The contract has expired. Talks aren't working. Too many chefs in the kitchen and it's a new recipe this time. The 1500 teachers and 500 Occasional Teachers in the Durham District School Board are ready to walk the line. They've assembled their placards and organized their shifts. We need to let them know they aren't alone. One way to do that is to join them on the picket line. That's a bit hard though when you work in Simcoe County. Your release officers will be joining them on Thursday but what can you do? Well, if you've ever been on strike or locked out (and unfortunately there's quite a few of us with that experience), you know it's the little things that make a big difference. I saw a tweet about and indiegogo campaign to make their days a little brighter. The funds will be used to buy pizza or coffee or tea or whatever the picketers need to keep walking. It's not a lot but I gave $25. Any little bit would help. I know if our turn comes, there will be people willing to help us. If interested, follow this link and thanks in advance! http://igg.me/p/a-piece-of-the-pie-osstf-strike-lunch-fund/x/10564025
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I recently attended my 8th AMPA (OSSTF's Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly). Before that I had attended several AGM's as a member of ETFO. I like that kind of meeting, I like getting the big picture, I like hearing about what things are like in other corners of the province. I think those of us who frequently attend meetings like this, forget what it's like for someone to attend a meeting like this for the first time. We had some newcomers with us at AMPA 2015 and I asked Shawna McPherson from Bradford District High School to write up some of her thoughts following that experience to include in the April 1st edition of Hard Copy. I asked her permission to post it here as well, in an effort to reach an even wider audience. Below is Shawna's article:
As a member of CBC over the last few years, I’ve heard all about AMPA – how exciting it is, how interesting, and how empowering it is to have a part in shaping the future of OSSTF – so, this year I decided to take the plunge and go … AMPA … The Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly of OSSTF … A three day conference in Toronto with over 500 delegates and 150 alternates, as well as guests, honorary members, the press, and staff, from all over Ontario. A little overwhelming you say … at first, absolutely … and honestly, I was actually kinda nervous going in, you know venturing into the great unknown and all … and then you get swept away into the ceremony and celebration of it all ... The first sessions start at 9am on Saturday. As you go down to the escalator you see people everywhere, and I do mean everywhere, chatting, greeting friends both old and new (likely met in the Hospitality suites the night before J), and preparing for the day’s events. The main meetings are held in a ballroom that has been converted into the largest meeting room you’ve ever seen. On the main stage sit the Provincial Executive, the Chairs of the meeting, members of the Steering Committee, and to the left of the stage behind the black curtain … all of the staff who work tirelessly to see that everything runs smoothly. In front of it, a sea of tables and chairs, organized by District and completely full. There are monitors placed strategically throughout the room so that everyone has a clear view of what is happening at the front of the room. It is amazing and completely overwhelming! One of the first items on the agenda is the President’s address … WOW! Listening to the President of OSSTF, Paul Elliot, speak was inspirational, empowering, and literally gave me goose bumps. He spoke of unity, solidarity, the power of all those who work in the field of education, the strength we have in working together, and most of all of hope. Hope that we would make it through the tricky minefield of negotiations with some gains; Hope that we would maintain the strength and unity that has brought us this far and the certainty that we are going in the right direction. Following the opening address, the work begins and continues until 4pm on Monday … Three full days of meetings. How tedious you think … all that time and all those hours listening to people share their reports, filing motions, amending the motions, debating each and every thing … but tedious it is not! It is amazing to watch this machine at work. It is interesting to listen to the opinions and thoughts of all the people that are a part of OSSTF, from teachers to support staff to educational assistants to associate professors et al. All had a different perspective on the issues presented and were given the ability to have their voice heard and weighed before each issue was voted on; and nothing at AMPA is decided without a vote … It is truly democracy in action. We had some interesting guest speakers too … I have to say my favourite was Liz Sandals, not because she had anything interesting or enlightening to say (actually it was more hypocritical than anything else) but because the Assembly graciously escorted her out of the hall with a rousing rendition of “Solidarity Forever”! Of course the weekend is not all about the meetings J It is also about coming together as a cohesive group and making connections. Connections with those we work with and those from all other areas of the province. It is an oppourtunity to talk about the challenges we face individually, within our respective fields, and within each of our districts. It’s about networking and making new friends. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time with a remarkable group of people who took me under their wing and showed me the ropes. Throughout the weekend there were many different social events ... As there were elections being held at AMPA this year, each candidate hosted a hospitality suite, each with a different theme, and completely open to everyone who was there. There was also the President’s Ball, a dinner and dance held on the last night, and of course the Karaoke party to end all Karaoke parties to end the weekend’s festivities. Seriously though, put 700 or so educational workers in one building for a prolonged period of time, and well, I’m sure you can imagine the hilarity that ensues J Overall, being able to be a part of AMPA was an amazing experience and it was a privilege to be a part of something so fundamental to our organization. I encourage everyone to take the plunge at some point in their career … trust me, you’ll be glad you did! As for me … I definitely plan on attending again, and again, and again … Shawna McPherson 1st time AMPA attendee Please remember to frequently check the Bulletin Board page on this website for information about PD sessions at the Local and Provincial level and for other items of interest. I have just added information about the Walk So Kids Can Talk, an OSSTF Math Forum, an OFL Anti Poverty Assembly, a Democracy Boot Camp and the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. I do ask though that you call this office BEFORE signing up for any of these events and sometimes the funding is limited. If you have anything you would like me to add to this page that would be of interest to our members, you can also forward that information to me and I'll add it. Thanks!! You may have heard that there's a strike a York University. You may have also heard that one of the groups, the contract professors have agreed to the offer presented by their bargaining team from the employer. What you may not have heard was that only 65% of those profs agreed supported the offer. That is far from a resounding show of support. The two other groups currently on strike rejected the offers presented to them. To me, that says they weren't fair offers. What does that have to do with you?? Well first of all, you may have had a York University teacher candidate completing a practicum in your class. They shouldn't be there now, during this job action. Something that could affect more of you would be the choices you make about courses you may want to take this spring. Whether it's an AQ or some other course, by giving them your tuition, you are supporting this employer. It doesn't matter if the course is online or in person, you are still supporting them. There are countless other providers from whom you could take a course. Please choose an institution that is not experiencing job action. There may come a time when we will need support from the public and I'd like to think that we will have it. If you want to find out more about the workers' position, there is a lot of information on the CUPE 3903 website. Your dollars say a lot to a university. You might even want to write them a letter saying you have taken your tuition fees elsewhere and will continue to do so until they present a fair offer. If you've read the latest edition of OSSTF Update, you will have seen a lot of election ads, audit information, an article about the Student Achievement Awards but more importantly, an article about International Women's Day. If you read that article you would know the first International Women's Day occurred in 1911. As the article title says, it's a time to celebrate progress and share hope. There are many different ways you could do just that:
Doing just one of these things could make a big difference!! I also have 7 of the OFL International Women's Day pewter pins available to the first 7 people who post a comment on this blog. The winners will need to arrange pick up from this office, 51 King St in Barrie. Go and paint the town PURPLE!! We all have the best of intentions. We are just trying to help out, trying to save some money, trying to do the best for our students. Unfortunately this often means teachers are driving students. We are told 'the team can't afford to go if you don't drive', 'it will cost too much to get a bus', 'nothing will happen', 'you're being paranoid' etc etc etc. I am telling you now, it just isn't worth it. As a president I received a very clear message from our provincial organization WE ADVISE MEMBERS TO NOT TRANSPORT STUDENTS! They actually had their version of the message in all caps as well (I added the exclamation mark). The Highway Traffic Act, Section 192, Liability for Loss or Damage means the owner of the car incurs liability, regardless of who is driving. Is your spouse or partner willing to take that risk for your goodwill? We know that some of our members will still insist on driving students but ask them to please take the following facts into consideration: 1. Drivers owe a special duty of care to child passengers 2. Members should purchase the maximum amount of third-party liability coverage (not the minimum of $200000) 3. Regardless of the coverage carried by the Employer, the member's own insurances ins the primary coverage. 4. Any litigation allowable un No Fault insurance would be settled using the member's insurance, a potentially stressful and time-consuming process. Please note as well that if you are frequently transporting students, you need to extend your coverage beyond the scope of the basic automobile policy which result in a change to your premium paid. The easiest way to avoid any insurance or liability issues is to simply not drive students. Ask your principal if they would be willing to take that risk. You may be surprised at the response. You may or may not have heard about a very lengthy job action happening in Toronto. At time of writing, the workers at Crown Holdings in Toronto have been on strike for 17 months. They are the people who make beer cans for Molson, Labatts, Coors, Budweiser, Moosehead, Steam Whistle, Creemore and many more. They also produce the cans for Cotts soda. Buying cans made by Crown while a job action like this is happening means you are buying cans made by scab workers. If you would rather not do that, please consider buying your beer in bottles until they settle their strike. These workers are trying to protect the workers of the future, workers who the employer would like to pay half as much as the current workers. All this while paying their CEO over $6000 an hour. I am including a pamphlet, some youtube videos and some facts about the strike for you to consider. You can also visit their website at bottlesnotcans.ca. I know they appreciate the support as they stand up for workers' rights. THE FACTS
• 120 Toronto workers, members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9176 were forced on strike by Crown Holdings, Inc. on September 6, 2013 • Crown's Toronto facility has been unionized for over 25 years and many of the workers have worked for Crown for over two decades • The company consolidated labour relations at its US headquarters and has little knowledge of the unique nature and issues of the Toronto facility • Crown is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of food and beverage cans • It claims to make one out of every five beverage cans in the world, and one out of every three food cans in North America • Crown operates approximately 140 plants in 40 countries; about 12,000 of its 21,300 employees worldwide are covered by a collective agreement • Crown nearly doubled its profits in 2012, to $557 million from $282 million in 2011 • Crown’s CEO was paid an average of $13 million/year in the past five years • The Toronto facility is one of Crown’s top producers in North America and received the 2012 “Plant of the Year Award” for outstanding “safety, productivity and budget management” • The facility produces over 5 million beverage and food cans per day for customers such as Molson, Coors, Labatt, Budweiser, Moosehead, Creemore, Morgan’s and Cotts Our sisters and brothers are walking the picket lines in this frigid weather to fight for basic rights. Please watch this video and do something to show our support for them. Honk your horn, drop off Timbits, walk the line with them but most of all, let them know they aren't alone. Ever wonder why you're a member of OSSTF but the Elementary School teacher at the feeder school is a member of ETFO? Or why there's a whole union for Catholic Teachers? Or French language teachers?? The Ontario Teachers' Federation has created a very short video outlining the different teachers federations in Ontario. This isn't the case in the rest of the country so you probably aren't the only person with questions. Take the time to watch this video and inform yourself. It's well worth the 2 minutes you will spend. I just read a really good article shared on Mashable about what to do when you are at your limit and someone wants you to do more. We are starting second semester and all want to do our best. We are dedicated professionals and we struggle saying no. Sometimes though, you just can't cope. Let's assume you are already accessing support from either the OTIP Employee Assistance Programme Posaction or from the board with Sheppell but you just can't take any more on. What do you do. Well this article gives three examples of what to say, depending on who is making the request. If it's your supervisor (your principal, someone in admin or department leader) try this(take right out of the article): OK! I can definitely tackle this, but I’d like to review something before I proceed. Right now my current priorities are: [list them in order]. Would you like this new assignment to be my top priority? If so, that’s no problem, but it means that—since we’re pushing several other items down the list—all of my other projects will get completed slightly later. I can create a timeline of when everything will be completed, if that’s helpful to you. Thanks! If it's a colleague who wants you to do a little bit more, try saying: Hey! I can definitely help you with this. However, right now I am working on a different project that’s a top priority for my department. Try giving a specific date and time when you would be able to help them out and see if that works for them. The last part of the article was talking about dealing with requests from clients. Now in our job students (and perhaps parents) are our clients. The article suggests you additional billing or shifting timelines, neither of which work for us. I would suggest you always deal with students and parents in a timely fashion. The article also suggested Remember, too, that whoever is making this “ridiculous and unreasonable” request is probably just as swamped and stressed out as you are. Try to be compassionate. I would add, it's ok to say NO. Just keep it professional. You can read the original article yourself here: http://mashable.com/2015/01/29/drowning-in-work/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link |
Karen LittlewoodThe view from my desk, as Teacher Bargaining Unit President for D17 Simcoe Archives
October 2016
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