May 2015 - The Toronto Secondary Unit

03
TORONTO SECONDARY UNIT: CATHOLIC TEACHERS
April 30
UPCOMING
May 1
May 6
May 8
Important
Dates
May 13
May 14
May 21
May 29
June 9
June 16
UAGM Nominations due
Executive position nominations due
TSU Awards Deadline
Association Reps Meeting
BT/Membership Services hosting Blue Jays
game at Rogers Centre
UAGM @ the OFL (15 Gervais Drive)
Human Rights GSA Gathering
TSU Executive Positions Election Day
Graduating Student Award deadline
Teacher Appreciation Night @ Fantasy
Farms
Association Reps meeting
See below for LSSAC/SSSAC dates.
Teacher
Appreciation
Night
June 9, 2015
We will be honouring our
retirees!
Look for them in the June
issue of TS*YOU!!
T O RO NT O SE CO NDARY UNI T
9 5 1 W ILS ON AVE NUE, UNIT 2 0
T O RO NT O, O N M3K 2A 7
4 1 6 63 3 55 0 2
W W W .TSUOE CTA .O RG
F O LL OW US O N:
IMPORTANT LSSAC/SSSAC DATES
April 29 (Wednesday)
Teachers may submit their applications for any open positions for
which they hold qualifications until this day. All surplus teachers
will have their applications submitted by the Board.
April 29 (Wednesday)
Interviews for open positions may begin.
May 08 (Friday)
Board will produce and post electronically an updated list of open
positions to be posted on school/workplace bulletin board.
May 15 (Friday)
Teachers up to this date may submit applications for any open positions. All surplus teachers will have their applications submitted by
the Board.
May 15 (Friday)
Interviews for open positions may begin.
May 29 (Friday)
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
CEC – Catholic Teachers’ Centre
Teachers will be tentatively assigned to departments (6.07– CA).
Board to hold meeting of all Secondary School Principals and Superintendents with TSU in order to place all remaining surplus teachers, teachers returning from leave, and, if possible teachers requesting open transfers.
O ECTA
T O RO NT O
SE CONDA RY
UNIT
June 05 (Friday)
Board will produce an updated list of open positions. Board may
place newly hired teachers into any remaining open positions
providing Board has placed all surplus teachers and teachers returning from leave.
@ tsu OE CTA
June 19 (Friday)
Board will produce an updated list of all open position. All teachers
may submit applications (7.08, 8 CA)
TS*YOU
IN
THIS ISSUE
Volume15—4
May 2015
1 2 3
From the
Executive:
-94.2%
-WSIB
-Fairness &
Dignity for All
-Staffing the
School Year
-FAQs—Strikes &
Lockouts
Out & About:
Upcoming:
-Toronto Strike
Vote Rally
-Professional
Development
Reviews
-Bereavement
Days
-Blue Jays
Game
-Surplusing
-Trivia Night/
Winter Social
-The Aisle Seat
-Important
Dates
-LSSAC/SSSAC
-Teacher
Appreciation
Night
S t r i k e Vo t e R e s u l t s
Dave Szollosy, TSU President
OECTA has conducted its strike vote
among members province–wide and
the members have spoken very loudly by providing their bargaining team
with a strong strike vote mandate of
94.2%.
94.2%
The strong result gives our Provincial
Bargaining Team the support needed
to confront a management team that has expressed their
intent to strip our contracts, freeze and reduce compensation, and reduce the role of teachers to technicians applying the dictates of administration. This result demonstrates to the employer that teachers are serious, we have
given enough already and that we demand respect for our
working conditions and maintaining a quality of life.
The vote follows an extensive information program
throughout Toronto and the province including multiple
communications and a strike vote rally
at Massey Hall April 15.
Members clearly recognized that the
management (comprised of the provincial government and the Catholic Trustees’ Association) proposals go far beyond demands for a wage freeze. Many
of the demands of the employer can only be characterized as “mean-spirited”
as they try to use the economy as the
excuse to take back valuable aspects of
our Collective Agreement gained over
several decades.
So, what happens now?
Armed with a decisive
strike vote, the OECTA Provincial Bargaining Team
will return to negotiations.
We expect that now the
employer will present a
more reasonable set of proposals around which the Team can negotiate an acceptable agreement.
If, during the negotiating process, there is a substantial
matter which could alter our bargaining priorities, the
Bargaining Team will get direction from the Provincial
Executive which may seek input from the Council of Presidents (Presidents of OECTA units across the province –
including TSU).
If they are able to arrive at an acceptable tentative agreement, the Bargaining
Team will bring it to the Executive for
approval, then to the Council of Presidents who may then recommend that it
be taken to a ratification vote of the
entire OECTA membership. Never
again (thanks to the changes to our bylaws after the MOU) can the membership learn that they have an agreement
via a news report!
(continued on next page)
01
Strike Vote (con’t)
EXECUTIVE
So, what happens if the Bargaining
Team Doesn’t get an Agreement?
If the Conciliator from the Labour Board is
unsuccessful, they issue a “no Board report” indicating that negotiations have
If the management team does not budge
achieved a stalemate and that the parties
from its initial absurd position, or demon- cannot come to agreement. Two weeks
strates an unwillingness to negotiate, OEC- after this, the union may begin job action
TA will apply to the Ministry of Labour to including, work-to-rule, job slowdowns,
appoint a Conciliator. This person is
rotating strikes, up to full withdrawal of
tasked with trying to get the two sides to
services.
an agreement.
Did You Know?...Bereavement Days
Gillian Vivona, 1st Vice President
There is another category of days that
includes bereavement, quarantine and
other items like jury duty. These days
DO NOT come out of any sick day allotment. They are a separate allotment and
the rules for these days can be found on
pages 61 – 64 of the Collective Agreement.
If you are going to be absent for a
lengthy period of time after the loss of
a loved one, contact me, Gillian Vivona,
at TSU, 416 633 5502 and/or
[email protected] for important
and accurate information.
Illness, whether yours or that of someone you love, can be a scary thing. TSU
cares; I care, and I am here for you. You
Article 24:
don’t have to navigate this process alone.
Absence without deductions from salary Please, if you have any concerns or quesor sick leave credits
tions, do not hesitate to contact me at
the number/email listed above.
24.01 (a)
A teacher shall be granted a leave of abYOU COULD BE MISSING OUT ON
sence up to a maximum of five (5) days
$170,000...OECTA AQS HELP YOU GET
by reason of a death in the teacher’s immediate family. Immediate family is deTHERE!
fined as a spouse, parent, parent-in-law,
*potential loss of salary over
child, grandchild, brother or sister, son30-year teaching career at A3*
in-law, daughter-in-law, fiance(e), and,
__________________________
in special circumstances recognized by
OECTA AQ COURSES AND MODULES
the Director, a former legal guardian or
CAN HELP YOU GET TO A4!!
ward.
COURSES ARE OPEN TO ALL
24.01 (b)
TEACHERS!!
A teacher shall be granted leave of abSummer
sence up to a maximum of two (2) days
by reason of a death in the teacher’s famRegistration
ily to attend the funeral. This will be in
July 6-July
the case of the death of uncle, aunt,
31
grandparent, brother-in-law, sister-inOpens
law, niece or nephew.
Special code 48 can be used in the case
of a death of a friend.
April 8, 2015
Closes
TS*YOU is published bimonthly by
the Toronto Secondary Unit of the
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’
Association and is the result of the
collaborative efforts of the members
of the communications committee:
L. Hörhager (Chair), A. Orino,
V. Tuzi
All submissions are welcome. Please
note that the next deadline for
submissions is June 1, 2015.
Send articles to:
[email protected]
Editorial Policy:
In accordance with the TSU by-laws,
TS*YOU publishes opinions and
other items of interest to our
members as Catholic teachers from a
variety of viewpoints. The Editorial
Board must approve articles prior to
publication. The editor may edit
articles for reasons of length. The
opinions expressed are those of the
authors, not of OECTA-TSU as a
whole. Anonymous material will not
be published, although names may
be withheld on request.
SOLIDARITY
FUNDS
The TSU Executive has approved
Solidarity Funds for the following
organizations in March and
April 2015:






Shining Through Centre
Education Beyond Borders
Youth Vote Tour
Development & Peace Lenten Fast
of Luke Stocking
Negev Co-existence Forum for
Equality
Civil Right Education Tour
IN THE AISLE SEAT - Review: Woman in Gold
Alan Orino, St. Mary’s C.S.S.
Gustav Klimt’s 1907 painting “Adele Bloch-Bauer
I” was commissioned by Austrian sugar magnate Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer and is considered to be one of Austria’s
greatest artistic treasures, a portrait of his wife adorned
in gold colours. This gold-coloured painting was originally intended to be donated to the Austrian State Gallery
upon his death. During the Nazi Occupation, his property
was looted, including his paintings, ultimately reaching
the hands of the Austrian government. Ferdinand’s niece,
Maria Altmann, fled Austria and, upon his death just after
World War II, became one of two heirs to Ferdinand’s estate. Among those items as part of the estate were Klimt’s
paintings, including the beloved gold portrait of Adele.
With the help of an Austrian investigative journalist, Maria Altmann, a US resident at that point, eventually found
out that the paintings were never donated to the museum.
It is here that Simon Curtis’ latest film Woman in Gold
begins.
Helen Mirren stars as the elderly Maria, seeking
legal help from a neighbour’s relative, E. Randol Shoenberg (Ryan Reynolds). At first, he dismisses her case, but
upon hearing of the notoriety of the painting as well as
the lack of cooperation on the Austrian government to
come to a compromise, he takes on the case. When he
learns of his own Austrian ancestry and their plight, he
finds an even greater intimacy to the case. On realizing
that bringing the case to Austrian courts is useless, he
finds a loophole and becomes more than determined to
take this to the Supreme Court of America.
While Maria’s pursuing justice to bring back the
painting, she looks back on her youth in Austria, the
younger Maria played by Tatiana Maslani. During that
time, she recalls having been married to an orchestra musician, but most importantly, the events leading up to the
Nazi occupation. Over time, her father remained too optimistic and chose to stay, while her uncle fled the country.
As time passed, it became evident that the treatment of
the Jewish population was becoming more and more unjust. And, it became difficult to leave the country safely.
Maria finds an opportunity to leave, but it would mean
leaving her parents behind.
Helen Mirren hits all the right notes in her performance as the elderly Maria, portraying her as a strongwilled, determined woman set to bring Klimt’s portraits
back to its rightful place. She’s a person who’s hoping to
leave the past behind, but finds that she will have to face
her demons one last time. Her on-screen chemistry with
actor Ryan Reynolds is agreeable, sometimes treating him
in a matronly fashion. Mr. Reynolds holds his role well,
playing an everyday man, enlightened with a newfound
sense of self now that he has learned more about his ancestry.
The film seems to rely solely on the presence of
its lead performances. While Ms. Mirren and Mr. Reynolds certainly put in very fine performances, the movement of the plot and film remains, at best, average and
formulaic for such a dramatization. The story and journey
behind Woman in Gold is certainly fascinating: the idea of
an individual taking on a government in the name of social justice over personal gain, is definitely compelling.
This is indeed satisfying, light entertainment viewing for a
simple movie night out. For something a little more substantial, perhaps it might be worth searching for Terrence
Turner’s 2008 documentary Adele’s Wish.
First Ever Trivia Night!
Angela Tersigni, Councillor
Winter Social @ Olde Stone
Cottage Veronica Tuzi, Recording Secretary
Central Bargaining Cycle
TSU Mission Statement
NOTICE TO BARGAIN
STRIKE VOTE
90 days before expiry of
provincial agreement
(could be extended by
Regulation to 180 days)
SCOPE DISPUTE(S)
Meeting to determine
scope of central
bargaining
Within 15 days after
having given notice to
Bargain or upon agreement of parties
As early as 30 days
before expiry of provincial agreement or at
any time thereafter
TSU, in cooperation with Divine
grace and in solidarity with the
Catholic community, serves the
professional and contractual
needs of its members.
CORE VALUES
Dignity of the Individual*
Professionalism*Catholic
Education*Faith Based
Community
Matters in dispute are
referred to OLRB for
determination; may
be done as early as 45
days after having
given Notice to Bargain


On Friday, March 27th, the Beginning Teachers and Membership Services Committees joined forces to host the first annual
TSU Trivia Night at Sala Caboto in North York. It was a smashing success!
Members enjoyed food and drink, socialized with colleagues,
and competed in a “friendly” game of trivia. Thirteen teams
attempted to answer skill-testing questions from various categories – history, math, geography, entertainment, science, etc.
Congratulations to “Les Quizerables”, our top team comprised
of Cardinal Carter teachers! Coming a close second by seven
points were “Company X” (TSU executives and members) and
“The Blue Pages Bandits” (Mary Ward).
On Friday February 27th, many members gathered together
at the Olde Stone Cottage for the annual Winter Social. Great
food, great drink, and great conversation ensued! This is the
last social for this year, but we will be sure to have our socials
next year too! Be sure to come out for all of them!!

BARGAINING CONTINUES
Cheers!

Bargaining may occur through all stages
TENTATIVE
AGREEMENT
Parties seek ratification
John and Louis of “Triple Play Trivia” truly challenged our 95
members with unique questions. Their organization, encouragement, and sense of humour were appreciated and enjoyed
by all!
A huge thank you to all who attended Trivia Night! It was terrific to spend an energy-filled evening with great people! The
Beginning Teacher and Membership Services Committees
look forward to bringing this event to our members again
next year!

Scope of Central Bargaining
is determined
MEDIATION
By mutual agreement
parties may request
a mediator and select
one jointly
RATIFICATION
Agreement signed
by both parties
REPORT OF
SETTLEMENT
If there is settlement
Conciliator reports to
Minister who reports
the findings to the
parties in writing
JOB ACTION
STRIKE/
LOCKOUT
CONCILIATION
Either party
may apply
for conciliation at any
time after
Notice to
Bargain has
been given.
Starts 14
day (count
17 days)
deadline for
report
May be
extended by
request of
parties or
conciliator if
settlement is
reasonably
expected
“NO BOARD
REPORT”
When impasse occurs
either party
may ask for a
“No Board
Report” from
the Minister
This begins
14 day
countdown
to job action
Requires no
Board Report and
Strike Vote
Parties must
provide 5
days notice
prior to any
job action



VISION
To be a proud community of
Catholic educators
To collectively establish and
protect members’ rights
To create, maintain, and
broaden respectful and collegial relationships with partners in Catholic education
To have a commitment to
strategic planning cycles
To have established effective
communications
To network with the broader
community
To model Christ by supporting each other as brothers
and sisters
To assist in professional and
spiritual development of our
members
2014-2015 TSU Executive
During a
strike or
lockout the
parties can
continue to
bargain to
reach an
agreement
FINAL OFFER
VOTE
Any time before or
after a strike or
lockout the employer may present a final offer.
The request must
be made to the
Minister of Labour
who must direct
such a vote
LEGISLATED RETURN TO WORK
The government may intervene to end a job action and legislate teachers back to work
Top Row
Bianka Hudec
Sabina Barbagallo
Pete McKay
Rosemary Lavery
Michael Nicolaidis
left to right
3rd Vice President
Executive Assistant
2nd Vice President
Treasurer
Councillor
Bottom Row
Veronica Tuzi
Sheila Gatensby
Dave Szollosy
Gillian Vivona
Angela Tersigni
Rene Jansen in de Wal
left to right
Recording Secretary
Councillor
President
1st Vice President
Councillor
Past President
If I Get Hurt at School, What Should I do?
Bianka Hudec, 3rd Vice President
WHEN INJURY OCCURS:
Immediately report the accident/injury to your
administration-no matter how trivial it may seem at the
time.
An administrator must fill out an "Accident Investigation
Report" form (internal TCDSB form) with your assistance. Ask
for a copy (another copy will be sent to the Board).
If your injury was caused by unsafe/hazardous conditions at
your school, (like icy parking lot, objects falling on you) you
have to fill out a "Hazard Report" form (internal TCDSB
Health and Safety form). This way, the cause of your injury is
properly documented. Ask your Staff Rep for any assistance if
necessary and send a copy of the form to TSU office so that
they can contact the Health and Safety officer to do an investigation.
If your injury was caused by a violent incident (you were assaulted) you must fill out the “Safe Schools Incident Report”
form and call the TSU office. You may also need to contact the
police. Your Principal has to fill out a “Violent Incident” form.
Violence or threat of potential violence also requires a
“Hazard Report” form to be filled out.
Keep written notes. Write down a detailed description of your
accident. Get statements from witnesses. This is important
especially if you need to file a WSIB (Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board) claim.
your injury to WSIB (this is how many WSIB claims are initiated). Make sure you provide your doctor with detailed information regarding your injury- most WSIB claims are denied
because of insufficient medical information.
WSIB CLAIMS:
Role of the Board
The TCDSB HR department will report your injury to WSIB by
filling out WSIB Form 7. They are required to provide you
with a copy. Make sure you read it carefully and if you find
any discrepancies ask HR to make the necessary changes.
An employee from HR will call you to discuss the details of
your accident in order to fill out Form 7. Be helpful, but careful
with the information you provide as this person is not your
advocate! All your medical notes are to be sent to WSIB onlydo not provide the TCDSB with any medical notes.
Important! A slip and fall, for example, may just leave you
feeling rattled to begin with, but if there is subsequent back
trouble or other issues arising from your injury and you did
not report the injury to a medical practitioner, you will have a
very difficult time claiming WSIB.
If you had to seek medical assistance for your workplace injury, your doctor will have to fill out a WSIB Form 8 and report
Who is responsible to find out if there is a position for
me?
Both you and the superintendent play a role in you finding
any open position for placement in a school.
How did I get surplused?
Open Positions — Article 7.08
You have a locally elected staffing committee (LSSAC) that
should have reviewed staffing for a tentative model for your
school for next year. They make recommendations to the
principal who must make possible surplus declarations by
April 15th. In determining who is surplus they refer to article 5.06 (http://tsuoecta.org/TSU_Collective_Agreement
-2008-2012.pdf) and they use the following criteria in this
order:
(a) A list of open positions available for Semester/Term
Two shall be posted electronically during the first full week
in January. Teachers may submit their applications for such
open positions by the third Friday of January.
(b) (Note: relevant to surplus teachers)
(i) Open positions in a school's staffing model for the following school year shall be determined by April 15 in accordance with Article 5.06. A list of these open positions shall be
forwarded immediately to the Superintendent of Education.
(ii) The list of open positions will be posted electronically
by April 21.
(iii) Teachers may submit their applications for any open
positions for which they hold qualifications until April 29.
All surplus teachers will have their applications submitted
by the Board. Interviews for open positions may begin on
April 29.
(iv) By May 10, the Board will produce and post electronically an updated list of open positions to be posted on
school/workplace bulletin board.
(v) Teachers may submit their applications for any open
positions on the updated list until May 17. All surplus teachers will have their applications submitted by the Board. Interviews for open positions may begin on May 17.
(vi) By May 31, the Board shall hold a meeting of all Secondary School Principals and Superintendents, with the TSUOECTA President or designate present in an observer status, in order to place all the remaining surplus teachers,
teachers returning from leave, and, if possible, teachers requesting open transfers.
(vii) By June 7, the Board will produce an updated list of
open positions. All teachers may submit applications. The
Board may place newly hired teachers into any remaining
open positions provided that the Board has placed all surplus teachers and teachers returning from leave.
(viii) By June 23, the Board shall produce an updated list of
all open positions. All teachers may submit applications.
Do not use your sick days. Use code # 50 (WSIB) to report all
What happens to me now?
If you must take time off work as a result of your injury and/
For detailed instructions on how to fill out Form 6, visit:
seek medical attention as necessary; at your Doctor's office, a
walk-in clinic or a hospital, so you have medical proof of your
injury.
It means that, because of a reduction in student population
or student’s course selections, there is not an available
teaching position for you in your subject area in your present school based on current numbers. Unless the current
situation changes, it means your there is no job for you in
your current school.
or have to seek professional medical assistance you are required to report the injury to the WSIB. You will do this by
filling out WSIB Form 6 after you receive your copy of Form 7
(within 72 hours of the incident) from the Board.
YOUR ROLE:
Take your time and be careful when filling out Form 6. Do not
be afraid to ask for assistance if you are having trouble describing the incident. Describe your accident in as much detail
as possible, use extra pages if necessary. This is important for
a problem-free WSIB claim (Form 6 should be filled out within
a reasonable time after the accident, but no later than 6
months).
Immediately following the accident (or as soon as possible)
Gerard Ardanaz, St. Mary’s CSS
(c) For the purposes of being declared surplus to a secondary school, the following criteria shall be considered:
(i) the least number of years of experience of a teacher
within the secondary school panel which shall be the length
of time from the commencement of such teacher’s most recent employment in secondary schools/workplaces;
(ii) the qualifications as registered on the teacher’s Certificate of Qualifications;
(iii) previous teaching experience in the available subject
areas.
your absences whether you are staying home, visiting a doctor
or a physiotherapist.
SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION:
I Have Been Declared Surplus...What Does That Mean?
www.wsib.on.ca
Send WSIB Form 6 to WSIB (you can do this electronically or
by mail) and provide a copy of WSIB Form 6 to the HR department at the TCDSB.
Continue to keep written notes on everything related to your
WSIB case. Document any phone conversations with HR and
WSIB, visits to a doctor etc. This is important especially in
case your WSIB claim is denied.
For any additional help, information or advice call the TSU
office: 416-633-5502.
From P. 19 of the Collective Agreement (Please note (d)) the
process is as follows:
7.07 (a) Teachers who are determined to be surplus to a
school's staffing model shall be given written notice thereof
by April 15 of the school year.
(b) Teachers who are declared surplus shall immediately be
placed in the hiring pool for all open positions for which
they are qualified.
(c) Any teachers who have been declared surplus and who
were not previously placed will be placed in an open position by May 31.
(d) Teachers declared surplus shall have first right of
refusal, in order of seniority, for a vacancy for which
they hold qualifications, that arises prior to May 31, in
the school from which they were declared surplus.
(e) In the case of a secondary school closure, the SSSAC will
outline a process, taking into consideration the guidelines in
Appendix K, whereby the surplus teachers in the closing
school will be placed.
Important Dates for finding Open Positions
Board Deficit and Staff Cuts (con’t)
2015: B07 Memorandum To: Directors of Education
Secretary/Treasurers of School Authorities From:
Gabriel F. Sekaly Assistant Deputy Minister Financial
Policy and Business Division Date: March 26, 2015
Subject: Grants for Student Needs Funding for 2015–
16
For 2015-2016 the minor reduction in enrollment alone
does not account for cuts to GSNs. 0.8 % is due to declining enrollment carried over from last year. This reduction is declining year to year into the future.
Hence there should be no panic in trying to adjust for future declines in GSN rates for a reduction that it not forecast by the Ministry in any of its documents.
3. Ministers Intent in the GSNs
The budget cuts being proposed by Board staff is not in
alignment with the direction of the Minister. The major
emphasis of the entire funding document reflects the intent of the Ministry in that we can no longer afford to disadvantage students by keeping small schools open. The
emphasis is to focus resources on direct student support
and the priority is consolidation of facilities. The Ministry
is reducing, saying they cannot afford to fund empty pupil
places at the expense of student achievement. The Ministry makes clear that there are funds available to bridge
the process. Although not beyond the threshold where
closing schools is required, the TCDSB has underused
facilities.
The Minister has said that underutilized schools should
be closed and money applied to school services, can make
savings. They suggest cutting underutilized schools, you
are cutting teachers and student support personnel.
Fairness Dignity and Security That is Worth Fighting
for ...oh, and $75B a year
tem. First off, those cuts represent real job losses. There
will be people out of work as a consequence of cutting
those positions by eliminating services such as guidance,
librarian and special education teachers and increasing
class sizes. Second, the re-hiring into vacated positions
does not apply to all worker groups. For some, such as
the Student Supervisors and maintenance personnel,
these are firings. Appendix C contains job losses - not out
of classroom spending.
5. Other areas of cost savings in other lines as quoted before
I have avoided making redundant submissions to the
Trustees, but one area I do wish to highlight from my
March 3 presentation to the Board I will repeat because I
do not believe it has been fully addressed or answered. In
the Board budget proposal there are a large number of
line items for which the 2014-2015 projection significantly exceeds the 2013-2014 actual. I would ask that the
Trustees and Staff re-examine the validity of these submissions to find real savings in the many categories
where such an increase is projected in the goal of finding
real savings to be applied to the deficit.
Would you like to
meet other beginning teachers? How about
enjoying a baseball game?
If the Board re-evaluated its properties with the aim of
further eliminating underutilized spaces.
A limited number of tickets are available for all
TSU members interested on a first come, first
serve basis!
It does not serve the interests of students to reduce their
services and supports in an underutilized building. I have
heard the metaphor of providing a Cadillac service and
that makes me very uncomfortable. We are providing the
services that assist our students to be successful and supported in a safe environment. The task is to arrange resources to enable that.
Toronto Blue Jays
VS Boston
Red Sox
th
Rather than cutting teachers and support personnel, reducing classroom services, the Ministry directs Boards to
consolidate schools and eliminate empty school spaces
and selling the vacant properties to eliminate the deficit.
To follow these recommendations you are choosing property over people.
4. Job cuts are Staff Cuts
I do not want us to be confused by the surplus designation for teachers and the assumption that those given
such notices will find employment elsewhere in the sys-
Friday, May 8 , 2015 @ 7:07 P.M
APlease email your ticket requests
ASAP (by April 30 th) to:
[email protected]
MAXIMUM: TWO TICKETS
PER TSU MEMBER
Rene Jansen in de Wal, Past President
omy. This generates $7-9 B in additional taxes. Further it
reduces the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) payments of government by $2-3 B. Good pensions not only
protect dignity and provide stability, but they strengthen
the economy.
OTPP has assets worth over $150B and is a preeminent
world class fund. These amounts are hard for teachers to
comprehend and some may feel defensive about such
staggering amounts. You cannot be shy or apologetic. It is
critical to understand that about 80% of that amount is
from investment not taxpayers. Government paid for
less than half of the 20% of the fund that comes from fees
from teachers and employers. The Government and other
Canadians all benefit from the world class governance and
investment which created over $120B of that money.
Defined Benefit Pension plans are worth $75B
every year to the Canadian economy.
Never apologize for your pension!!
Teachers are sometime shy to speak out for defined benefits plans like ours. We know it is world class, but are often apologetic. This is a disservice to all Canadians, and
particularly the most vulnerable. Every Canadian deserves
to retire in dignity. Fairness is a deeply felt Canadian value. Teachers are uniquely positioned to promote defined
benefit pensions as a superior governance model for all
Canadians’ pensions. Do not let anyone tell you we cannot
afford this. In fact it is better for the Canadian Economy.
CEO salaries and pensions are doing just fine as corporations sit on the largest accumulated cash reserves ever.
They sit on in excess of $600 Billion (yes Billion!) in cash
gathered under some of the lowest corporate tax rates,
while they collect record profits and pay, on average 300
times more to the top executives than average Canadians.
Many CEOs’ and corporate interests have worked for decades now to undermine Canadian pensions. This is short
sighted, unsustainable, and genuinely disrespectful of our
sense of fairness.
OTPP (Ontario “Teachers” Pension Plan) is a highly respected world class pension fund. “Teachers” is fighting to
educate Canadians, business, and government about the
superiority of defined benefit plans like ours. The website
has great info (http://www.otpp.com/corporate/
defined-benefit-evolution).
Reports found on the website demonstrate the value of
defined benefit plans to Canadians. Canadian retirees on
defined Benefit pensions add $63B every year to the econ-
As Ron Mock, the CEO of OTPP said, “teachers have nothing to apologize for”. In fact they are looking at providing
more information to every teacher to join in the fight for
better defined benefit pensions for all Canadians. This can
help us work for retirement dignity for Canadians. To help
us provide stability for retirees while we strengthen our
economy. Fairness makes economic sense. Fairness, dignity, security and stability; Teachers share these values
with all Canadians. That is worth fighting for. Watch for
information from OTPP.
For more information about
OTPP, please scan the QR code
above, or go to:
http://www.otpp.com/
Staffing for the School Year, 2015-2016
Gillian Vivona, 1st Vice President
It is that time of year again—time to begin turning our
minds and discussions to setting up the schedule for the
new school year. By the time you read this article, all
schools may have had their Form 106 LSSAC meeting. It
can be a very intense time for many or our members. The
outline below will provide a guide to the process that will
occur between now and the end of June.
The breakdown of the process as per the Collective Agreement is as follows:
a) Mid-March—Administration sends out the course requests/wish list to all permanent teaching staff members.
This includes those members who are on leave. Members
on leave must be consulted as to their timetable development whether they are returning from leave or not as their
timetable must be suitable in the event of an unforeseen,
sudden return to the school. It is greatly appreciated and
incumbent upon members who know they are retiring to
declare so as soon as possible to allow permanent TSU
members the opportunity to apply for a position at the
school through the official posting process. Also, this gives
the LSSAC the opportunity to best advise the Administration on how to post the open position. This ensures that
the process is transparent.
b) April 1st—The Board provides the Form 106 to the
Administrators.
c) Between April 1st and April 15th—LSSAC will meet to
discuss the tentative staffing model and review the section
allotment outlined in F106. If necessary, decisions regarding surplussing of staff, possible open positions will be discussed/made. Materials required for this review: The
F106, teacher seniority list, teacher qualifications, teachers
going/staying on leave.
d) April 22nd—the Board will release the first list of open
positions. Only TSU permanent members will be able to
apply.
e) Mid-May—The LSSAC will meet to review the proposed
departmental assignments prepared by Administration.
Materials required for this review: The F106, teachers requests, teacher qualifications, department assignments.
The Department Heads will receive the outline after this
meeting.
(NOTE: As per the agreement established with the Board,
there may be a one-shuffle movement for the timetable.
For example, Teacher A goes on leave. Teacher B from another department takes over Teacher A’s timetable which
must still be suitable for Teacher A to return to if necessary. The LTO takes over Teacher B’s timetable which
must be suitable for Teacher B to assume should Teacher A
need to return to the school. This one-shuffle may be done
for each teacher on leave.)
f) By the end of May—The courses set out in blocks are
given to the Department Heads.
g) By mid-June—A tentative schedule is given to the staff.
It is possible that changes may still occur but all changes
must occur through consultation with the members involved.
h) End of June—Teachers are given an official copy of
their tentative timetable for the coming school year.
Any changes to this timetable must occur through consultation with the members involved at the earliest
possible time as per the requirements of the Collective
Agreement.
NOTE to f): Department Heads do not “assign” courses but
will review the tentative course selections with their department members in a collaborative and collegial manner
as per the requirements of the Collective Agreement (6.06).
All department members must have collective input with
respect to the decision-making of course assignments, including those on leave. Discussions and decision-making
can be done in a variety ways.
The following are the criteria that should be considered
during the course assignment process. While qualifications
are the most significant item, these items should be considered collectively where possible:
1) Qualifications—Teachers with qualifications should be
given first opportunity at course selections. Anyone who is
teaching a subject for which they do not hold qualifications
must sign a mutual consent form. These forms will be reviewed by the LSSAC in September.
2) Teacher preference—Department heads may have
sent out their own wish list to get an idea of where their
member’s interest lay.
3) Past experience
4) Availability of a course in the schedule
5) Professional development/growth—It is understood
by the SSSAC that there is no ownership of courses. All
members should be given the opportunity to teach courses
which will enhance and promote their professional growth.
Such decisions should be discussed and determined in a
consultative and collaborative manner.
6) Total number of preps—Where possible, no teacher
should have more than 4 preps per year, that is, two per
semester.
An additional criterion for the Administration may be succession planning, also known in some schools as building
capacity. This should not be forced upon members. It is to
be developed in a prudent, collaborative and consultative
fashion for the future staffing needs of the school. If necessary, discussions and decisions should be brought to the
LSSAC and/or SSSAC.
It is understood by the Board and the Teachers that not
everyone will be happy with the final scheduling results
but it is imperative that consultation must have occurred
with each member and that the goal is to achieve the best
possible results in building a staffing model and schedule
for the school. If necessary, discussions can be brought to
the LSSAC and/or SSSAC for assistance and to ensure that
the process is transparent.
Board Deficit and Staff Cuts
Dave Szollosy, TSU President
The twin issues – local Board budget deficit and provincial austerity agenda - impacting on teachers in the last
months are a source of confusion as people have mixed up
the two. However they are not totally separate either.
In November 2014, the TCDSB discovered that an accounting error existed so that rather than a budget surplus for 2013-2014, they actually had a deficit of about $9
million. Since that error had been allowed to replicate
itself, the size of the deficit expanded and combined with
accumulated deficit to reach $16.9 million.
The Ontario government then contributed to the deficit
problem by announcing further cuts to Administration
grants ($0.25 million) and Special Education ($1.5 million).
Senior staff created a large bogeyman by projecting a
looming 2% reduction in the Grants for Student Needs
(GSN) – the core funding mechanism for school boards –
nearing doubling the amount they said had to be cut from
the 2015-2016 budget. TSU consistently tried to correct
the Board on the amount of the reduction from the province, based on information we had directly received
through the efforts of TSU 1st Vice-President Gillian
Vivona, but the Board did not accept our more accurate
information. (In the end the cut was only 0.8%.)
TSU worked very closely with the other TCDSB unions to
analyse the budget implications and propose alternative
budget adjustments to simply cutting staff positions. On
top of meetings with senior staff, we made presentations
to the Board and Budget Committee meetings. TSU made
direct presentations on March 3 and March 27 (the most
recent submission follows). When the Board completed
their direct cuts, 81 TSU positions had been eliminated.
Senior staff then went to work on generating the staffing
models of Form 106, including the directed cuts by the
Trustees, re-alignment of funding positions from the GSNs
and reduction in enrollment and came to a system total of
136 TSU staff cuts. The promise made to the Trustees by
senior staff, that there would be no job losses due to the
cuts, will be strained, because attrition will not absorb
this number.
The approach taken both by the province and the TCDSB
is the same as we engage them in this negotiating year.
The modus operandi is to treat the human resources, the
staff, the people who deliver curriculum, support our students and maintain our schools in a safe environment, as
no more than a dispensable commodity, a line on a ledger
to be easily erased.
We see the same logic at the Provincial negotiations as at
our Board conversations where understanding and past
practice and even contractual agreements are disregarded in order to facilitate other agendas. This is the logic of
maintenance overwhelming the logic of mission. The
School Board exists to protect the school board as opposed to providing quality education for all its students.
Now the responsibility falls upon us to collectively express our rejection of these misplaced priorities and demand respect for teachers and our working conditions –
and critically, our jobs.
2015 03 27 Special Board Meeting Presentation by
Dave Szollosy President – OECTA Toronto Secondary
Unit
Mr. Chair, Trustees, Staff and guests: Good evening.
Thank you for offering me the opportunity to make some
further comments on our consultations over the budget
concerns, or to read my submission. As the representatives of the worker groups have repeatedly stated, we are
eager to be able to work with you in the ongoing process
of resolving the budget problems in which the Board finds
itself and recognize the difficult decisions with which you
must grapple. Our repeated goal has been to support the
process by establishing priorities and principles to guide
the deliberations. I trust that this reflects your agenda as
well and that you continue not to permit the immediate
exigencies to cloud your perspective.
1. Time
There is no urgency in applying the cuts. With the cooperation of the Teachers’ Association, the deadline
for issuing surplus notices has been extended. Together with the early release of the GSNs we do have
the opportunity for further examination of the areas
of consideration for addressing the deficit. These
suggestions before you came out before the GSNs
were issued and when senior staff were operating
under assumptions of up to a 2% reduction in the
Grants. Now we have the possibility to find other
areas of savings during the next two weeks.
2. Future GSN Reductions
Upon more careful review of the documents released
by the Ministry yesterday, there is no 0.8 annual reduction in GSNs for the coming years. A forecast of
having to make savings of $24 million in the next
three years is not contained in the documents.
What it does say is that; “With the exception of the
Declining Enrolment Adjustment, the changes being
introduced in 2015–16 will be phased in over three
years. This phase in means that, in 2015–16, two
thirds of the funding will be generated by the 2014–
15 allocation method and one-third of the funding
will be generated by the new allocation method described below.” And then it goes on to describe the
particular Grants.
(continued on next page)
Ontario Soccer Association
Professional Development Opportunity
Some FAQs—Strikes & Lockouts
Giovanni Latino, St. Mary’s CSS
The TSU Self-Directed Professional Development Funding provided me with an opportunity to further explore my commitment to professional development. Throughout my career as
an educator, I have been able to connect to many students in
an incredible way through the sport of soccer.
withdrawal of services strike. Such payments will be made
directly to OTPP upon the retirement of the teacher.
Therefore, a strike will not have any negative effect on the
pension of a retiring teacher.
The TSU Self-Directed Professional Development Funding has
provided me with an opportunity to not only develop professionally but also pursue an area that I am very passionate
about. I am most grateful to TSU for providing me with this
invaluable opportunity.
6. What if I am on sick leave?
If a member is on sick leave when a strike commences, it is
the position of the Association, in discussion with legal
counsel, that sick leave benefits continue during the period that they would normally be available.
My experience as an Ontario Soccer Association approved referee has been imperative to my involvement with soccer within the TCDSB. As a result, I decided that it would be important
for me to become a Provincial level official.
Being a part of the Provincial Upgrade Program has taught me
not only a lot about the laws of the game of soccer, but has also
helped me broaden my perspective of the emotions that can be
found on the field of play. I have begun to pay particular attention to negativity that can spark conflict and have learned new
techniques to better manage the possible development of incidents in high intensity situations. These techniques can be
proven invaluable in a high school environment.
1. What is a strike?
Once a union is in a legal position to be on strike, it is in a
position to take on any form of job action. This includes,
but is not limited to, full-scale walkouts, rotating walkouts,
information pickets, work-to-rule campaigns, etc.
The Provincial Executive will determine the nature of any
job action as well as its timing, which may include direction for members to cease engaging in activities/duties
that members may normally participate in.
Becoming a Provincial level referee will keep me involved in
the soccer community. This position allows me to be involved
in both OUA and OCAA soccer, helping me be a better mentor
for students who want to play soccer at the post secondary
level.
Volleyball Coaching Clinic PD
Fred Dever, Mary Ward
On Thursday January 22 and Friday January 23, I attended the
“Hot Shots High School Coaching Clinic”. The clinic was hosted
by Rick McArthur, Head Coach at Mayfield S.S., Five time OFSAA
“AAAA” gold medalists. Rick is also the founder of the Peel Selects Volleyball Club and was named OVA Coach of the Year.
The Clinic consisted of 2 days of intensive Volleyball Skill Development and Technical Training. Day 1 of the Clinic was focused
on Passing, Setting and Attacking. Part 1, Passing – Skills, drills
and progressions for teaching the pre-movement and posture
for passing with ball control platform movement. Part 2, Setting
Skills and Drills – Training setter footwork and handwork with
concepts and progressions. Part 3 – Attacking – Concepts, skills
and drills for training the attacker’s arm swing and approach
footwork. Part 4 – Introduction to various systems of placement
of players for service reception.
Day 2 of the Clinic was focused on Serving, Blocking, Floor Defense and Counter Attack. Part 1 – Serving. Arm swing mechanics, tossing, timing and footwork for various types of serve. Part
2 – Blocking Skills and Drills. Training footwork and handwork
with concepts and progressions for blocking. Part 3/4 – Floor
Defense Skills and Drills. Concepts, Skills and Drills for training
players to dig balls. Movement, read and react, platform management for basic digging.
As you can see the Clinic was very intense and well organized.
The participants were taught the various skills needed for development of both Team players and Gym class participants.
The skills taught shall allow you to become better coaches and
teachers. The Skills and Drills can be easily adapted for whatever level of Volleyball Player you are dealing with.
I am a firm believer of the benefit of these various sport clinics
that are offered to Coaches and Teachers. It allows you to become more informed and learn the proper techniques for skill
development. This is not the first clinic I have attended nor will
it be my last. I am 57 years old and continue to learn and grow
by attending these clinics. Your students will greatly benefit
from the experience gained. Their skill development will be enhanced greatly.
2. What sort of job action will OECTA be taking?
A job action can only occur if OECTA members have given
a strike mandate to the Association. A strike mandate
demonstrates the solidarity of the membership and its
determination to support the provincial bargaining team’s
mandate to achieve a fair collective agreement. Depending
on the status of provincial bargaining, the OECTA Provincial Executive will determine whether or not there will be
any job action and, if so, the timing and nature of the job
action, which may take many forms, as outlined in #1.
3. Will I receive strike pay?
If a member has not been paid by the school board due to
job action on a day that they would normally be paid, the
member is eligible to receive strike pay provided that the
member participates in picket-line duties or alternative
duties assigned by the District Tactical Implementation
Committee (DTIC).
4. What happens to my benefits (health, dental, life)
while on strike?
Arrangements will be made with the employer to maintain
your usual benefits coverage paid for by OECTA, including
the payment of Long Term Disability (LTD) premiums.
5. What happens to my pension during a strike?
OECTA will pay to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
(OTPP) any loss of pension contributions for those teachers who are in their last best five years and were on a
7. What if I am on maternity leave?
If a member is already on a maternity leave when a strike
commences, it is the position of the Association, in discussion with legal counsel, that maternity leave benefits continue during the period that they would normally be available.
8. What if I am on any other form of paid leave (WSIB,
Employment Insurance, or Long Term Disability)
when the strike commences?
A member continues to receive the benefit(s) provided by
these types of leaves.
9. If a strike is called, will the government legislate us
back to work?
The government has the authority to intervene in a strike
and legislate an end to the dispute at any time
10. What about my mortgage, car payments, loans,
etc., while on strike?
Speak to your financial institution as soon as possible once
you know a strike is imminent. Most institutions will work
with you to reduce or defer any such payments during a
strike. If you have trouble with your financial institution,
bring it to the attention of your unit president or the Provincial Office and the Association will attempt to assist in
resolving the matter.
02
EVENTS
Toronto Strike Vote Rally—
April 15, 2015 @ Massey Hall
Veronica Tuzi, Recording Secretary
For nearly twenty years, there has been labour peace between
the teacher unions and the government. But now we are facing the real possibility of work action (read Dave Szollosy’s
articles earlier in this issue), and we have just completed a
strike vote. However, leading up to the strike vote, OECTA
Provincial Executive held strike vote rallies in every region.
Toronto (TSU, TECT, and TOTL) held their strike vote rally on
April 15, 2015 at Massey Hall to a crowd of over 1,000 concerned members. Provincial President James Ryan spoke
forcefully about the current management proposal and the
possible implications and consequences if it were to be implemented. Each unit president spoke for a few minutes about
different aspects of the proposal, as they pertain to their particular unit.
To say that there was anger from the members is an understatement. To be together in that place, to hear directly from
the Executives what would happen to contracts and working
conditions, was enough to elicit cries of “shame” throughout
the audience. TOTL President Felix Salazar urged members to
vote “Yes, Yes, Yes”, in the style of the Volkswagen commercial. TECT President Mario Bernardo started off a chant of
“workers, united, will never be defeated”, which the members
wholeheartedly took on. We were reminded to remember to
not break faith with teachers before us, that we are entitled to
fairness and dignity, and that we have an obligation to our
other union brothers and sisters. In the words of Mario Bernardo, “if not us, then who? If not now, then when?”. Members were encouraged to reach a 99% strike mandate, if not
100%, after being informed of the OSSTF (89%) and ETFO
(95%) strike mandates.
What really struck home to the members present were the
changes to sick days and the proposed sick leave plan, which
would truly disadvantage those members who are most vulnerable. The impression members were left with was that
this was an attack on our professionalism and our integrity,
not to mention the collective rights we have fought for over
decades. One theme that ran through every talk was the idea
of properly following collective bargaining negotiations, and
that teachers will not be abused, nor will teachers forget what
this government has tried to do.
During the question period, emotions definitely ran high as
veteran teachers stood up to speak about previous experiences with job action and what they fought for. They spoke about
the possible consequences of strike action and the financial
struggle that would be faced, but that in the face of this current proposal, there was no other recourse than to stand up
and fight against the erosion of public education. They entreated younger teachers to continue the fight and to stand up
for their collective rights.
In the end, even though these are about our collective rights,
they still impact the classroom in a very real way. Teachers
who are ill will have difficulty with their teaching duties.
Teachers who are demoralized will have difficulty with their
teaching duties. We are teachers because we have a vocation,
because we truly are passionate about our subject areas and
want to do what is best for our students. Anything that hinders our ability to fulfill our vocation is not something we
should welcome into our collective agreements.