ETFO Central Bargaining Bulletin #19 – February 24, 2020

Work-To-Rule Strike Protocol: Phase 6

In addition to Phase 1,2,3,4 and 5 Work-to-Rule Strike Protocols,
Effective Wednesday, February 26, 2020, ETFO teacher and occasional teacher members will:

do only their scheduled teaching and supervision assignments during their regular instructional time. Teacher and occasional teacher members will not agree to, or participate in, any additions/modifications to their schedule, with the exception of attending meetings to support students with special needs or to discuss student safety.

Effective Wednesday, February 26, 2020, ETFO teacher and occasional teacher members will:

NOT do any coverage for absent members, regardless of the reason for the absence (except in the case of an occasional teacher hired to replace an absent teacher).
NOT accept/disperse students from/to other classrooms when a member is absent, regardless of the reason for the absence. (Note: If a member requires coverage for any reason, it is the responsibility of the school administration to arrange that coverage.)
NOT miss their regularly scheduled planning or preparation time.
NOT spend personal funds to purchase instructional materials or resources for students, the classroom, the school or the board.
NOT upload data related to assessments on board systems. Teacher and occasional teacher members will continue to do assessments using their professional judgement. Members may complete assessments for supports and/or funding for students with special needs or ELL students.

Between Wednesday February 26 and Friday, March 6, 2020, all ETFO members will:

organize a coordinated picket of all ETFO members outside of their schools (i.e., in their school or worksite community) for at least 20 minutes at least one day per week. The coordinated picket may be in one or two shifts to accommodate ETFO members’ varying schedules;
send at least one letter to a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and the Minister of Education urging them to invest in public education and negotiate fair agreements at ETFO’s central bargaining tables. Members can find a template letter to MPPs and the Minister by visiting ETFO’s Building Better Schools website at: buildingbetterschools.ca/stopcuts
send the Building Better Schools website link to at least five other people (non-educators) and encourage them to send the template letter to their MPP and the Minister of Education;
send a letter to their school board Trustees urging them to take action to defend public education and oppose the proposed cuts. Members can find a template letter by visiting ETFO’s Building Better Schools website at: www.buildingbetterschools.ca/
participate in an “online picket line” on Friday, February 28 and Friday, March 6 with all ETFO members in their school/worksite (over lunch or before the start of the day) to support ETFO’s central bargaining efforts, promote the importance of investing in public education and provide specific examples of how the cuts proposed by the PC government will hurt students. This can be done through collective tweets, posts or by using visual pictures to communicate key messages on personal social media. Members are encouraged to use the hashtags #CutsHurtKids and #Istrikebecause in their posts;
AND
download the ETFO Solidarity Signature (“Value Students. Respect Educators. Fund Our Schools.”) and add it to members’ school board email signature. The ETFO Solidarity Signature will be available on ETFO’s Collective Bargaining Website at etfocb.ca/phase-6-resources/ as of Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

Note: ETFO members who are not scheduled to work on the day of their school’s/worksite’s online picket line will send their own tweet, post or picture on social media to promote the importance of funding public elementary education and negotiating fair agreements at ETFO’s central bargaining tables.
If agreements are not reached at ETFO’s Teacher/Occasional Teacher and Education Worker Central Tables by Friday, March 6, 2020, effective Monday, march 9, 2020, ETFO will commence Phase 7 Strike Protocol.