Step 1: Member Surveying
Member input is a critical piece of ETFO’s 2019 central (i.e., provincial) goal setting process. In November 2018, ETFO obtained member input about 2019 central bargaining issues in a variety of ways, including:
- an online all-member survey;
- a random sample telephone survey of members; and
- face-to-face focus groups.
ETFO contracted a research firm, Strategic Communications (Stratcom) to assist with the surveying process. Members received links to the online survey by email from Stratcom.
Step 2: CB Committee Developed Goals
ETFO’s Collective Bargaining (CB) Standing Committee is comprised of ETFO members from across the province who are appointed to carry out assigned tasks, or “Terms of Reference”, related to collective bargaining. The CB Committee is structured so that there is a member from each ETFO bargaining unit type (i.e., Teacher, Occasional Teacher, Designated Early Childhood Educator and Education Support Personnel/Professional Support Personnel) on the Committee.
The CB Committee’s Terms of Reference includes creating ETFO’s bargaining goals for each round of negotiations.
Member input about ETFO’s 2019 central bargaining goals was reviewed by the CB Standing Committee in November/December 2018. Based on that review, the CB Standing Committee developed draft central bargaining goals.
The draft central bargaining goals were then reviewed by ETFO’s Collective Bargaining Services staff.
After having reviewed the input of ETFO’s Collective Bargaining Services staff, the CB Standing Committee created ETFO’s 2019 central bargaining goals. The goals were then forwarded to ETFO’s Provincial Executive.
Step 3: Provincial Executive Recommends Goals
ETFO’s 2017-2019 Provincial Executive consists of fourteen members who are elected by delegates to the ETFO Annual Meeting. The 2017-2019 Provincial Executive is comprised of:
- the president;
- the first vice-president;
- two vice-presidents;
- the ETFO representative to the Ontario Teachers’ Federation; and
- additional executive members as necessary to complete an executive of fourteen.
At a meeting in January 2019, the Executive received the 2019 central bargaining goals from the CB Standing Committee. The Executive then submitted those goals to ETFO’s Representative Council for approval.
Step 4: Representative Council Approves Goals
ETFO’s Representative Council (sometimes referred to as “Rep Council”) is composed of the president of each ETFO local, plus additional representatives based on the size of the local. Under ETFO’s Constitution and Bylaws, Representative Council approves ETFO’s collective bargaining goals.
At its meeting in February 2019, members of Representative Council reviewed and approved ETFO’s 2019 central bargaining goals.