Fighting for public education in Ontario with Martha Hradowy

This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with Martha Hradowy, newly elected president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). As the head of one of the largest education unions in Canada, Hradowy steps into leadership at a pivotal moment for Ontario's public education system.

The two discuss Hradowy’s vision and goals for the federation, and the urgent challenges facing students and education workers under Premier Doug Ford's government. From overcrowded classrooms to disappearing supports and the growing pressure on frontline staff, what has Ford’s education agenda really meant for Ontario?

About Martha Hradowy and OSSTF

Martha Hradowy is an education worker, union activist, and the first-ever education support staff member elected as president of OSSTF/FEESO in the Federation’s 106-year history. Hradowy began her career in the Greater Essex County District School Board, working as both an educational assistant and a developmental service worker. 

Her union leadership began at the grassroots, serving as president of the educational support staff bargaining unit in District 9 for over a decade. She was elected to the OSSTF/FEESO provincial executive in 2017, re-elected in 2019, and twice elected as vice-president in 2021 and 2023. She helped create the Women’s Advocate Program, worked to advance equity initiatives, and led efforts to defend public education against privatization and underfunding. She is an active member of the Windsor and District Labour Council and has served on the executive board of the Ontario Federation of Labour. She continues to build strong relationships across the labour movement to ensure OSSTF/FEESO is a force for social and economic justice in Ontario.

OSSTF/FEESO is a strong, independent, socially active union that promotes and advances the cause of public education and the rights of students, educators and educational workers.  While establishing working conditions for its members, OSSTF/FEESO also works to build strong public services, preserve academic freedom, prevent the privatization and commercialization of our educational institutions, ensure that students receive an education free of bias and discrimination and provide an equitable opportunity for all students to succeed in a strong, well-funded public education system.

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