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Volume 3, Issue 3: February 25, 2005

Negotiations

On January 21, every OSSTF bargaining unit which did not yet have a contract for the current school year was placed in "provincial responsibility for negotiations" or PRN, and each was assigned a Provincial Executive member and a provincial Protective Services department member to take over the bargaining duties in conjunction with the local negotiating team.

In District 11, the Teachers' Bargaining Unit, the Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit and the Continuing Education Instructors' Bargaining Unit were all placed in PRN. Ken Coran, the Provincial Vice-President (and former District 11 President), and Dale Leckie, the Provincial Director of the Protective Service Department (and former District 11 Chief Negotiator), have been assigned to the bargaining in District 11.

Negotiations are continuing but it is also time for us to step up the pressure. From February 9 - 21, the Federation Services Officers and I visited every branch as part of the "Road Show" to bring the membership up to date on the status of negotiations and where we may be going from here.

In addition, members of the Continuing Education Instructors' Bargaining Unit are being called to a General Members' Meeting on Monday February 28 at 4:15 pm at Wheable to bring them up to date on bargaining. A strike vote date has not yet been set.

Members of the Teachers' Bargaining Unit, including Continuing Education Teachers, are being called to a General Members' Meeting on Tuesday March 1 at 4:30 at Laurier Secondary School to be brought up to date on the current status of bargaining in preparation for the strike vote for all TBU members in branches the next day, Wednesday March 2. Sealed ballot boxes are to be brought to the TBU Executive meeting at 4:30 pm on Wednesday March 2.

Dates for a General Members' Meeting and strike vote for the Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit have not yet been set.

Awards

The 2005 Bishop Townshend Awards dinner took place on Wednesday February 23. This annual dinner celebrates outstanding educators who contribute to the intellectual, physical, spiritual and social development of their students and who demonstrate those characteristics themselves.

The 2005 E.C. McTavish Awards nomination process will be underway shortly. These awards are presented to graduating students who have overcome some kind to challenge in order to achieve as best they could while contributing to school and community.

The 2005 TVDSB Awards of Distinction nomination process is now underway. Please consider nominating worthy candidates from among your colleagues, or from among administration, support staff, students or volunteers. Nomination packages are due to the office of the Director by 4:00pm on Friday March 4.

Let us not take thought for our separate interests, but let us help one another.
(OSSTF Motto)

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