The annual ETFO meeting held from August 11 to 14 saw a political advance on a number of issues such as Palestine, the inclusion of Trans and Non-binary members, and the politics of collective bargaining and strike readiness. However, it also demonstrated the challenges the union faces in representing its members and uplifting Black leadership.
Steps forward
This annual meeting seemed to mark a positive shift in many ways from previous ones. Delegates I talked to said they had previously faced harsher push back on motions that this year were passed overwhelmingly. For example, a couple of motions that could increase inclusion and representation for Trans women and non-binary members in women’s committees were quickly adopted. Notably, a motion that ETFO create resources for members to educate and equip them to deal with anti-Palestinian racism hit the floor early. While facing over an hour of procedural attempts to rule the motion out of order by opponents of Palestinian human rights, once voting came 71 percent of the conference voted in favour of the motion. This victory was rightly celebrated inside and outside the meeting. It shows both a commitment to Palestinian students by ETFO members and is a symbol of the changing political terrain in which Israel and its supporters become more and more isolated.
The meeting also saw big changes to the ETFO executive. David Mastin from the Durham Teacher Local and former First Vice-President won his election for President over Karen Brown. Many saw this as a victory for the Palestinian rights movement and towards a more class-struggle oriented teachers union. Mastin had authored a resolution at 2024’s meeting on divesting the pension plan from companies that armed Israel. As well, he has been campaigning on forging greater solidarity and coordination with other unions and getting “strike-ready” for bargaining in 2026. Others were elected who have taken a more “class struggle over class snuggle” line in their campaigns as well, such as Mary Fowler, also from Durham and Carolyn Proulx-Wotton from the Grand Eerie Teacher Local.
Collective power on display
However, ETFO’s executive is now whiter and has no members who identify as Black. This left a bad taste in the mouth of many delegates to the meeting and was compounded when a motion to change the order of the day to hear a motion budget resolution dealing with anti-Black racism was voted down by the delegates twice. Many Black delegates got to mics to voice their displeasure and the disrespect they felt from some of their union siblings in waving away the motion. The tension on the floor was palpable. Feeling the frustration especially from the Toronto, Peel and Hamilton locals, David Mastin urged the conference to vote to hear the motion immediately. The meeting agreed and debate began. Delegates from some of the more diverse locals packed the mics and began to speak in favour of the resolution before the chair adjourned the meeting for the scheduled dinner break.
This led to a protest at dinner in which Black members and allies walked out of the banquet and into the street chanting and singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The group then returned to strategize for what was next.
The next day started with hearing the resolution on Anti-Black Racism and in a powerful show of force, every pro and con mic was lined with supporters of the resolution, some delegations’ seats empty as all of their members waited to speak and call on the executive and union body to do better to uplift its Black members, students, and communities. Through this incredible display of collective power, an amendment was made that moved up the timeline on hiring an Black-identified executive assistant to oversee the implementation of the resolution and the resolution passed with 95 percent in favour. There were tears and singing on the floor as Black-power and worker-power ruled the morning, demonstrating what is possible.
This changed the tone of the day and an empowered floor quickly passed motions dealing with disability rights and human rights training as well. You could feel new people feeling empowered to speak and make their voices heard within the union.
Ugliness
The last day of the conference was not without ugliness. During the debate on a motion regarding human rights training, a school teacher from the York local went to the mic wearing an IDF uniform with a patch from the Golani Brigade, a group that on 23 March 2025 opened fire at humanitarian convoys and killed 15 Palestinian paramedics in Rafah. This resulted in outcry from delegates and a flood of human rights complaints and shortly thereafter the individual had taken off the jacket. Pictures of him wearing it found their way online and were widely shared, highlighting the horrific display.
The ETFO annual meeting showed the bulk of the delegates are hungry for increased organizing and engagement of the membership ahead of 2026’s collective bargaining. The progress that has been made in terms of LGBTQ+ and the collective will to protect Palestinian students marks a progressive step forward. The executive will have a tough job ahead of it to convince its Black members that they are represented and cared for in the union, but if they are as committed to engaging the membership, working with other education unions and getting ETFO “strike-ready” they will be on better footing to take on Doug Ford in 2026.
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