By Mike Antonucci
Eiaonline.com 

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is trying to decide whether to hold a job action to protest a new bill that would ban strikes and lockouts. The union has a unique way of ensuring the rank-and-file go along.

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A memo sent to 76,000 members ended up in the hands of the City News of Toronto:

“Members deemed to be in non-support during a job action may be subject to disciplinary procedures that include the possibility of a monetary fine of up to $500 per day,” the memo states in regard to work-to-rule actions.

The union also threatens that members who violate the professional code of conduct could face sanctions including “publication of name in a Federation publication, suspension of the right to hold office in the Federation and suspension of Federation services except those required by law.”

I’m not familiar with Canadian laws on union membership, but I’d love to know how ETFO would go about collecting fines from dissident teachers. And you’ll notice that none of the sanctions mentioned includes throwing you out of the union. This is solidarity enforced with a barbed wire fence.