Upper Grand District School Board teacher elected ETFO vice-president

August 17, 2023 · 0 Comments

A teacher at the Upper Grand District School Board who also serves as president of the Upper Grand Teacher Local, has been elected vice-president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO).

Gundi Barbour, previously served on the ETFO provincial Executive from 2017 and 2019, and 2021 to 2023.

“Our collective voice is more powerful than any one of us is alone. ETFO cannot make gains without strong, effective, committed leadership. Together, through collaborative work, we can and will achieve our goals while defending attacks on social justice and public education. I believe in our union’s power to make a difference,” said Barbour.

Barbour started her teaching career in 1989 with the former Wellington County Board of Education, which later became the Upper Grand District School Board.

She began her union experience as a school steward and served as a local Executive member and vice-president before being elected president of the Upper Grand Teacher Local in 2014.

Barbour also served as chair of the status of women, and political action committees, and as a member of the Collective Bargaining Committee.

At the provincial level, Barbour has been Chair of tge ETFO’s Special Education Standing Committee, acted as a Women in Action facilitator, and served as a member of a work group on fostering community engagement. From 2015 to 2017, she was also a mentor in ETFO’s first MentorCoaching Institute for Women.

The ETFO represents approximately 83,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel.