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Volume 1, Issue 1: April 7, 2003

What is AMPA Anyway?

The Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly (AMPA) is the annual gathering, on the first weekend of March Break, of delegations from all of the districts and bargaining units across the province represented by the OSSTF to set the direction for the union for the next school year. The agenda is always packed; This year, leaders of both the opposition parties in the Ontario Legislature addressed the delegates as did speakers from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). In addition, every year, the Provincial Executive, Provincial Committees, Districts, Bargaining Units, and individuals bring forward resolutions which are debated and voted upon. Every two years, in odd-numbered years, there is an election to elect a new Provincial executive. 

AMPA begins with the President's Address, in which the President reflects upon the previous year and looks forward to the next year. In the past few years, the address has been preceded by a video; this year's was entitled "What a Difference a Year Makes". Each District received a copy of the video which may be borrowed by Branches for viewing.

The Provincial Executive presents the 2003-2004 Priorities and Programs which are then debated and passed; these outline the areas of focus for the OSSTF for the upcoming year and describe the plans to implement them. Our priorities for the 2003-2004 year are as follows:

Finally, there are several awards presented to members, and the Marion Drysdale Awards are presented to the students who won the provincial level of this contest.

The District 11 Delegation

The District 11 AMPA 2003 delegation consisted of Don Rowdon, Mary Lou Cunningham, Don Edgar and Wendy Hirschegger (all from the District Office), Nancy McDougall (PSSP President), Joe Wilson (OT President), Joe Mountenay (Voaden), Jane Pincombe (Beal), Glenna Atkinson (Central), Wayne Hardy and Allan Campbell (Huron Park), Evelyn Daley (Ingersoll), John Bernans, Lorrie Vickman and Ken Rochefort (Laurier), Gabriel Pavez (Montcalm), Lisa Oliva (Oakridge), Marilyn Norman (Parkside), Jason Witty (South), Anne Fong (Thames), Alice Colton (Sutton), Sue Stevens (Woodstock), Linda Huber and Arnette Gardiner (Con.Ed. Instructors).

Once again, District 11 made a definite fashion statement in their denim shirts. Clearly we set the trends because last year's periwinkle sweatshirts were copied by another delegation this year. I wonder how many delegations will show up in denim next year?

District 11 delegates were at the microphone a number of times, most notably to move and see passage of a motion which originated in District 11: "BE IT RESOLVED THAT any facilities rented by OSSTF for general meetings of a bargaining unit or a district, or for inter-district meetings, be wheelchair accessible." The resolution was passed unanimously.

We would like to thank the very reliable, responsible members of our Delegtion for their tireless efforts, support and cheerfulness during the very busy days of AMPA 2003, and especially with the work of Ken Coran’s successful campaign. Your commitment to our union is unparalleled.

Thank you for all your efforts.

The Duke of Earl

 AMPA 2003 was the last that Earl Manners presided over as President of the OSSTF. First elected as OSSTF President in 1995, Earl has led this union through the darkest, most turbulent years faced by public education in this province. And thank goodness for that for public education would be far worse off without his leadership.

AMPA 2003 paid tribute to Earl with a video that used "Duke of Earl" as a theme song and which was interspersed with still shots of John Wayne. The video was a sort of "This Is Your Life" which followed Earl's development from childhood to his very capable leadership of the OSSTF over the last eight years, and which included many clips of union officials, colleagues, members and even politicians who described their enduring impressions and memories of Earl. Following the video, Earl's partner Val Pethick and their baby Emma joined him on stage, and Earl was presented with a Life Membership in OSSTF. The tribute was truly a highlight of this AMPA.

Earl was recently acclaimed as the NDP candidate for Haliburton-Victoria-Brock, which is the riding held, at present, by former tory cabinet minister Chris Hodgson who has decided not to run for re-election. AMPA 2003 wished Earl well in the upcoming election.

The Campaign

AMPA 2003 was an "election AMPA" with all that that entails--gauntlet goodies, hospitality suites, schmoozing and even some surprises.  District 11's Ken Coran ran a successful election for Vice-President and was widely regarded as having the best hospitality suite--which featured great music, delicious edibles, "Pop-a-Shot" basketball and a popcorn machine. Delegates returned again and again saying that Ken's suite was the most fun.

Part of the frenzy of an election AMPA is the "gauntlet" where campaign workers for the various candidates give away brochures and various other items to attract the attention and, it is hoped, the votes of the delegates. The "Kenetics" sunglasses that were given out at the Saturday "gauntlet" after lunch were a big hit.

The election took place on Sunday. The new executive consists of President Rhonda Kimberly-Young, Vice-Presidents Ken Coran and Sherry Rosner, Treasurer Sheila Vandenberk, and Executive Officers Gerry Harrison, Jack Jones and Desiree Francis. They will serve from July 1, 2003 until June 30, 2005.

The View from the Front:
My Experience in the AMPA Speaker’s Chair

By Bob Fisher

I remember well my very first AMPA as a delegate. It was overwhelming, awe-inspiring, democracy at its finest. And at the front, the all-knowing wisdom of the Speaker ensured that we never strayed from the task at hand, whether it be the passing of the budget, a motion to replace a comma with a colon, or the presentation of the Drysdale awards. The quintessential Speaker was Jim Forster, now retired. At the time, I thought he was the coolest dude on earth. No matter what the delegates sent his way, he handled it with a collected, calm, objective ease that impressed me to no end. I thought, "I wish I were like that." Of course, I knew I would never be up there. Never say never.

This is the first AMPA that I have attended at which Jim Forster was not in the Speaker’s chair. Naturally, since Jim was not there to chair, the Provincial Executive was seeking someone to replace him. Since I had been Chairperson of Provincial Council for a number of years under Jim’s mentorship, I was asked to fill the vacancy. Imagine. Me. Replacing Jim Forster. The man who was my role model and mentor for all these years. Wow. Mind you, I wasn’t leading the Speakers as Jim did, but even so.

AMPA is quite the production. Of course, I knew that from my experience as a delegate for the past 12 years, and from my time as Chairperson of Provincial Council. In that capacity, I had to make a report from the front each year. But none of that gave me a true indication of everything involved. This year I discovered the true magnitude of AMPA, the tremendous logistical operation presented in its planning and implementation.

In early February, Parliamentary and Constitution Council met to look at the on time motions, determine their orderliness, and determine which of many categories each motion would be placed in. Once that was completed, the Speakers met to have a preliminary look at the motions, the agenda, and the voting procedures. We discussed any anticipated problems that might arise, such as challenges to the credentials report, and talked about how we might deal with them. Our goal was to ensure that AMPA would run as smoothly as possible by anticipating any potential problems and having a strategy in place to deal with them. Once the Friday of AMPA came around, our work intensified. We met early that afternoon to inspect the House. The technicians were setting up the sound system, hotel staff were putting up the tables for delegates, and things were in a general state of disarray. Why were we there? Why, obviously to be sure that the sound system could be heard properly, ensure we had good sight lines to all areas of the floor, and to do a dry run on the computer projection systems.

During the meeting, we met at the beginning of each day, at each recess, and at the end of each day to go over any new motions that had been received from the floor, and to debrief and discuss what went well, what could be improved, what to watch out for in the time ahead, and where we were with respect to the agenda.

What was it like to be in the Speaker’s chair? You don’t have much time to dwell on it. When you’re chairing a meeting of that size, there’s a lot more things to think about than what it feels like. Having chaired Provincial Council, I can honestly say that this isn’t any more difficult, just much different. There’s the fact that there are 465 people out there, most of whom I do not know. But the careful planning that goes into it means that, as long as you know your "Robert’s Rules", it’s really not that bad. Being an experienced Chair means that I am already comfortable with the rules and I am comfortable in the role of Speaker. I already have my "style" of chairing which is pretty consistent from one meeting to the next.

Foremost, I feel that in order to receive the respect of the House, the Speaker must treat all members respectfully, fairly and consistently. Because of that, you would hear me refer to members as "Sir" or "Madam", even when they are speaking inappropriately or otherwise breaching the rules of order. Proper order must be maintained, but not at the expense of anyone’s dignity. Another important consideration is that it is the role of the Speaker to facilitate the business of the house, not to influence it. That can sometimes mean that a certain amount of flexibility may be inserted, or latitude provided to those who are speaking to motions. Finally, the Speaker is not there to entertain the House. The floor belongs to the delegates, and the Speaker simply assists them in conducting their business. That can be made more enjoyable by a good Speaker, but not through the insertion of superfluous commentary.

I can only hope that as people left AMPA 2003, they thought that when Bob Fisher was in the Speaker’s chair, the meeting ran smoothly. That, if someone struggled with the Rules, he helped them through it graciously. That, if someone’s remarks were out of order, he dealt with them respectfully, and that everyone understood and appreciated his reasons for dealing with them. And that the portion of the meeting that he chaired was all about them, not about him. If that is the case, I have done my absolute best. I learned from the best. Hopefully, some day, I will be in the same league as Forster. Until then, I promise to strive to improve ... I am but an egg.

Impressions from a Faculty of Education Rep

By Claudia Donahoe

This year I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly (AMPA) 2003 between March 7th-March 10th as a guest of the OSSTF.

I learned a great deal at AMPA and felt fortunate that I was invited to the meeting during an election year. It certainly was an exciting experience for me with many passionate speeches, lively debates, and the chance to see, up close, democracy at work.  More than anything else, what I was left with was a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the OSSTF, and of the passionate concern and commitment of its members towards its many important causes.

I was also fortunate enough to meet five other Faculty of Education students from across the province with whom I hope to remain in contact.

Charismatic personalities, a deep passion for politics, and a strong commitment for public education and the positive advancements of the OSSTF have defined my AMPA experience.

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

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