ETFO will hold an online central strike vote for all members from Nov. 9 to 18, 2026. A strong “YES” vote shows solidarity, gives ETFO’s central bargaining team a clear mandate at both tables, and reinforces our call for the resources, supports, and investments students and educators deserve.
ETFO’s goal is to secure fair collective agreements that recognize the value of members’ work and address reasonable and manageable working conditions. ETFO’s central bargaining team’s goal is to reach a fair deal, and a strong strike mandate supports this goal.
To strengthen our bargaining efforts, members must be united and demonstrate the collective strength of our profession across the province.
All-member information meetings were held in the spring and virtual town halls will be held on Nov. 9 and 10. The meetings are for ETFO members only and are not open to the public/media.
ETFO is awaiting the OLRB’s decision regarding the scope of central bargaining. Once the central list is determined, ETFO will begin bargaining to reach an agreement.
A FAQ on Strike vote information can be found at etfocb.ca
OLRB Hearing Dates Set
As you know, ETFO filed an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to resolve the list of items that will be negotiated centrally at both the Teacher/Occasional Teacher (T/OT) and Education Worker (EW) bargaining tables. This step was necessary to resolve outstanding disputes over scope.
The OLRB has confirmed the following hearing dates:
Teachers/Occasional Teachers
Sept. 29, Oct. 5, 8, 14, 15, and 23
Education Workers
Oct. 6, 21, 27, and 28
Hearings for all unions are scheduled to conclude by Oct. 30.
After the hearings, the OLRB will issue decisions that apply to all impacted unions. ETFO is optimistic the process will conclude some time in November. ETFO is eager to return to both bargaining tables to commence negotiations on behalf of ETFO members. ETFO’s OLRB application did not prevent negotiations from continuing on the items ETFO has already agreed were central. Unfortunately, the government and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) did not show any willingness to return to the tables to engage in meaningful bargaining.
