OSSTF Communications

Care touches every part of our lives, and the people who provide it make an incredible difference in our families, schools, and communities. In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Care and Support, now observed annually on October 29. The day recognizes the value of care and support while bringing greater attention to the rights, well-being, and needs of those who provide care and those who rely on it. In publicly funded education in Ontario, we see care in so many forms. It can be found in the education worker helping a student through a difficult moment, creating a welcoming space, removing barriers to learning, or making sure a student has the support they need to succeed. Today is a chance to recognize this important work and the people who bring patience, skill, compassion and care to it every day. #InternationalDayOfCareAndSupport #OSSTF #OntEd

New to OSSTF/FEESO? Before the central strike vote opens on November 6, make sure you know how to cast your ballot and have your Member ID ready! Check Bargaining Bulletin #13, listed as the October 21 bulletin, for your voting instructions: underfunded.ca/members/

Protecting our democracy takes all of us! On November 5, join #OSSTF President @marthahradowy at Queen’s Park for Show Up, Ontario: A Rally for Our Democracy, organized by @cancivlib. President Hradowy will speak about government overreach in public education, joining civic leaders and advocates to stand up for transparency, the rule of law, and democracy. 📅 Thursday, November 5 🕛 12 - 1 p.m. ET 📍 Queen’s Park, Toronto Free and open to everyone. Registration is optional: bit.ly/4zfURsc

CENTRAL BARGAINING UPDATE #OSSTF members in the school board sector: Upcoming central bargaining dates and other information has just been sent to your inbox. Please check your email for the latest bargaining bulletin.

“The government needs to address and fix the real issues our schools face: rising violence, growing class sizes, and the chronic underfunding of public education.” That’s the bottom line from education policy scholar Marianne Larsen in this week's London Free Press. OSSTF/FEESO District President John Bernans also points to the reality educators face when governments announce new policies without providing the conditions needed to make them work: inconsistent enforcement, insufficient support, and the growing challenge of monitoring classrooms as class sizes increase. Policies announced at Queen’s Park have to work in real classrooms. That means addressing class sizes, staffing, supports, safety, and chronic underfunding. 🔗 bit.ly/3TMvleH #OSSTF #OntEd #OnPoli

Care counts, and so does action! Join the Care Counts Rally on Thursday, October 29, at 12 p.m. on the South Lawn at Queen’s Park to call for fair compensation, decent work, and the funding needed to build a high-quality early learning and child care system. RSVP and add your support: events.aeceo.ca/2026_rally

Test ballot is now OPEN! #OSSTF members in the school board sector can log in now to practise the voting process ahead of the central strike vote. Take a minute this week to make sure your login works and you know exactly what to expect before November 6. Bonus: everyone who participates is automatically entered into a draw for one of five $100 gift cards 🎁 The test ballot closes Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m. ET.

On Canadian School Library Day, we celebrate the important role school libraries play in public education 📖 School libraries are more than shelves of books. They are spaces where students can explore ideas, strengthen literacy and research skills, discover new perspectives, access information and develop a lifelong love of learning. They also help make knowledge and learning opportunities accessible to students across our school communities. Today, we invite you to celebrate your school library. Share a book you discovered there, a memory that stayed with you, or something your school library helped you learn. Comment below. #CanadianSchoolLibraryDay #SchoolLibraries #OntEd #OSSTF

#OSSTF members in the school board sector: the test ballot opens tomorrow at 8:30 a.m 🗳️ The test ballot runs October 26–30. Take a few minutes this week to practise logging in and voting before the central strike vote begins November 6. The test ballot does not count as your central strike vote, and everyone who participates will be entered into a draw for one of five $100 gift cards 🎁

“Underfunding is a choice. Staffing shortages are the result of choices. And this government needs to own those choices.” Yesterday, more than 10,000 education workers, families, students, and community members rallied across Ontario for the future of public education 🙌🏽 As #OSSTF President @marthahradowy told the crowd at Queen’s Park, students, education workers, and families didn’t create the crisis in our schools, but they’re the ones paying the price. Ontario’s students deserve better. #OSSTF #OntEd #OntEdUnited

“People across the province are sending a clear message to the Ford government: Ontario’s students deserve better, and publicly funded education is worth investing in.” #OSSTF President @marthahradowy’s message is featured in the Toronto Star’s coverage of yesterday’s rallies, which brought more than 10,000 people together in Toronto, Ottawa, London, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay in support of public education. Read more about the rallies and what education workers are fighting for: bit.ly/4jFEDUi #OSSTF #OntEd #OntEdUnited

At Queens Park, an estimated 10,000 people have come together today to stand up for publicly funded education! #OntEdUnited #OntEdSolidaire – at Toronto, Ontario