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Local leaders gather for election readiness consultations

Collage of photos from Election Readiness meeting

More than 160 local leaders and Political Action officers, as well as members of the provincial Communications and Political Action Committee and the Provincial Executive, met in Toronto on October 20 for the first in a series of election readiness consultations in preparation for the June 2018 provincial election.

President Harvey Bischof spoke to the delegates about the importance of political engagement, and said that election readiness was among the most important activities OSSTF/FEESO would be undertaking over the next several months. He noted that October 27 marks the 20th anniversary of the 1997 political protest in response to the draconian measures of the Harris government’s Bill 160. Bischof pointed out that while we now commemorate that two-week protest as a tremendous demonstration of solidarity, OSSTF/FEESO and the other education unions would not have had to endure that battle if the 1995 election had not resulted in a government intent on creating a crisis in public education and removing the rights of union members. “If there’s one crucial lesson we learned from the 1995 election and the events that followed,” he said, “it’s that we absolutely must be engaged in the political process in Ontario.”

Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer, Greg Essensa, spoke to delegates about Elections Ontario’s efforts to improve voting procedures and encourage voter engagement, particularly among younger voters. Marc Zwelling, president of Vector Research, guided delegates through some recent polling results concerning the issues that are resonating with Ontarians with the election now just eight months away.

Legislative Observer Paul Kossta, of the Communications and Political Action (CPA) Department, explained how OSSTF/FEESO will be affected by the new rules eliminating financial contributions from unions to political parties, and restricting third-party participation in Ontario elections.

The CPA Department provided delegates with a tentative list of issues for inclusion in OSSTF/FEESO’s education platform. In small group discussions facilitated by members of the Communications and Political Action Committee, delegates considered each issue in detail and provided comprehensive feedback and recommendations. The CPA Department will take that feedback into consideration as it works toward a final draft of the Platform.

An additional election readiness consultation will take place on February 22, 2018, and pre-election preparations will be finalized at the Communication and Political Action Committee’s regional meetings in various locations around the province in May.

1 Comment on Local leaders gather for election readiness consultations

  1. Richard MacKinnon // November 14, 2017 at 7:18 pm // Reply

    “OK, the big elephant in the room: the question of whether teachers should talk about their own personal beliefs to their students. Should they?” I’m teaching Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice. My choices for material inform my students as to what my personal beliefs are. I may defend some parts of the curriculum a little bit more than others. But one has to say that your own opinions could be wrong. When I was young that may have meant nothing to an impressionable mind. These days that assertion may be accepted a lot easier. I read (but can no longer google) an article that showed if teachers are political then their students are more likely to be exposed to issues such as wealth inequality.

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