The Education and Training Employees’ Association (ETEA) had its beginnings in a pay dispute that arose during the spring of 1995.

At that time, teachers agreed they needed a stronger voice in negotiating the conditions of their workplace.

As a result, with the help of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, we organized and negotiated our first collective agreement.

In April 1996, we opted for a more autonomous existence within the framework of the College Institute and Educators Association (CIEA), an association of public and private sector teachers’ unions. CIEA has since changed its name to FPSE (Federation of Post-Secondary Educators). ETEA is part of FPSE local 21, which represents private-sector educators.

Our aim as an association was, and is, to maintain a progressive environment of open negotiation between teachers and the employer.

After a strong vote in favour of certification, on February 7, 2008, the ETEA welcomed a new bargaining unit of teachers from Language Studies Canada. Since then, ETEA has grown even further with the addition of three other bargaining units from Pacific Language Institute, New York Institute of Technology, and King George International College.

Through a number of collective agreements, ETEA, which has an active registry of several hundred teachers, continues to represent, serve, and protect its members.

If you are an ESL professional currently working for a non-unionized school and have concerns about how your employer is treating you and your colleagues, contact us in confidence through this website. We may be able to help.