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OSSTF District 11- Thames Valley
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District 11 Office |
Education Matters Online
News
Volume 1, Issue 1: April 7, 2003
District Committee ReportsClick on any of the items below to go directly to that report. |
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Communications
/ Excellence in Education
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Human
Rights and Status of Women
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Communications / Excellence in Education Committee
The Communications / Excellence in Education Committee has been busy this year.
In the fall, the Marion Drysdale Contest judging took place. The District received 40 entries altogether spread over all nine categories of the contest. The nine district winners were forwarded to the regional level of the contest. Although we didn't have any provincial winners this year, we did have three regional winners. Certificates for all entrants, medallions for school level winners and trophies for the District winners are being produced and will be forwarded to their schools later this month for presentation to those winners.
The major task for this committee this year is revamping the acclaimed print publication Education Matters and converting it to an online publication. You are reading the debut issue right now. The committee hopes to produce another issue before the end of this school year, likely in early June. Next year, it is hoped that we can put together at least six issues throughout the year.
That said, it will be more important than ever to have a specific individual at each branch/worksite to take on the role of Communication/Excellence in Education rep; the primary tasks are to conduct and oversee the school level judging of the annual Marion Drysdale contest and to gather and forward submissions for Education Matters Online to the District Office. It will likely be possible to conduct much of the business of the committee electronically now that Education Matters Online has been launched. Articles and art work can be submitted by email and drafts of each issue distributed for proof-reading by return email. In this way, when the committee does meet, those meetings can be conducted in as timely manner as possible.
Submitted by Wendy Hirschegger, Federation Services Officer Liaison to this Committee
Educational Services Committee
In the past two years, the Education Services Committee, jointly with the TVDSB and ETFO, helped to organize a dinner speaker in March; two years ago, Stephen Lewis was the featured speaker and last year it was Rex Murphy. Planning was underway for a third such event, but early in the fall, ETFO decided it would not participate. Since the event had been equally subsidized by the three groups in order to make the event an attractive deal for the members, once one of the groups withdrew, the whole thing fell through because neither the board nor the OSSTF could afford to split cost two instead of three ways.As a result, the Educational Services Committee had funds available to allocate in another way, and so while the total amount available isn't a large amount, the committee decided to use it so that members of District 11 may request funds to pursue professional, curricular and educational issues and to support the goals of Professional Development in the District for the year 2002 - 2003. Click here for more information; the form is available from your Branch President or from the District Office.
Submitted by Wendy Hirschegger, Federation Services Officer Liaison to this Committee
Health and Safety Committee
Your safety, and that of everyone who uses the various board facilities, is of paramount importance to all of us at OSSTF, but specifically to the Health and Safety Committee. This goal is best obtained when interested people from throughout the TVDSB monitor their own working environments, and when others help out on one of the two safety committees.
Should staff have an accident of any kind while involved in work-related activities, please remember to complete the EMPLOYEE ACCIDENT/ INCIDENT REPORT form which is available in all worksites. Completing the form may entitle you to various benefits such as Workers’ Compensation if needed at a later date, so it’s important for your protection that injuries of all kinds be reported to your administration the same day that they occur.
We are very appreciative to those certified members who have agreed to be part of the board/union Joint Health and Safety Committee. For your information, this includes our co-chairs John Britton (IDCI) and Wayne Hardy (Huron Park), Bernie Conway (Parkside), Larry McClinchey (Medway), Leslie Rockwell (PSSP’s), Monica Zaccharias (Con.Ed. Instructors), and Don Edgar (OSSTF District Office).
Submitted by Don Edgar, Federation Services Officer Liaison to this Committee
Human Rights and Status of Women Committee
The Human Rights and Status of Women Committee of District 11 promotes:
- attitudes against violence directed at women through the "White Ribbon" campaign in all branches;
- global understanding of the plight of women in Canada and the Third World, in particular through support of Colombian Refugee women;
- violence and harassment free working conditions through our observer status on TVDSB's ad-hoc committee on GLTB youth.
The committee meets approximately four times a year, working to consensus and in collaboration with other human rights or women's rights groups and initiatives. New committee members are always welcome.
For up-coming meeting dates, contact Laurie Lafraniere or Mary Lou Cunningham at 659-6588 at our OSSTF District 11 Office.
Submitted by Bryan Smith, Chairperson of this Committee.
Political Action Committee
The Political Action Committee organizes activities to mobilize political action among the membership. One of the Provincial and District priorities is to defeat the present tory government and to elect a new government which will be more responsive to the needs of public education and so the major thrust of this committee this year is election readiness.
With support from the provincial office in terms of both budget and personnel, the committee has developed a comprehensive Election Readiness Plan. So far, the committee planned and held the "Election Celebration: Party for a Change" event and they have surveyed the membership to gather information about who individual members are willing to support area opposition candidates. They are organizing volunteers for the opposition parties in the area ridings and planning strategies to "Get Out The Vote" so that once the writ is dropped everything is in place to go into high gear.
If you have not yet filled in and submitted your Membership Involvement Survey, please do so as soon as possible and submit it to your branch PAC rep. It is up to every one of us to do our part to achieve the goal of electing an education-friendly government!
Submitted by Don Edgar, Federation Services Officer Liaison to this Committee
Active Retired Members
ARM is the official organization for retired OSSTF members. We are devoted to keeping the best of your connection to your profession, your colleagues, and your union. That means our meetings and activities are not "mandatory sessions", will not try to "attain a vision", or have anything to do with "Trillium", "mark entry deadlines", or "personal goal setting". Instead, we will try to keep your informed and entertained, and provide some real services and benefits--such as our exclusive ARM Chapter 11 Discount Card.
Take a look through our ARM newsletter to see what we have done so far, what ARM Chapter 11 and ARM Provincial Council have to offer you, and what's on the plate for the rest of this year. We particularly want you to tell us what you want your ARM Chapter to provide: information meetings? Community and school service projects, such as United Way support? Access to benefits and services? Travel opportunities? Social activities, like golf tournaments or excursions? Political action opportunities in support of education? Please let us know!
Your ARM Chapter 11 organizing committee consists of Joe Wilson (President), Win Schell and Mike Moir; provincial ARM liaisons Peter Chapman and Don Wright; District office liaison Don Edgar. You can reach us via the District 11 Office.
Adapted from the debut ARM Newsletter by Joe Wilson, President of ARM Chapter 11.