Ontario teachers’ union hosted Minnesota anti-ICE organizer at annual convention
Canada’s largest elementary teachers’ union invited an American union activist and anti-ICE patrols organizer who called the prison stabbing of Derek Chauvin “Shanksgiving” to deliver a keynote address at this year’s convention.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) held its annual meeting from August 17 to 20 in Toronto, featuring Minneapolis Federation of Teachers union leader Marcia Howard to discuss the unions’ “common struggles.”
Elementary Educators@ETFOeducators
Today’s social justice speaker at #ETFOAM2026 is Marcia Howard
from the @MFELocal59 to talk about our common struggles and crisis in public education. #onted
2:34 PM · Aug 19, 2026 · 1.09K Views
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In January, Howard described her role in activist networks monitoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “[p]eople that are actively engaged in ICE watch, in being vigilant in protecting our neighbors, in Signal chat groups, running plates, in their cars doing patrols,” she said in an interview.
“Our bosses are in the Signal chats with us,” she said. “Our elected officials are in the chats with us.” Teachers took part too.
