As you are likely aware, on Friday, February 21, all four major education unions in the province are going on strike. This is the first time since 1997 that all teachers' unions are taking strike action at the same time and the significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Teachers and education workers are holding the line against the Ford government's attacks on our public services and education system in Ontario.

As academics and university educators, it is important that we show our solidarity with our colleagues in the education sector.

To that end, we would like to inform you of three solidarity actions you might be interested in supporting: 

1) Sign the statement of support for Ontario teachers: Over a thousand faculty members across the province have recently signed a public statement of support for Ontario teachers. The full list of signatories is available here. To add your name, please click here.

2) Join the city-wide teachers' rally at Queen's Park on Friday: Teachers, parents, students, and allies from across the Greater Toronto Area will hold a solidarity rally in support of Ontario teachers on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Queen's Park in downtown Toronto. The full details of the rally are available on Facebook.

Please tag YUFA in any pictures you post to social media from the rally. Use the hashtag #YUFA. Download a placard here.

3) Join the labour-led demonstration in Niagara Falls on Saturday: The Ontario Federation of Labour will join with teachers' unions and allies for a demonstration, The People vs. Conservative Cuts rally, on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Scotiabank Convention Centre, 6815 Stanley Avenue, in Niagara Falls. The full details of the demonstration are available at this website and on Facebook.

Free buses from Toronto to Niagara Falls have been arranged for Saturday's demonstration. To book your seat on the bus, please click here.

Please also check out this solidarity message and this picket-line check-list from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.

Thank you for your support! For more information, please email [email protected].

Sincerely,
Art Redding
President, YUFA

Terry Maley
Vice-President External, YUFA