SEIU Local 2: Support staff for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario are on strike

After months of negotiations the SEIU Local 2 members say ETFO management is not treating them with respect and fairness

TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Support staff for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario will hit the picket lines at 136 Isabella Street in Toronto this morning. The workers are members of SEIU Local 2 and say ETFO is not treating them with respect and fairness. At issue are wages and paid leave.

“Support Staff are asking for parity in leave days and fairness when it comes to wage increases,” said Denise Vaughan, who has worked at ETFO for nearly 10 years. “Our ask is fair and equitable based on the work that we do for this organization.”

The nearly 60 Support Staff at ETFO provide administrative, clerical, and IT support to all ETFO staff. Their role is to ensure that ETFO members are supported through maintaining records and databases, processing member release time, coordinating catering and meeting logistics for ETFO programs and more.

Support Staff are typically the first line of contact when an ETFO member requires support. ETFO has approximately 83,000 members that include public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, education support personnel, professional support personnel and designated early childhood educators.

SEIU Local 2 and ETFO have been engaged in bargaining since June of 2025, including numerous conciliation dates in November and December. On November 12, the Support Staff rejected the employer’s offer and overwhelmingly approved strike action.

SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick. We are proud members of the largest, fastest growing and most dynamic union in North America.

Media Contact
Diego Mendez | 416-476-7762
dmendez@seiulocal2.ca 

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.