www.controlyourfuture.ca

We are having another PD Event

On June 8 from 9:00am-12:00pm
At the Chesley Board Office

You have a CHOICE between 2 workshops:

Smartboards with Traci Weigand
Learn the basics of the smartboard.  Starting right from the beginning (turning it on), to more advanced programs.

OR
Interviews with Jacqui Traverse-Thomas
Find out what administrators are looking for during your interview.  How can you provide the best answer possible?  What details should you include?

Please RSVP by June 4th

Limit of 25 people per workshop.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Please notify me of any accommodations or allergies.
Email: Amanda_Quist@bwdsb.on.ca

or: message me on BEAM
or: call 519-270-4135

Amanda Quist, PL Chair, ETFO, Bluewater OT Local

We understand the confusion that members may have concerning taking further courses at this time since learning of the current government’s proposal to freeze all grid movement after our contracts expire August 31, 2012.  We can only act on what is factual at present and therefore encourage members to pursue their plans to take AQ courses with full expectation of receiving recognition for those completed prior to August 31, 2012.

It is further recommended that all members (especially new members) ensure that they have secured (or applied for) a current rating from QECO. All members should have a QECO rating (or applied for one) whether you have a LTO or not. In the event that a LTO is acquired now or in the future, it is that QECO rating which determines your grid pay for that assignment.  The absence of a QECO rating results in the member working an LTO at our daily rate.

~ Kathy McCarrel, Bluewater OT Local President

Message from Jerry DeQuetteville, ETFO Provincial Office, regarding AQ Course Registration:

We wanted to give you a heads up that the summer AQ and PQP registration starts on Monday. Based upon the level of calls and e-mails we have been receiving lately from teachers concerned about proposed changes that might impact the grid we are anticipating that things will be a bit busier than normal. Last summer 2500 teachers took an ETFO AQ or PQP course and we had to close registration early for some of the more popular courses rather than put candidates in a class of 50. Teachers who wait until the middle of June to register may well find that the course they want or need is full.

etfo-aq.ca

Day of Mourning, 2012, Owen Sound

Please accept this invitation for you, your health and safety representatives, and any other interested members to join the Grey Bruce Labour Council at this year’s Day of Mourning For Workers Killed Or injured on the Job April 27^th 2012.  We are planning a breakfast at Tuscanys Restaurant at 9:00 am  10:45 please rsvp to me. The ceremony to be held at 10:45 at Owen Sound City Hall.  I sincerely hope that all affiliates will make an effort to have their union represented at this event.

Look forward to seeing everyone on the 27^th.

In Solidarity

Brad Drake

The Grey Bruce and Huron Labour councils have chartered a bus for the Day of Action on the 21st  Leaving Kincardine Sobeys Parking lot at 10:39 am, Port Elgin Giant Tiger parking lot at 11:15 am.  Return approx. 8:30 pm. It is time to send a loud message to all levels of government that we want Prosperity not Austerity. Join us! RSVP here or theunionrocks@hotmail.com

Brad Drake
Labour Staff Representative
United Way Bruce Grey

380 9th Street East
Owen Sound ON
N4K 1P1

519 376 1560

Teachers’ unions decry Ontario’s opening offer: no raises, no retirement payouts

February 29, 2012

Kristin Rushowy
Education Reporter
Ontario’s public elementary teachers are refusing to bargain with the province after it proposed a zero wage increase as well as an end to retirement payouts of unused sick days.

In the first sign of labour strife that may be on the horizon, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has taken a tough stance with the government for proposing such cuts, saying it will not participate in talks scheduled for March 5 and 6 in Toronto.

“To say we were insulted is an understatement,” says a memo, obtained by the Star, sent to members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario from president Sam Hammond.

“We find the tone and, most significantly, the content of the government’s parameters to be offensive to all ETFO members and cannot be a party to what amounts to deep and mean-spirited strips to our collective agreements that would negatively affect every member at every stage of their career.”

The province’s Catholic teachers and public school secondary teachers remain in talks with the province. However, a bargaining bulletin issued Wednesday by Ken Coran, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, called the government proposal “an unprecedented attack on members’ rights” that’s “clearly unacceptable.”

The province, which hopes to wrap up negotiations by mid-March — in time for the budget — has asked all Ontario teachers to agree to a two-year deal that provides no overall salary increase, as well as no wage increase as teachers gain more experience and move up the salary grid.

It says that over the next two years, the grid itself — which bases pay on experience and professional qualifications — should be reformed.

The province’s proposal would also end retirement payouts of unused sick days, which can equal half a year’s salary, instead allowing teachers six sick days a year with full pay. Those days could not be banked or cashed out on retirement.

Any sick days already accumulated would be frozen and paid out at retirement.
Such payouts, originally created as an incentive for teachers not to call in sick, are a huge liability for the province, thought to be at least $2 billion.

Some of the government’s proposals reflect recommendations made by economist Don Drummond in his report on how the province can balance its books.

However, there is no mention of increasing class sizes or decreasing staff for full-day kindergarten, as Drummond suggested.

In a recent teleconference with Premier Dalton McGuinty and Education Minister Lauren Broten, unions representing teachers and school staff — who would also face a pay freeze — were told “that there would be provisions in the government’s proposal that our members ‘would not like,’” says Hammond’s memo.

Hammond himself was unavailable for comment, but his memo says the union will instead negotiate with individual school boards.

In the last two rounds of bargaining, provincial negotiators hammered out big issues such as salary with the unions, leaving smaller local issues to individual school boards to sort out.

The current contract for teachers, which expires this August, provided a raise of 12.55 per cent over the past four years for all Catholic teachers and public secondary teachers, with those at the top end earning $95,000 a year.

Public elementary teachers received only a 10.4 per cent increase over the same four years, a salary penalty imposed by the province after the previous union president also balked at provincial talks.

Paris Meilleur, spokesperson for the education minister, said discussions are ongoing “and we have confidence that all parties involved are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our publicly funded education system.”

—————-

Vivian McCaffey
ETFO Staff

Dear Members,

On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, ETFO received a memo from the government outlining its timetable for a Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) for settling our collective agreements for this round of bargaining. A teleconference was held on February 21 with the Premier and the Minister of Education. In the memo and during the teleconference, it was made very clear that this would be a one-way communication with no opportunity for questions. The Premier stated that there would be provisions in the government’s proposal that our members “would not like”.

On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, ETFO’s released officers, the General Secretary, the Deputy General Secretary, and ETFO staff met with the government’s PDT team and received the attached document outlining the government’s parameters for the 2012 PDT discussions. You will note the following:

1. A two-year term for the next collective agreement with a 0% salary increase in each year.
2. Retirement gratuities to be frozen as of August 31, 2012 from both a sick leave bank and salary perspective. All accumulated sick leave not used to calculate this frozen gratuity would be forfeited. No more sick leave banks. Each teacher to receive 6 days per year at 100% salary and 24 weeks at 2/3 salary, not accumulated or carried forward.
3. A 2012 valuation of the pension plan with a view to not increasing the government’s level of contribution.
4. All teachers currently working their way either up or across the salary grid to be frozen in place for two years with no future adjustments to recognize the missed steps.

We were told that the government was interested in settling these matters before mid-March. To say we were insulted is an understatement. We posed several questions about process that the government team was unable or unwilling to answer. ETFO was invited back to discuss this document on March 5 and 6. After much discussion, the Executive has determined not to participate in these talks. We find the tone and, most significantly, the content of the government’s parameters to be offensive to all ETFO members and cannot be a party to what amounts to deep and mean-spirited strips to our collective agreements that would negatively affect every member at every stage of their career.

The proposed PDT process is not part of the collective bargaining process set out in the Ontario Labour Relations Act. We will continue to exercise our right under that Act to negotiate a collective agreement with each school board. You will be kept informed as events unfold.

In Solidarity,
Sam Hammond
ETFO Provincial President

On behalf of your Local Executive, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who completed our member survey last month.  Your input is greatly appreciated.

Results of the survey will be presented to members at our AGM on May 31st in Kincardine at the Best Western Governor’s Inn.

Congratulations to the following four lucky winners of the draw who will each receive a $25 gas card by mail shortly … they are:

1) Jody McRoberts

2) Cynda Graham-Krane

3) Lise Gunby

4) Stefan Embacher.

Your Collective Bargaining Committee will use the survey data to determine our Local goals as we prepare the Preliminary Submission for the Board.

Stay tuned for more information in the following months.

In Solidarity,

Kathy McCarrel, President
ETFO Bluewater O.T. Local
Ph:  519-389-3457
Email:  kamccarrel@bmts.com

Lakeshore Recreation Centre, Port Elgin

Date & time: March 8, 2012 ; 17.30 to 21.00

About: Ticket includes dinner, Woman of Distinction Ceremony, and keynote presentation by: Suhana Meharchand from CBC News Today from CBC Newsworld. Tickets for this event are $45 each and available at Sisters on Huron in Southampton, United Way in Owen Sound, Wardrop’s Pharmasave in Port Elgin, Gordon’s Pharmasave in Kincardine or by calling Shannon at Women’s House at (519)396-9814 ext.225.

Venue: Lakeshore Recreation, Port Elgin, ON, N0H 2C0

Sponsoring Organisation: Women’s House Serving Bruce & Grey: Working towards the awareness and elimination of violence against women.

Women’s House, Grey and Bruce Counties: http://www.whsbg.on.ca/

Sexual Assault Services: http://www.whsbg.on.ca/

Transitional Housing Project: http://www.whsbg.on.ca/SSH/SSHmain.htm

Link out: Click here

Please be advised that the OCT fees for 2012 ($138.00) will be deducted on the Feb. 3rd, 2012 pay for members working in LTO assignments.

All other members must pay their fee to OCT directly via the OCT website or by mail notification.  The deadline for payment is April 15, 2012.  More information about this is pasted below from the OCT website www.oct.ca.

Q. Can I pay by credit card?

A. Yes. You can pay by Visa, MasterCard or AMEX by logging onto the College web site at http://www.oct.ca and clicking on the Pay your Membership Fee Online.

You will need your six-digit College registration number. The system will automatically issue a confirmation number as soon as your payment is remitted.

You may also call Client Services at 416-961-8800 or call toll-free in Ontario at 1-888-534-2222.

Kathy McCarrel, President

Kathy McCarrel, President

—– Original Message —–

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS FEES

The Ontario College of Teachers membership fee for 2012 is $138.00.

This will be deducted on the FEBRUARY 3, 2012, payroll.

Sandi Wilton
Temporary Payroll Supervisor
Bluewater District School Board
519-363-2014 ext 2127
sandi_wilton@bwdsb.on.ca

For Immediate Release- December 1, 2011

Toronto, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) welcomed the Ontario government’s proposed Accepting Schools Act, saying that it will build on current efforts to create safe schools and address bullying behaviour.

The bill proposes to directly address bullying of all kinds, including bullying related to gender identity and sexual orientation as well as race, ancestry, colour, religion, and disability.

“We particularly welcome the proposals that would more clearly support the role of Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) organizations at the school level,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond.  “We also believe the commitment to provide teachers with the necessary training and resources related to early intervention will have a direct and positive impact in creating a safe school environment for all students.

“By creating legal obligations for school boards to address bullying prevention, intervention, education and discipline- up to and including expulsion of a student- the bill builds on current policy established by the Safe Schools Act,” added Hammond. “It also signals that the government is serious about ending bullying and that bullying is a shared responsibility among school boards, staff, students and parents.”

“We are pleased the government is committed to strengthening reporting responsibilities. We look forward to ensuring the bill will effectively address our members’ longstanding concerns related to timely and effective responses to bullying incidents,” Hammond said.

ETFO, which represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and educational professionals across Ontario, has promoted a Positive Space Campaign with posters and educational resources about LGBT topics for teachers for over a decade.

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For more information, contact:
Valerie Dugale, ETFO Media Relations: Cell: 416-948-0195

Concert Celebration 7:15 pm, admission by donation…Tannis Slimmon in concert.

Division Street United Church 997 4th Ave East Owen Sound

Memorial Service Poster

TORONTO – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) welcomed today’s throne speech by the Ontario government, which puts a priority on public education and public health.

“Ontarians have a government that recognizes that public education and health are fundamental to building a strong future for the province,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond. “These are the foundations for building a strong, productive workforce characterized by innovation and creativity.”

“We appreciate the government’s continuing strong support for the early learning full-day Kindergarten,” added Hammond. “Providing a strong start in life for children is the best way to ensure a bright future for both students and the economic health of the province.”

“It takes courage to make these commitments and we look forward to working with the government to continue building a world class education system,” said Hammond.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

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For more information contact:

Valerie Dugale, 1-888-838-3836 x2331