TORONTO, ON – In November 2022, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and other unions won a major victory at the Ontario Court of Justice when Justice Markus Koehnen ruled that Bill 124, which capped wage increases for public sector employees at one per cent annually for three years, infringed upon union members’ right to freedom of association under the Charter. Instead of accepting the court’s decision, the Ford government pressed forward with an appeal that is being heard this week. 

“Instead of ending its attack on workers and moving to remedy, the Ford government is doubling down on its disregard for workers’ rights and creating roadblocks to negotiated agreements,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Their appeal—in the midst of negotiations with ETFO and other education unions—undermines collective bargaining and is a waste of taxpayer money. Not another public dollar should be spent on their disappointing attempt to violate workers’ rights.”

To protect members’ interests, ETFO is taking Bill 124’s impact into consideration as it negotiates central agreements. Adds Brown, “Collective bargaining is challenging at the best of times. Negotiating with a government that believes it can change bargaining rules whenever it chooses to can make it impossible to reach fair settlements. The premier and education minister must stop attacking education workers and focus on reaching agreements at the bargaining table, in good faith.”

ETFO continues to engage in the central bargaining process with the government, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, and the Council of Trustees’ Associations. The Federation continues to demand that fair collective agreements must be reached at the bargaining table and not through legislation. ETFO will continue to do everything it can to protect its members from the government’s unconstitutional interference and ongoing overreach.

ETFO represents approximately 83,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel. Visit BuildingBetterSchools.ca.