UTFA resolution on supporting education unions in the February 21 province-wide teachers strike:
Be it resolved that the UTFA Executive explore options, in preparation for the province wide teachers strike next Friday, to work with RFA, YUFA and OCADUFA to support the teachers in their efforts to maintain a strong publicly funded education system in Ontario.
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A message from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) re: Support for Education Unions:
We were delighted to have the Ontario education union leaders at our Board meeting on Saturday to talk to us about the important fight that the teachers and education workers are currently leading in the province. It was a very thoughtful and engaging session and we’d like to thank you for your expressions of support and solidarity for Ontario’s teachers at this meeting. A number of you raised the issue of what more our associations could do in solidarity with the unions currently engaging in job action.
As you recall, there was also a unanimous motion passed at the meeting asking OCUFA to encourage faculty associations to support the education unions and to particularly encourage all OCUFA members to send at least one representative to the ongoing one-day strikes or walkouts in their local communities.
Today the elementary, secondary and French school teachers will be on picket lines in a number of school districts. You can find information regarding the ongoing strikes and picket line locations here:
Elementary teachers : https://etfocb.ca/rotating-strike-action-schedule-february-10-14-2020/
Secondary teachers: https://www.osstf.on.ca/news/mr-feb-07-2020.aspx
French school teachers: https://www.aefo.on.ca/fr/quoi-de-neuf/ensemblepournosdroits and
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/aefo-announces-phase-3-of-strike-action-by-franco-ontarian-teachers-856973463.html
Catholic school teachers: http://www.catholicteachers.ca/News-Events/News
It was also just announced yesterday that all Ontario education unions will strike on Friday, February 21. This is the first time since the political protest of 1997 that teachers and education workers from Ontario’s main education affiliates will all be out of their classrooms on the same day.
Below please also find an online solidarity letter started by a number of Ontario faculty members. The letter has so far received close to a thousand signatures from Ontario academics and postsecondary educators in support of the teachers and education workers. Please consider signing the letter and circulating it among your membership to help amplify the message.
Link to the online letter
Lastly, we’d also like to remind you again about the February 22nd rally in Niagara organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour in partnership with the education unions. There will be buses at multiple locations and in many communities across the province bringing people to the rally. You can find more information about the rally and pick up locations for buses here:
https://www.powerofmany.ca/the_people_vs_conservative_cuts_rally