The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) Governing Council recently approved its 2023 budget, which included an outrageous 17.64% membership fee increase. At the January 13th Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) Board meeting, Governors from the four teacher Affiliates voted unanimously to condemn the OCT fee increase. As the stakeholders who represent the teachers of Ontario in the publicly funded education system, OTF and its Affiliates vehemently oppose this fee increase by OCT.
It is harmful that at a time that our members, like many Canadians, are facing the challenges of inflation and a higher cost of living, the OCT would increase this mandatory fee. This fee increase also serves as a further deterrent to those considering teaching as a career, while the profession is already grappling with issues of teacher supply and retention.
Despite the College identifying transparency and accountability as strategic priorities, this budget with its extraordinary fee increase was developed with no input or consultation with any stakeholder groups and announced less than one month prior to taking effect.
We call on the OCT to improve its transparency to its members and to reverse and refund its fee increase. Our members deserve better.
The Ontario Teachers’ Federation is the advocate for the teaching profession in Ontario and for its 160,000 teachers. OTF members are full-time, part-time and occasional teachers in all the publicly funded schools in the province—elementary, secondary, public, Catholic and francophone.