Speaking at an online press conference hosted by the Ontario Federation of Labour on January 20, Karen Brown, President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), outlined the demands of teachers and other education workers for safe schools. She pointed out that the demand today for immediate government action is not new. She said that the 83,000 members of ETFO have been doing their best throughout the pandemic to protect themselves and to support students and their families to ensure that in-person learning can take place. She said that what they are asking for today is what they have been demanding since the start of the pandemic.

Teachers and education workers, she said, have had to fight the government and in doing so have achieved some advances on health and safety issues, with enhanced PPE, increased access to rapid antigen tests and some improvements to ventilation in schools. Still, she emphasized, it is not enough and that on all fronts the government has fallen short, now reducing testing and ending reporting on outbreaks in schools, failing to prepare for staff absences and providing the supports needed for in-person learning.

She called on the government to take immediate action to:

– mandate masks in schools for all students and workers

– ensure that everyone is vaccinated or tested according to ministry guidelines

– improve ventilation in schools with the installation of HEPA filters

– reduce class sizes to permit social distancing

– reinstitute robust testing and contact tracing

– implement a sustainable plan to address anticipated staff absences

– expand paid sick days for all Ontario workers

Teachers and education workers are calling on the public to support them in this fight.

(Workers’ Forum, posted January 27, 2022)