The Passing of Bill 33: What It Means for Us, Our Work, and the Path Ahead
Dear ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local Members,
Earlier last week, on Wednesday November 19, your released team joined Educators and Labour Activists from across Ontario in a coordinated protest and march to Queen’s Park. The Conservative Government knew we were coming. They attempted to block our march with police presence, and tried to block entry onto the grounds. They repeatedly tried to stop your Local Released team as we veered away from the march in order to enter the Legislature.
But with the support of London North Centre MPP, Terence Kernaghan, their efforts didn’t work.
Your Local team fought its way into the Legislature, got the last 7 seats, arriving with just enough time to witness our riding’s Conservative MPPs stand and vote in favour of Bill 33, legislation that undermines local decision-making, weakens public education, and ignores the realities facing our schools. Shame.
For you, we fought our way in.
Now we need you to continue the fight with us.
The reality in our schools is that ETFO Thames Valley members are holding together a system that has been chronically underfunded since 2018. Every day, you are:
- supporting students with increasingly complex needs
- navigating staffing shortages and reduced supports
- managing larger classes and increased workloads
- operating with limited to no resources
- absorbing responsibilities that used to be supported by cut positions
- somehow still delivering world-class public education
We see the fatigue, the burnout, and the ongoing emotional weight of trying to provide the best for students despite fewer resources and more pressure than ever before.
And yet, you continue. You continue to show up, care deeply, and do whatever you can to support your students. Your work is extraordinary and it is not going unnoticed. Thank you for the heroic efforts you make every single day to support the students in your care.
The challenges associated with Bill 33 is that it centralizes power with the Minister of Education and weakens local trustee and community voice. This directly threatens:
- local bargaining,
- local staffing and support decisions, and
- the ability of educators and parents to advocate for what students truly need.
Looking toward next year’s bargaining, we find ourselves negotiating with a government that has:
- consistently underfunded education,
- refused to address the special education crisis in classrooms, and
- chosen to ignore our concerns instead of collaborating with us.
This means we will need to push harder than ever for the basics: smaller classes, meaningful supports for all students, and safe, well-resourced learning environments.
With all these challenges we need to remember: we can Create Change – Together!
Over the next few months, you will be hearing a lot more about bargaining at the Central and Local level. We need to be prepared, not to create panic and alarm, but to unite and be strong so that we can prepare for bargaining in a position of solidarity and strength, determination to create this change-together.
There will be a lot of information in the coming months. But today, you can do two simple things:
- Make sure your contact information is up-to-date with the Local and ETFO Provincial so you can stay informed.
- Another step you can take right now is to contact one of our three Conservative MPPs and express your disappointment that they supported Bill 33, whether you are a voting constituent or not, they need to hear their decisions affect our schools.
Local PC MPPs (Thames Valley Teacher Local Region)
Steve Pinsonneault (Lambton—Kent—Middlesex)
steve.pinsonneault [at] pc.ola.org (steve[dot]pinsonneault[at]pc[dot]ola[dot]org) | 519-245-8696
Ernie Hardeman (Oxford)
ernie.hardeman [at] pc.ola.org (ernie[dot]hardeman[at]pc[dot]ola[dot]org) | 519-537-5222
Rob Flack (Elgin—Middlesex—London)
rob.flack [at] pc.ola.org (rob[dot]flack[at]pc[dot]ola[dot]org) | 519-631-0666
Simply use this sample script (copy and paste to keep it simple)
Subject: Concern Regarding Your Vote on Bill 33
Hello [MPP Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am a voting constituent in your riding. I am writing to express my deep disappointment that you voted in favour of Bill 33.
As an educator, I see daily the impacts of chronic underfunding and limited supports on students. Bill 33 undermines local decision-making and makes it harder for our schools to respond to the real needs in our classrooms.
With bargaining ahead, your support for this legislation signals a direction that does not reflect the realities in our schools. Our students need more support — not more centralized control.
I am asking for an explanation for your vote and for your commitment to protecting strong, well-funded public education in Ontario.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Postal Code]
ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local Members, thank you for your continued leadership, strength, and resilience.
We fought our way into the Legislature - and together we will continue fighting for a properly funded public education system that supports the work we do and the students in our care. We will create change - together.
In solidarity,
Mike Thomas, President
ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local
For any questions, concerns, or simply a friendly chat, the Local ETFO Office is only a phone call away at 519-474-3150 or an email to etfotvtl [at] etfothamesvalley.com (etfotvtl[at]etfothamesvalley[dot]com) - we’re here to help.