia Teachers' Union
and also currently a CTF vice-president, Paul Wozney.
And the president of our francophone colleagues, the federation AEFO, Remi Sabourin is here
with us. Remi stand up. And another special guest who is here today,
who stood up in the legislature and defended publicly funded education day in and day out
over the past year. The education critic for the official opposition, Marit Stiles is in
the back of the room. So listen, as I put together my remarks for
today it was a challenge, because what I want to try and do is recap the year, talk about
where we are and where we are going. So I have to let the parliamentarian know that
we are not going to be able to break for dinner. There won't be any election speeches tonight
because I need about eight hours to take you through everything that's happened.
My friends, just over a year ago, as soon as Doug Ford's government came to power, they
started to make cuts and create mayhem and it quickly became very clear that they had
forgotten about "the people." Shame! You feel free to say shame at any point throughout
my remarks. One of the first things that Ford did was trash carbon pricing and all related
investments, including a $100-million fund earmarked for school repairs. Yes, it is going
to take us eight hours. And yes, he did this while there was (and
still is) a massive $15B backlog in school repairs.
The Toronto district School Board alone, one example, lost $25M designated for school repairs
because of that cut. And may I just note here? That recently, with
all of that, the Ontario and Saskatchewan courts of Appeal threw out the challenges
by Ford and his conservative friends to the Federal climate change initiative. Saying
that what the federal government does is within the constitution and they threw it out.
And now we have the federal government reaching out and offering funding directly to school
boards from that federal carbon revenue. What an absolute mess!
Almost at the same time the Conservatives were tearing up the Physical Education & Health
curriculum, or as they referred to it, the "sex-ed" curriculum, and hiding it, tore it
up and then hide it away in a closet or tried to hide it away in a closet somewhere at Queen's
Park. But we wouldn't let that happen and we didn't
let that happen. Without hesitation, people from all walks
of life organized, and took a stand. During our annual meeting last year we kicked off
the protests and spoke out as we marched to Queens Park calling for the reinstatement
of the 2015 Health and Physical Education curriculum.
Trustees, the LGBTQ community, health professionals, community groups, our members, our local leaders,
the labour movement, and so many others, many of those I introduced in the back of the room
and their affiliates, we spoke up together and we marched in the streets, we held public
meetings, and protested that regressive decision at every turn.
And one of the most inspiring actions, quiet frankly throughout all of that, occurred when
high school students across the province took a stand, an amazing stand, and went on strike!
But you know, we didn't just protest, on behalf of our members and the students in this province,
ETFO took the Ford government to the Ontario Superior Court. The court ruled in favour
of the government, as we know, saying that the government of Ontario has a constitutional
right to develop, implement, and change curriculum. Wow, we knew that and we agreed with that.
Of course they have that right. That was never our argument.
Our challenge focused on Ford's fumbling of that whole issue, that he and his government,
he is particularly trying to intimate teachers, constrained their professional judgement and
ensured that students would no longer, or try to ensure that students would no longer
benefit from a comprehensive content as found in the 2015 curriculum.
You know, things like consent, gender identity and same sex marriage.
The most important aspect of that court's decision was the recognition and the confirmation
page after page of a teacher's right to use their professional judgement to establish
inclusive learning environments and to teach any and all parts of the 2015 curriculum without
fear of reprisal. That was a huge win. But as you know we are still, still waiting
for the revised Health and Physical Education curriculum!
Over the past year we have seen first hand that the priority of this government is not
what's best for "the people", it's all about the deficit, at all cost no matter what they
have to do, who they have to push aside, they want to reduce the deficit.
With that as their singular focus we've seen them, with the stroke of a pen, overnight,
cancel the $15 an hour minimum wage, and attack Bill 148 and workers' rights in this province.
They cancelled the basic income pilot, pulling the rug out if you will from under 4000 people
and their futures in this province. They cut funding to libraries, they cut $300M from
mental health care, dismantled OSAP, and attacked the Canadian Federation of Students and their
union in this province! They slashed $85M in funding for children
and youth at risk, slashed the Ontario Music Fund, eliminated the office of the child advocate,
shut down the expert panel to end violence against women, eliminated the Indigenous Culture
Fund and made drastic deep cuts to legal aid in this province.
And I haven't even mentioned health care. I can go on for another twenty minutes or
half an hour. And the whole time they were doing this and their budget in April, they
made sure that they provided $3.6 billion in tax relief to corporations in this province.
Shame on this government. What else have they done? You thought we were
finished. Well, they cancelled the Indigenous curriculum writing sessions as you know, but
12 months later, without any collaboration with indigenous leaders or the community,
they released their version of an Indigenous curriculum for grades 9-12. Harvey can speak
to this much better than I can, Liz and Remi. But, to make matters worse, that curriculum
is comprised of, my understanding, 10 elective course.
Shame on this government for making Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous Education,
in this province and in this country, an elective! This is a long-term fight my friends. When
a regressive, right-wing Conservative government is elected, they inevitably attack as we've
seen hard-won worker rights. We saw it with Harris, Harper, and now Ford. And if you are
paying attention, you see it happening in Alberta, but we hope, we hope, it is not going
to be happening across Canada after October. Let's all go back in March, the Conservatives
unleashed devastating attacks on many different fronts when the announced: funding cuts, increases
to class size averages, the elimination of thousands of teaching positions, and an absurd
introduction of four mandatory online courses for secondary students.
Those attacks and the cuts were confirmed with the release of the 2019 provincial budget
in April and the "Grants for Student Needs." You know, the Ontario Auditor General said
that an investment of at least $1.4 Billion dollars was needed in 2019-20 just to maintain
what we know is an already struggling education system. And we know now, since then, that
did not happen! They didn't even put in the rate of inflation into the budget in publicly
funded education. With all that, to this day, Ford continues
to say that no one, no one will lose their job! And even if he's saying no front line
worker will lose their job, shame on him. Tell that, tell that, to the 160 Upper Canada
District School Board employees, for example, who are being laid off. Teachers; educational
assistants, early childhood educators, English language learner instructor and instructional
assistant positions; school office support staff; library staff; speech and language
assistants. And this is just one example as I said from so many school boards across province.
Or tell it to the 7,000 UFCW workers who are employed right now at Beer Stores across this
province who are going to lose their jobs because of you not agreeing to hold up your
end of the bargain with assigned contracts. Shame on this government.
Let's be very clear. We were certain that this government, as we headed into March,
were fully prepared to remove the class size caps in Full-Day Kindergarten and the primary
grades, but our overwhelming response, your overwhelming response to their trial balloon
made them think twice! Together the people of Ontario protected Full
Day Kindergarten and primary grade class sizes. Our members, sister unions, labour, parents
and experts, took a collective stand. And together we sent over 100,000 emails to
MPPs through the Building Better Schools website. Every single MPP was flooded with emails and
their phones were ringing off the hooks about the importance of small class sizes. My friends
together we did it. And as you know, and I just want to say something
here, that yes we managed to dodge that bullet if you will or those cuts, but I want you
to know that the minute I realized as your president that we had what our colleagues
in the other 3 affiliates who are being attacked and having class size averages drastically
increase and what that was going to do to them I immediately let them know that we have
their backs and we will stand with them to fight to ensure that we can fend off those
cuts. And as you know, while all of this was happening,
the government ripped up the needs-based autism funding, misled the public and willfully created
months of chaos and uncertainty for thousands of families in Ontario.
But the families directly impacted by those cuts organized a relentless campaign to force
the Conservatives to back down. They said early on in that struggle that they were never
going away and OMG they have not! Those families and their allies, won a 6-month
delay for those children currently receiving therapy, they recently won another extension
because of their activism. A panel has been established to provide input on a needs-based
program. But none of that would have happened, none of it, without their tenacity, but they
know and we know that it's not over. These families will now have to wait until
April 2020 for news of what a new needs-based program might look like. Their concerns and
anxiety about the future continues. What the future and well being of their children continues.
Will they need to sell their home or get a second job to cover the cost of essential
therapy for their children? These decisions they have to make every day. Will they wait
for the call to be on that list to get the therapy they need through that program? Or
will it do now what they have to do, as I've said to look after the needs of their children.
That remains to be seen. I can't honestly, I can't begin to imagine
what these families, those families are dealing with on a daily basis. But as we've said from
the beginning, and I want them to know, that we have their backs because their kids are
our kids! It's no secret that the Conservatives want
to eliminate Regulation 274, roll back fair hiring practice. We have been very clear that
this is a bargaining issue and it must and will be discussed at the bargaining table.
For now, they have held off on any changes to that Regulation. And, we are going to do
everything we can to defend that in bargaining as we have said repeatedly.
But I just wanted to say, you know frankly, based on this government's recent internal
appointment scandals, this government, Ford, could learn something from Reg 274 about how
in fact to eliminate nepotism. My friends, my friends as you know, we have
another new Education Minister. Some have suggested that with his appointment, there
may be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. I have to tell you, unfortunately, I haven't
seen anything to support that so far. Yes, the Minister is certainly better in front
of a camera and he did meet with us very soon after being appointed and I appreciated that,
but he has not, as you know, he has not reversed any of the cuts to publicly-funded public
education that were announced in March and were in the budget in April, not one.
As you know, in June, ETFO gave Ford and his government a failing grade of "F" and if this
Minister wants to see that grade improved, much more, I'd say even to a "C", he needs
more, there needs to be more effort and focus from this new Minister on behalf of the publicly-funded
public education in this province. One thing he should do immediately, and I
hope he is listening and not through a spokesperson from his office, he must do it publicly, make
it very clear, that not one tax dollar, not one, will go to private, independent schools,
and that his government and are fully committed to publicly-funded public education in this
province not just today but into the future. And he also needs to be clear about the government's
position on the future of Full Day Kindergarten in Ontario, and again, not just their position
for this coming September, but into the future. Our position, ETFO's position, has always
been, and will always be, that Full-Day Kindergarten requires a certified teacher and a designated
early childhood educator. Together, you know together, we have worked for years to build
up our world-reknowned Kindergarten program and we're not, we are not, going backwards.
We responded to the rumours surrounding FDK with an open letter in newspapers from a long
list of academics in support of the model and you may have seen the hashtag #handsoffFDK
trending on Twitter. People have also been encouraged to share
their stories about FDK on our Building Better Schools website. And it is a strong reminder
of all of the benefits that this program brings to four and five year olds in Ontario.
My friends, we must be, continue to be vigilant, we must continue to lobby trustees, MPPs,
and the Minister to get them to pledge their support for Kindergarten and the current FDK
model. We cannot, and we will not, allow the Conservative government to tear that program
apart. This must be a focus for all of us in the upcoming year.
We also have a new labour minister, who I'm told has been dreaming for years about how
to end the Rand Formula in Ontario and how to undermine the right of Ontario workers
to organize. You know, that concept of "Right to Work" in the States. Shame is right.
Let me be clear once again, if he moves, if this government moves to destabilize trade
unionism in Ontario, ETFO and the labour movement in this province, will be prepared. We will
take a stand and we will do everything, everything we have to protect our rights in this province.
I don't have to tell you that the stronger and more unified ETFO is, the more effective
we will be and we have been in the fight for our rights as working people in this province.
The more we can do now to strengthen the connection between members, local leaders and our provincial
leadership team, the stronger we are, no matter what we may face, no matter what we may face
over the coming years. We need to be able to communicate with, my sincere apologies,
communicate with, engage, and mobilize our members, all of our locals, and every facet
of our union, effectively. That's why in the spring, we undertook an
important and historic member engagement initiative in every local, in every corner of the province.
And from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all of you in this room who helped facilitate
those Steward meetings and all of the school-based meetings.
And I want to take a minute to thank the three released officers Karen, Nancy and Monica,
who with me travelled across this province. Thanks to the three of you.
The response from those meetings, that engagement was overwhelming! And I was personally able
to attend numerous meetings and I can't tell you how inspiring it was to meet so many committed
stewards and activists across this province. We're still counting the pledge cards signed
by our members at those meetings and thereafter, but so far I want you to know we have over
45,000 from across the province. Yeah, amazing. And it's an impressive start but we must use
what we learned through this process and continue to reach out, and connect, with every single
ETFO member that we are going to defend our rights in this province.
Beyond the meetings, members also took, as you all know and we are still doing, symbolic
actions at schools and their worksites and in their communities. And these actions were
important for building our united voice as elementary educators.
It was amazing to see so many members supporting Red for Ed Fridays and wearing our "class
size matters" and "cuts hurt kids" buttons. And the fact that we were taking these actions
along with other teacher affiliates, education unions, parents and guardians made our statements
even more powerful. We made it very clear, that we are all in this fight together.
In fact, I don't know how many times I saw on Twitter or people told me that they couldn't
keep their buttons that they had to give them up because people kept asking for it so they
would pass it on. The support has been truly incredible. And not to mention, we watched
over the summer those people who are travelling around the world quite frankly wearing their
Red for Ed t-shits on Friday and still wearing their buttons. Just amazing!
And whats also phenomenal is that Parent groups have been forming and have been incredibly
active all over the province. I had to go, I had the pleasure of going to one of the
walk-ins that they organized here in the GTA and I thought, you know, there'd be 10 or
15 parents there, and that walk-in was to stand up to and to protest the cuts and I
got there and there was a hundred parents there. It was absolutely unbelievable.
And throughout this process, just here in the GTA alone there are now 5 new parent groups
taking a public stand against cuts to publicly funded public education because they know,
more than anyone, that "cuts hurt kids". And I'm so pleased to tell you that a parent representing
that group of 5 GTA parents' groups will be here speak to us all on Thursday morning.
And it's not in your agenda because I'm giving up some of my time on Thursday so that they
can speak because we think it is so critical. I think it's critical.
Along with other union and community groups, your locals have been picketing and lobbying
local MPP offices and let's not forget that we, along with our allies, mobilized for a
massive Queen's Park rally in April. The biggest rally against the provincial government
I've seen in many years. And we had a united message against education cuts. Over 30,000
people filled the entire front lawn and I mean the entire front lawn of Queen's Park
and spilled out into the streets. And I have to tell you that the enormity and energy of
that rally took my breath away! I can remember walking to Queen's Park and
the whole time and I know you've been there as local leaders and I'm thinking I hope this
rally is a success. We worked closely with all of the other affiliates, parent groups,
and as I walked along College, my anxiety just got worst until I got to the corner,
turned up University to Queen's Park and I could not believe the response.
That so many people, so many of our members and our allies from across this province said
we are going to be there and we are not, we are not going to tolerate and stand for cuts
to education. Thanks to everyone who took part in that.
As you can see--oh it is there--from the projection screen behind me, the theme of our 2019 Annual
Meeting is hashtag #ETFOstrong. You know that this is a bargaining year, and
during bargaining years our annual meeting themes are meant to send a message from ETFO
to school boards and the government. For this 2019 bargaining round, we are signalling,
signalling to all of them that ETFO members are entering negotiations united, inclusive
and--as always--strong. As you know, we gave notice to bargain on
June the 3rd to the Ontario Public School Boards' Association, the Council of Trustees'
Associations and the government. But well before June, your Union together, we were
preparing for this round of central and local bargaining.
It started in the fall of 2018 with an all-member survey that tens of thousands of our members
participated in. And based on your responses to that survey, the provincial Collective
Bargaining Committee developed bargaining priorities, which were approved at our Representative
Council in February as ETFO's 2019 Bargaining Goals.
The Teacher/Occasional Teacher and the Education Worker central lists that we took into our
discussions in June with school board bargaining agencies, are based on those approved 2019
Bargaining Goals. Our central lists were created through a process
approved by last year's Annual Meeting delegates. As that process requires, ETFO's central lists
were voted on and finalized at a special meeting of presidents and chief negotiators in May.
Those lists are being used in our central discussions with OPSBA and CTF to develop
a final list of bargaining items, which is what the parties need to do, we need to do,
before formal negotiations can actually begin and that's according to the education sector
bargaining legislation. And at this point, as of today, those discussions
are continuing but we will inform everyone on discussions on the establishment of the
list are continuing and we will inform everyone when we have agreed to teacher/occasional
teacher and education worker central lists. Make no mistake, there will be more to say
about negotiations this week; and just know that bargaining and the road ahead will be
our focus on Thursday. This week we will also, in addition, collectively set the priorities
for the year ahead, you will have the opportunity to debate and determine the direction of our
union. This is your union and this is your democratic process in action.
Delegates, brothers and sisters and friends, let me try to wrap up. It wasn't quite eight
hours, seven and a half that's not bad. Listen, it has been an intense year. It's
been a struggle, but I have to tell you, it has also been energizing and so inspiring
for me as your president to watch what our members have done, their responses, their
tenacity, their collective strength and resolve. It's amazing, absolutely amazing in defence
of publicly funded public education. Our professions, public services and workers in this province.
Because, we are not in this fight on our own, and as our members know and you know, we need
to be working with everyone and anyone in this province who is going to oppose the attacks
and the cuts of the current government. Let there be no mistake, your individual and
our collective actions are making a significant difference. The actions of those parents,
the actions of other affiliates and community groups in this province is making a difference.
Now is not the time for us to be complacent or divisive.
We must continue to organize, we must continue to mobilize and we must do everything, we
must use every single member and every resource that we have to protect publicly funded public
education in this province and to make sure that at every single turn, every day, we hold
Ford and this government accountable for their irresponsible, unconscionable actions and
attacks and cuts. You know I have been so fortunate and so lucky
to be your president and I can not tell you, I don't have the words to tell you how so
very proud, how proud I am of our dynamic union and the strength of our collective membership.
It has been an absolute honour to fight with you and to protect publicly funded education
in this province and I look forward to hopefully doing it again.
Thank you so much and have an amazing meeting.