Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit Newsletter:

Volume 2, Issue 2 (December 5, 2003)

President's Message (by Joe Wilson)

Finally...

I’m sorry it took so long for me to get this first newsletter of the year out to you. My initial hold-up was caused by the election - I had the honour to serve as campaign manager for Banting English teacher Irene Mathyssen in her NDP campaign in London-Fanshawe. To say that it was a full time (X2) job would be no exaggeration.

Once the smoke cleared from the election (I’m sure you feel as bad as I do to see the last of the Tories!!), the focus turned to bargaining. I wanted to be able to use the first newsletter to communicate to you that we have a tentative settlement - and as of December 3 we do! Please consult Chief Negotiator Bob Fisher’s summary of that tentative agreement, which was mailed to your home address on December 5, for details.

The board’s negotiating team will be taking the tentative agreement to the trustees in about 2 weeks time. Our ratification vote will be held on December 17 and 18, as described below.

Let me urge you strongly to attend the general meeting so that you can receive full, detailed information about the tentative agreement, and have the chance to ask questions. One of the reasons negotiations took so long was that we were unwilling to give anything away, but rather were determined to get as positive a settlement as possible. This collective agreement would be our foundation for the next round of bargaining, which will start relatively soon. Again, please attend.

I want to keep this newsletter brief, so we can get it out to you in a timely fashion re notification of the general meeting described above. Below are a few brief items. We will have a chance for further updates and information at the December 17 meeting. I will also be posting information more regularly on the OT section of Wendy Hirschegger’s wonderful District 11 website. I can be contacted via the District Office, or by email.

Note that the main contact for Occasional Teacher matters at the District Office is FSO Don Edgar, but any of the staff there will be glad to help you. Again, please consult the District 11 and Provincial OSSTF websites for information and updates.

And - if I do not see you at the General Meeting, I hope you have a happy and healthy holiday, and will come back ready for more occasional teaching adventures and positive experiences in the New Year - and, I hope, under the enhanced terms of a new Collective Agreement!

Happy Holidays!

Joe Wilson, OTBU President

Teachers at Risk

The first item is largely a reprint of an item in the first newsletter last year - but unfortunately it is, if anything, even more pressing now.

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. 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 necessary, should not happen. We must also be extremely careful with our language and comments to students.

Occasional teachers are under particular jeopardy in our high schools. 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 addressed this situation with Human Resource Services personnel starting last year, and soon an ad hoc committee will meet to develop better in-school supports and information for Occasional Teachers. A key part of this will be mechanisms to ensure that schools do routinely and consistently provide Occasional Teachers with this support and information. I will keep you informed of the results.

A New Member on Our Executive

I am pleased to announce that our OTBU executive has doubled. Peter Thompson has agreed to serve as OT representative to District Executive Council. Note that Occasional teachers are fully eligible to serve on OSSTF District Committees: PAC; Labour Council, Education Services, Status of Women, Human Rights, and more!

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

Disclaimer