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Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
Fédération des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’élémentaire de l’Ontario
136 Isabella Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 0B5
Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
Website: www.etfo.ca
MEMORANDUM
TO:
ETFO Members of the Durham Teacher Local
ETFO Members of the Durham Occasional Teacher Local
ETFO Members of the Durham DECE Local
FROM:
Sam Hammond, President
DATE:
April 13, 2015
RE:
Potential Strike by Members of OSSTF/FEESO District 13, Durham
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation has announced that the members
of the OSSTF/FEESO District 13, Durham who are employed by the Durham District
School Board will begin legal strike action on April 20, 2015.
In the event of a strike, members of ETFO are advised that:
•
Every ETFO member employed with the Durham District School Board has an
obligation to report for work in the elementary panel as usual even if your school
or worksite is being picketed, as long as it is possible for you to enter the site
without danger to your person or property.
•
If you are prevented from entering a school/worksite, notify the appropriate
representative/supervisor of the board to whom you would normally report to
work and undertake other work if assigned by the board, as long as it does not
violate the other provisions of this memorandum and notify your local president:
Gerard O’Neill – 905-666-1122
Durham Teacher Local
George Taylor – 905-404-0411
Durham Occasional Teacher Local
Rayna Barrese – 289-356-5302
Durham DECE Local
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•
Although you may have to cross a picket line to fulfill your employment
obligations to the Durham District School Board, you can still show your support
for your striking colleagues by joining their picket lines before you enter the
school/worksite and when you leave. You can also show support by providing
coffee and food to the picket lines, joining in demonstrations at the board office
and other local activities outside your normal working hours.
•
You have a contractual obligation to be at work as an elementary panel
employee. Notwithstanding this obligation, ETFO members (permanent, longterm occasional and daily occasional assignments) will not do any work that is
normally done by members of the OSSTF/FEESO District 13, Durham.
•
There are ETFO occasional teacher members who are also employed by the
Durham District School Board in the secondary panel and therefore would be
both ETFO and OSSTF occasional teacher members. Occasional teachers who
work in both panels should report for their work assignments in the elementary
panel and should look for direction from OSSTF with respect to their secondary
panel work and any strike action that OSSTF undertakes with the Durham District
School Board.
•
ETFO provincial staff have advised the Durham District School Board that ETFO
members will not do the work of striking workers.
•
Report any attempt by your principal/supervisor to assign you struck work to your
local president immediately.
•
You should report any situation that is deemed detrimental to the health, safety,
or learning environment of pupils or staff to the Durham District School Board
and your local president.
•
In addition, it is the Ontario Teachers’ Federation policy that in the event of a
strike situation involving members of any of the four affiliates (ETFO, OSSTF,
OECTA, AEFO), schools that are targeted for strike action will not be used for
student teacher practicums or for any other placement of student teachers or for
in-service programs leading to additional qualifications and no affiliate member
should accept student teachers re-assigned from the striking board.
VR:SH:CL
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