Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit Newsletter:

Volume 1, Issue 1 (January 2003)

President's Message

Let me start off this first Occasional Teacher newsletter for the current school year by addressing the challenging issue of communications. The other bargaining units in District 11 have the comparative luxury of being able to meet regularly, such as in the monthly school meetings of the Teachers Bargaining Unit (TBU). OT’s are left with this sort of mailing as the best way to ensure that all members are contacted, and given key information. It is an inefficient, slow, expensive and unacceptable method, and one of my prime goals this year as your OTBU president is to bring about far better ways to keep you informed and in touch. The method will be through the use of e-mail, and of our District 11 website. I have included a response form with this mailing, for you to inform me about a variety of issues, and also to provide the District 11 office with your personal (NOT Thames Valley DSB) e-mail. We will compile these into an Occasional Teacher contact list, so that I can send you regular updates, and quickly inform you of any key information, such as negotiations update meetings. If you do not have a personal e-mail address you can use, then a personal fax number would help me maintain regular contact with you. Once the District 11 website is fully operational, I will use the OTBU section there to keep you regularly updated.

Though regular mail will still have to be used to ensure all members are informed of matters such as the OTBU Annual General Meeting, my hope is that the methods described above, particularly e-mail, will mean that you will get the information you should have in a timely and efficient manner. It is by far the best medium of communications for a far-flung and uncentred bargaining unit such as ours.

This newsletter contains a great deal of pertinent information, so I hope you will read it carefully. Don’t hesitate to contact me, through the District 11 office (659-6588; fax: 659-2421;  if you wish to respond to these or other matters.

TVARRIS

You should have received from the TVDSB a letter dated January 20 about the new TVARRIS system. I urge you in the strongest possible terms to attend one of the training sessions. The TVARRIS system is the basic way you will be getting access to work from March 17. We have been in consultation with Human Resources about TVARRIS snce the beginning of this school year. It promises to provide us with everything we have now, plus considerable enhancements and benefits. All this, plus the basic way to use the system, will be explained at the training sessions. One important question is the most convenient a.m. calling time: early enough for us to get there on time; not middle of the night. Is 7:00 a.m. about right? Please use the response form to give me feedback. And again, be sure to attend one of the training sessions!

Criminal Background Checks

Due to legislation passed by the Tory government, all teachers and education workers must submit to police check for criminal offences - and this very much includes us. Let me quote the exact message given by District President Don Rowdon at the last District Executive Meeting:

"The Board has approved the process for collecting police checks for employees who did not have a check as a condition of employment. The process has been developed collaboratively by the OPP, OPSBA (Ontario Public School Board Association), and OSSTF. Members will soon receive a consent form that authorizes the Board to process the check through an [arms-length] consortium. Once a member signs and returns the consent form, the consortium will submit the names of people to be checked to the OPP. The results will be returned to the consortium before they are returned to the Board. Any members who have "hits" (a conviction) will be contacted by the consortium before the check is submitted to the Board. This allows the member the opportunity to contest the check results.After time has been allowed to correct any errors, the results will be forwarded to the board. As long as members participate in this process the Board will pay for the check. Members deciding not to sign the check will have to obtain one on their own [to be able to continue working], and submit it to the Board prior to July 31, 2003. In subsequent years, members will be asked to declare in writing any criminal code violations since the check. Members who have already submitted to a check [essentially those hired recently] will be required to sign declarations annually also."

The only thing I like about this process is that the board has taken responsibility for carrying it out, and is paying for it. Since it is in legislation, we have no choice but to comply if we wish to continue working (much like College of Teachers registration). If we do it on our own, we pay. If you experience problems as a result of this mandatory criminal background check, OSSTF will of course be here to help you.

Personally, I find this whole situation as repugnant as all other Tory attacks on us and our profession. I urge you in joining me in the best way to protest it - politically, by working to purge the province of the Tories at the upcoming provincial election.

Political Action and Election Readiness

This brings me to the next important issue - electing an education-friendly government this spring (when the election almost surely will happen). Our District’s Political Action Committee has been hard at work linking to our provincial plan and developing our local one. There will be detailed information provided once we get closer to the actual election. One date to pencil in is a major district election rally on Thursday, March 20 at the Marconi Club, on Clarke Road in London. Note that we have 3 District 11 members as candidates in this election: Irene Mathyssen (NDP: London Fanshawe); Patti Dalton (NDP London West); Brian Brown (Liberal, Oxford). I urge you to get involved. If you want detail on how to do this, contact me or Don Edgar at the District Office. It is hard to imagine the smoking ruins our education system will be in if the Tories are allowed to ravage it for another term. The time to fight is now. We can and will win - if all of us dig in and do our share.

Your OSSTF District Support Team

A quick word about your OSSTF District support team. This year for the first time all four District 11 bargaining units have their own constitutions and BU executives. At monthly District Executive Council meetings, all bargaining unit presidents and their authorized District Councillors meet to carry out the business of the overall District. At the OTBU Annual General Meeting last June 4, I was the only person allowing his name to stand for election to the OTBU Executive. This is the unfortunate norm for our group; though I will continue to do my best for our BU, it is regrettable that we do not a full executive. Recently, Carmen Richler-Bisson has agreed to serve as one of our OTBU District Councillors, and to join me on the OTBU CBC (Collective Bargaining Committee). I hope you will join me in your appreciation for her willingness to serve us. I am particularly happy that, unlike me, Carmen is not a retired teacher. If you are interested in serving the OTBU, please contact me at the District Office.

Bob Fisher is the Chief Negotiator for the District, and thus for all bargaining units. All of our Federation Services Officers are available to help you, though Don Edgar is the person with direct responsibility for the OTBU.

Teachers at Risk

District support is, unfortunately, sometimes critically needed by occasional teachers because of the intense scrutiny being placed on the behavior and judgment of all teachers and educational workers. Scanning the local newspaper and the College of Teachers’ "Professionally Speaking" magazine make this abundantly clear. There have been situations this year where District 11 occasional teachers have had their treatment of students investigated by board and other personnel, and have required OSSTF support. Quite simply, we must never allow ourselves to be put into compromising situations with students, and must be scrupulous in conducting ourselves in a demonstrably professional manner at all times. Touching students in any manner, however innocent or seemingly necessarily, is strongly discouraged. We must be extremely careful with our language and comments to students.

Occasional teachers are under particular jeopardy, I feel. We routinely are put in to new situations where we have limited knowledge about the students, and the school rules, expectations and procedures. We do not have the supportive context, the on-going in-school administrative direction and the established credibility of the regular school teaching staff, yet we are expected to maintain discipline and exhibit consistent professional management, even in the particularly trying circumstances that students often create for us. If we rely on our own "gut instincts" and best judgment, we may place ourselves in jeopardy. This has happened to even well-seasoned, experienced occasional teachers this year. If we rely on in-school intervention or "complain" too much, administrators or teachers may not call us in again.

I have addressed this situation with Human Resource Services personnel, and they are very willing to pursue possible remedies with us. For example, there is a Letter of Intent in our Collective Agreement which requires OT’s to be provided with such detailed supportive information as "names and positions of individuals who can provide assistance", "names of high risk students" and "a general outline of classroom routines which includes washroom, attendance and entry and dismissal procedures". Human Resource Services will send a reminder to principals of this requirement. However, I think that more is needed. One possibility is that each school would be required to provide in-coming OT’s with a brief memo containing information about school rules, procedures and discipline. This would be supplemented with a brief memo from the teacher with specific class management information and expectations (Hats? Food? Walkmen? Washroom? Up-to-date seating plan?). I think schools and teachers have every right to expect that we provide consistent, professional services to them. I think we have every right to the supports necessary to make this possible. Please indicate on the response form at the end of this newsletter if and how you would like me to pursue this matter.

LTO Postings

A request recently came to Bob Fisher and me to suspend the usual LTO posting process to facilitate staffing matters at a Thames Valley school for the beginning of semester 2. We made clear that under no circumstances will we compromise such procedures. OSSTF will continue to ensure that protective services are provided for OT members when they are required.

In connection with this issue, and the previous topic, individual OT’s often feel very vulnerable in pursuing concerns with teachers and administrators. That is what OSSTF is for. Contact me or Don Edgar if you feel you are in a situation serious enough for you to require OSSTF support.

Professional Development

A memo just came from the District 11 OSSTF Education Services Committee that individual funding is now available for professional development. One key criterion is that the PD activity be "subject-specific and curriculum-based (ask how this will apply to your specific job)". Although this sort of funding traditionally goes to contract teachers, it is District money and therefore members of all bargaining units should be eligible. If interested in support for an appropriate PD conference or opportunity, call the District Office for application forms.

Quick Hits

OTBU Response Form

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

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