Opening Statement



Saturday 19 January 2013

OECTA Provincial Executive Candidates 2013


The following candidates have allowed their names to stand for Election at the 2013 Annual General Meeting:

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE + GOVERNOR POSITIONS



Those who voted for the [MOU] are identified below: 

President: Kevin O’Dwyer [MOU]* / James Ryan [COP MOU] *****

First Vice-President: Sonia Di Petta/ Ann Hawkins [MOU]

Second Vice-President: Warren Grafton [MOU]

Third Vice-President: Andrew Donihee [MOU]/ Marcie Tombari 

Treasurer: Jeremy Cox [MOU]/ Chris Karuhanga [MOU]**

Councillor (2): Elaine McMahon ***

Board of Governors (5): Chris Cowley[MOU]/ Reno Melatti/ Julie Pauletig/ Richard Schrader[MOU]/ Micheal Wozniak ****

OTF Table Officer: Julie Pauletig

* Kevin O'Dwyer was absent during the executive vote. He is on record for saying he would have voted for it if he had been there

** Chris Karuhanga voted on executive for the MOU but has since recanted + says he does not support it.

*** Elaine McMahon: My mistake: Elaine did not vote for the MOU at COP as the Ottawa unit president.

****The OTF Board of Governors did not vote on executive. There only chance to vote for the MOU was at COP, and so they are identified accordingly.

***** James Ryan voted against the MOU on provincial executive. He voted for it at COP.

COMMENTS: We see a pretty even split between the candidates who voted for the MOU and those who voted against it. My blog does not support the MOU vote, so you will understand my bias. I will only recommend candidates who did not vote for the MOU.

The OECTA PE election is held each year at the March AGM. Every 2 years there is an Presidential Election. This is a Presidential year. All other positions are voted upon each year. As a result all positions on executive will be voted upon this year.

Each delegate on the floor gets one vote. They will decide the outcome. The OECTA voting process allows for "step down". A candidate who is defeated can run for the next position down. Other candidates can also announce their decision to run for office at the OECTA AGM.

The OTF Governors voted on the MOU at COP. They will be involved with our pension negotiations this year. It was made clear at the time of the original MOU that the MOE intended to reduce it's contributions to our OTPP [Ontario Teacher Pension Plan].
You might consider their COP MOU voting record accordingly as you see fit.

On Wednesday night I had an opportunity to talk informally with Presidential Candidate James Ryan after the MOU protest at the Irish pub down the street. James suggested that this will be the year where the OECTA membership will vote to decide on whether it supports the executives decision to ratify the OECTA MOU or not. Unfortunately only the AGM delegates representing your units can vote. James plans to support a motion for "one member one vote" on our future contract agreements. 

James gladly agreed to an interview about his election campaign position on other matters of interest to our members. A report will be published on my blog for your consideration. To make it fair I will extend an invitation to all the candidates to also do so. 
They may also submit a guest blog instead or in addition if they want.

The candidate reports based upon the interviews will of course be equally treated with respect on my blog for your due consideration. 

NEXT: The list of resolutions for this year's OECTA AGM?

My blog represents my own personal perspectives and point of view not that of any of the teacher affiliates unless identified accordingly.

Any necessary corrections will be quickly + duly noted.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am trying to understand why Kevin would not have been at the MOU vote. Why was he absent? Is it not usual for a president to cast a ballot in such an important and historic vote? Can anyone help out on this one?

Anonymous said...

One correction: Elaine McMahon voted against the MOU at the COP meeting in July.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Yes! My mistake. I fixed it right away. Many thanks!

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I'm not sure why Kevin missed the vote but will ask around. His signature is on the actual MOE though.

Anonymous said...

David-Will you ask each candidate where they stand/will they implement each of the 6 Steps of The OECTA Bill of Members' Rights, as part of your blog on them, if they are elected?

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I can but I think we need to look at the resolutions first, when they soon come out, to see what is/is not included from there already. Then if you have any questions I can formulate what to ask. There might be well be some overlap from what I have heard.

Anonymous said...

You might want to include with your information that James Ryan endorsed the MoU.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

James Ryan did not vote for the MOU on executive.

Anonymous said...

Why did James Ryan vote against the ratification of the MOU but then endorse it at Council of Presidents?

Anonymous said...

If you write that Elaine McMahon voted against the MOU at the COP meeting in July then, in fairness, you should write that James Ryan voted for the MOU at the COP meeting in July. Do not let your bias, David, override what is fair. Be transparent.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I corrected the COP votes for both Eileen and James. Elaine no. James yes. Thanks! I will ask James Ryan about his COP vote. It is interesting. He did vote against it on executive

Anonymous said...

So let me see if I've got this straight. You've got a current president who skips the MOU vote in the executive session but states that he would have voted for it if he had of been there. Then you've got the past president who was there but didn't vote for it but says he would have (by way of his endorsement) (Sound of hand slapping forehead) I think at this point it is fair to ask the question? Did you people actually teach in a classroom???? Egads!!!

Anonymous said...

David here is an idea: ask every candidate why they voteed they way they did at both exec and the COP (where applicable), and what they would do now.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I'll think about asking them that. My only concern
is that a lot of them might now agree it should've been ratified by a member vote, so they will say they shouldn't have supported it, not meaning that they are necessarily against the MOU. I'm thinking it might be better to just ask why they voted like the way they did. Feedback?

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I think its better we fix our union rather than throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater. Without a union we are dead meat. The MOE, school boards + trustees all know that as do all 3 parties. We are not better off without a union. I just want that works for us the members and let's us have the final say, be it one member one vote in a contract or election etc. etc. etc. Surely the new media breakthroughs allow all sort of direct involvement that was never before including open participation, transparency and communications?

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Otherwise yeah, this is stupid and really sucks.

Anonymous said...

I'm an OSSTF member, and it sounds to me like OECTA has been busted up. Both McGuinty and Hudak are out to bust up unions, because that's when unions are most vulnerable.
Put yourself back together, OECTA. Because if you don't, the next Premier will move in for the kill. A lot of ETFO and OSSTF members think current OECTA leaders are parasites, happy to sit back and coast while we fight hard, and OECTA gets to benefit from all our hard work with the "me too" clause.
But when I read the comments here, I know that you don't want to be grubby parasites. So fight with us. Join us with the extra-curricular boycott. The more solidarity we have, the shorter this fight will be.
Fight with us, OECTA members.

Anonymous said...

OECTA is a joke. I bet they have already written the cheque (You know? The one funded by the members dues) to Working Families. Now the Liberal operatives can spend the members money against the best interests of the membership under the guise that the union must stop Tim Hudak. PATHETIC.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Well, I know quit a few of them up at OECTA provincial are NDP, James and Victoria for sure. They have in the past always been pragmatic. I worked on the strategic voting model with them since about 2000 until a year or so ago. Basically, you want to block the Tories from getting more seats. If that happens we are screwed. For the last while the OLP did have the best chance in more ridings, so that's how the endorsements and support went. If that model is still being used then I would suggest it should shift the other way, towards the NDP, because my understanding is that we avoided party biases and allegiances to do what worked. Complication now as I would see it, is that we also didn't get involved in fights between the Liberals and NDP, and supported the incumbants who needed support the most. In a Tory riding it was which party had the best chance with our help, and could win. Otherwise everytime you split the NDP OLP split you let a Tory come down the middle and win another seat. It will be interesting to see whether the strategy remains the same. Basically, IMHO in canada, and iin Ontario, we need to

Kulture Kult Ink said...

IMHO in Canada + Ontario we need to unite the parties, preferably to the centre left within the middle of the political spectrum where most of the votes are. Otherwise the Conservatives are going to continue to benefit from the situation.

Anonymous said...

After the recent backstabbing by Mcguinty I don't know how anyone advocates block voting by teachers for any of these sleezy politicians! Union action is much more effective than sucking up to these turncoats....

Anonymous said...

In response to the query regarding Kevin O'Lwyer's absense during the MOU exec vote.... apparently he was off at a press conference with the MOE signing the MOU "deal" when the exec vote was happening on July 5. The MOE had booked him for the presss conference and when she said "Jump", he said, "How high?".

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