Opening Statement



Monday 14 January 2013

January Teachers Protest Digest 1

Updated January 20th 12:55 pm.

Welcome back to the school week! Please note an Acronym list is provided for your convenience on the January 13 blog. News links are categorized according to their content after they are removed from the "Latest News" section. New links regularly added below.

Protest News


Toronto teacher protesters force Bay Street to grind to a halt so our message can be heard! Flags from ETFO, OSSTF and OECTA waved proudly in the stiff winter night air. The winter of our discontent? OECTA is back as our activists help lead the all affiliate charge.
See my January 16 blog!


Protester + reader Chris from Timmins made the trek to attend the MOE Bay St. Protest!

Here's the CTV video news report on the MOE protest rally! See: Bay Street Blocked

This video takes you right out onto Bay Street with everyone. Wow! See: Bay St. Boogie!

Some more good photos from the protest. Also see my slide show in top left corner. I have many more to add. Article claims ETFO is reconsidering it's extracurricular strategy: ETFO

ETFO ETT protests outside Broten's office again. See video + news report: ETT

Here's a whole Facebook page of protest photos from the OLP leaders debates and more. Lots of excellent photo links too. Wow! See: Lotsa Pix!

Stand Strong! Another collection of protest photos from this week: More pix!


ETFO ETT is holding a pre protest protest outside Maple Leaf Gardens on January 25th  the 1st night of the OLP leadership conference. Sounds like a protest party! See: ETT J25

Here's the flyer to shareflyer  

Don't forget the J26 OFL protest rally on the big day of the OLP leadership race!!! Plan now. SeeRally Now!

OFL President Sid Ryan talks up the J26 protest. Over 100 bus loads of protesters from across the province are expected. Sid Ryan

Yes. OECTA is supporting the OFL Rally for Rights + Democracy Protest March + Rally on January 26. However, with the rally notice that was sent to each member, a disclaimer was attached. Here it is:
OECTA members attending the Democratic & Economic Rights Campaign rally at the Ontario Liberal Leadership Convention agree to assume all risks of travelling to and from Toronto and of participating in the rally and march on January 26, 2013 and agree to RELEASE and SAVE HARMLESS OECTA, their officials, employees and agents from any and all liability, claims and actions in respect of injury, loss or damage to their person or property wheresoever or howsoever caused including, negligence of OECTA or their officials, employees and agents arising out of or in connection with taking part in the OFL Democratic & Economic Rights Campaign rally. [sic]
My commentary: I know! How incredibly embarrassing!!! My understanding is that the OECTA legal team has asked that it be attached. It sounds like we are getting permission from mommy to go on a kindergarten trip for crying out loud. Is that how provincial views us??? [Wait! Don't answer that!!!] Will we have to hold hands getting on and off the bus? Can we walk on the street during the march or must we stay on the sidewalk? [Imagine what would've happened if they organized the Bay St shutdown last night?!?] Will there be a special announcement for everybody to watch out for us so we don't get hurt. [ "Attention"! Attention! If you see anybody from OECTA could you please ... " ] Does provincial really think we are that stupid?!? [Wait! Don't answer that either!] Sigh. Alas. And who will bring the milk and cookies?!? Enquiring minds need to know!
Dissident OECTA Members! Worry not! Presidential candidate James Ryan and our Toronto OECTA TSU + TECT political activists, including others from across the province will also be there with everyone who isn't afraid of your own shadow! [see above]. Please bring your group too! Let's rock + roll at J26! 

Latest News 

First Federal Liberal leaders debate will be live online 4pm Sunday January 20 for any sticklers for pain. Anyhow, could be interesting to see if Justin Trudeau is all form no content. That is a growing concern. NDP leader Mulclair figures he will be able to wipe the floor of parliament with him. Hmmm. See: Federal Lib debate

A primer for  the first debate or Federal Liberal leadership candidates  this Sunday afternoon afternoon in BC: Federal Liberal

Those darn ratifications: Local OECTA Unit members! You might want to check. How was your signed contract forwarded to the MOE? From the school board or OECTA provincial?!? I heard it through the grapevine that sometimes the school boards forwarded it to the MOE after it was ratified. They also attached the MOU as a matter of course. Ummm. Did you approve the MOU when you ratified your local contract? Think about it. Ouch!!! 

I've applied for my blogger accreditation to attend the OLP leaders convention. I could cover it live, plus the outside protest too. First they've got to check out my site. Anyone want to gamble on the odds they give me the green light? :-)

More new additions below ....

Party Politics



Andrea's  acting + sounding like the premier. Will she win the seat this spring? Right now she says there is lots of important work to do. No time for cheap electioneering.

Some good basic politics spelled out by NDP leader Andrea Horwath in a CBC interview. We are not in an election campaign now, there is work to do! Also she tried to warn McGuinty about where his treatment of teachers would lead. Claims none of this would've happened if she was in the premier's chair. Good stuff! See: Andrea goes for it!

Wynne confirms tacticians swayed cabinet to turn on teachers for political gain during the by-elections. It ran against the Liberal brand and spun out of control. Can't get much more frank then that. She also explains why she didn't then drop out of cabinet. Wow! See: By elections?

See the interview of Wynne in which the statement was made: Video

Kathleen Wynne tells all [again]: She claims the premier made the decision to prorogue the legislature without consulting the caucus. A lot of the MPP's were very upset. Wynne says she would recall the legislature quickly if elected. She's been spilling the beans quite a bit lately, if that's what it is. I suppose it seeks to delineate her as a rebel in the public eye, but how about with the OLP insiders who will decide her fate at the convention? See: Wynne tells more

Did the McGuinty Liberals "buy off" our teachers over the last 9 years? Both the far right and the far left seem united on this one. Still, is that all that the good work done together to rebuild our education system into one of the best in the world adds up too?!? See the Huffington Post: Buy Out?

McGuinty back in the day? See and hear him speak out for us during the 1997 teacher protest strike when he was in opposition. Amazing difference! He's come full circle! Go to: 1997


The times they are a changin' + not 4 the better!

Does this mean I'm famous now? Well I'm honoured 4 sure. Rabble.ca quotes rather extensively [Heh heh ... er ... 2 paragraphs] from my blog in a discourse on what's gone wrong/ will get worse in Ontario when it comes to provincial union contract negotiations. See: Rabble rousers unite!

NDP's Andrea Horwath is willing to work with the Liberals rather than head straight into a spring election. She leaves the door open for a NDP-Liberal Coalition. Last time that happened in the late 1980's a lot of progressive legislation got passed. I also thought they tended to balance each others excessive tendencies and bring out the best in both parties. Course it didn't last long. See: Coalition?

Wynne is interested in talking with Andrea if she wins OLP leaders raceWynne + Horwath

Now Wynne is not interested in a NDP Liberal coalition. I myself hope that's just OLP leadership race election talk. See:  No coalition?

NDP-Liberal coalition based upon a lot of hypotheticals but was used to shut out the PC's with success before: Coalition?

Now Andrea claims a coalition is just one of many options she's considering. Sounds dissolute but I'm not so sure. A trial balloon? How will both parties feel if faced with a Tory minority government? Provides food for thought. See: Yes or no?

Naturally Hudak revels Toronto Sun readers with tales of financial woe to follow if NDP-Liberals form a coalition. Hey! Didn't the last provincial PC government leave us with a secret $6.5 billion debt we didn't find out about until after they were defeated?!? For shame. See: Hudak

PC Education Critic Lisa MacLeod savours the OLRB decision. Her focus is on the OLP. See: PC response

Here's a link to Tim Hudak's "Pathways to Prosperity". Big on self proclaimed "Bold Ideas" short on details, it seems to be his idea of the new "Common Sense Revolution". We know where that all took us. Shudder. These are the white papers he keeps touting across the province about everything from "Right to Work" [for less] to you name it. It sometimes seems he could only be elected by default, but he's getting all his ducks lined up and stranger things have happened. A year from now, could this be the new blueprint for the Ontario government? Best to be aware of what he is up to. Check it out sometime: Tim's Evil Plan!


Could we be surfing a big Tory blue wave come a spring election? Tim's not taking any chances!


Welfare to Work?!? PC Hudaks latest "Pathway to Prosperity" revives another Tory wedge issue, that of the so called "welfare bums". It divides voters and appeals to the class bigots who assume that welfare recipients want to be on welfare, and that most of them are taking advantage of the system. False. False. False. Show me the numbers and forget the urban tales.  Welfare "smart cards" will limit what a recipient can buy so they don't supposedly waste their benefits. Reduced payments for the longer someone is on welfare aren't going to provide any incentives to recipients who can't work. It's just very mean spirited, and of course also provides another scapegoat, besides teachers and public servants for whatever ails. How about proper social support services and public assistance programs instead? Oh no, that makes too much sense! Unfortunately his strategy can work well for votes and Tim knows it ... Read and weep: Pathways to Divide


The Blue Meanie gets bolder + bolder! Look! He's sneering at the poor people now! Attaboy Tim!

Huffington Post Canada reports on Hudak's latest "bold idea" + compares it with Mike Harris' "war on the poor": War on the poor

Only 38.6% of unemployed Canadians received unemployment insurance benefits in November 2012. OMG when will these people ever stop abusing the system eh TimWho's abusing who? Our fight is a lot bigger than ourselves! See: Statscan

Andrea's off to a NDP summit meeting in Ottawa with her federal counterparts and other NDP'ers from across the country. Wonder if the coalition idea could catch on federally? If the federal NDP and Liberals could unite the left, they certainly would have the lion share of the votes across Canada. Never seems to happen though. See: NDP Summit


Andrea Horwath: An NDP + Liberal Coalition?

Union Politics

For an incredibly thorough + succinct explanation of the OLRB's decision last week, see TVO Agenda's interview with labour lawyer Mark Geiger. I'd say this is required viewing, even though it is about 20 minutes long. You will be in the know. SeeTVO Agenda

Strategic victories:  the OLRB hearing + MOE Bay St protest? The teacher fight has become totally enmeshed with the OLP leaders race.The OLP? MOE? You can run but you cannot hide. We are everywhere. We create media events. We become the news. Ha. Jerry Rubin + Abbie Hoffman called it Guerrilla Street Theatre in the sixties + the strategy probably goes back a lot further than that. It works especially great nowadays with all the widespread, instant media coverage, not to mention our social media networks. The whole province is our political stage for getting the teacher message across! One can't mention the OLP race now without also discussing us + our issues! Anyway, for a good discussion on the state of the good fight see: Ontario News Watch


Yippie Abbie Hoffman with his best seller "Steal this Book"

I look forward to developing this protest theme more in a future blog. Here's an interesting read on Abbie Hoffman + the Yippie Guerrilla Theatre protest activities in the sixties for now. I'd disagree with the author's argument about the limits of the modern day media [ie. social media? for disseminating information + news.The internet?] Still see: Yippie!

Blogger Elle Fury provides an interesting feminist critique from the perspective of an OSSTF English teacher examining the political - economic paradigm, if you will, in which our teacher political actions unfold. See: Read Elle Fury's blog


Elle's Fury = a woman's fury. I hear you, but what to do then?

BC teachers send their solidarity messages. They totally get it. [link fixed -thanks!] See: BC Teachers

One minute messages? CLC has a video short on how 1 out of 5 young people today are unemployed. There is also a contest to make a one minute video on how unions represent fairness and respect. A good class activity? See: CLC 1 Minute Videos

O.Canada.com's Nasty Mr. McNasty Rob Granatstein wants teachers to be forced to miss a PD day to make up for last Friday. Could somebody please tell him it was the MOE who called for a last minute OLRB hearing and the school boards who cancelled classes the night before. Duh. His skiing comment is particularly loathsome + odious. See: PD Days?


As Baby Huey says "Duh!"

CUPE Education workers vote to ratify their new contracts. They include job security, sick leave support, pension protection, as well as the 2 year pay freeze. More than 2 dozen locals have ratified with the rest having until next Monday to do so. Among those CUPE locals ratifying the contract to date are the TDSB, York and Hamilton.Now, OECTA has taken quite a bad rap for breaking ranks and agreeing to a deal. Why the silence on CUPE? How is this different? Fair is fair? No? I've been very hard on my own teacher affiliate, OECTA, for signing a deal. Quite rightfully so, I believe. I'd like to hear the explanation on why CUPE should be treated any differently. Is there any difference? Everybody seems very quiet about this. Colour me puzzled. See: CUPE

Teachers get back one more sick day as a result of CUPE deal. I know! Let's round it off to 20. To be sure, believe it when you see it in your contract in black and white: 1 More

Former CAW President Buzz Hargrove weighs in on Bill 115 and Idle No More this morning on Sun TV, our Canadian Fox Network North. See: Hargrove



Should Hargrove buzz off or is he onto something? Use Comment button below.

On CBC Metro Morning Buzz says that the teachers suffered most as a result of the OLRB decision and speaks out against the extracurricular boycott. He believes these are "major mistakes" from a strategic point of view. Hear the interview at: Major Mistake? 

What do Ontario and Egypt have in common? Think Bill 115. The devil is in the details. From a teacher in Ontario North West comes this interesting letter to the editor. See: Ontario + Egypt?



True Canucks! Protests continue up Ottawa way even tho it's so cold your ipod or microphone can freeze! Imagine that! How to provide speeches and tuneage?!? -17 degrees celsuis! 


Hamilton Public Board expresses frustration over the Bill 115 labour situationContract process?

Thames Valley District Ski Country continues to feel the impact of the withdrawal of extracurriculars, as do city attraction destinations for school trips. See: Extracurriculars

OECTA TSU Executive has met to select the delegates for this Spring's OECTA AGM. The notices should be sent out in the mail asap. This year promises to be the most interesting one in a good many years! The excitement builds. We should arrange our own little caucus meet for those who read my blog.

OLP Leadership Race

McGuinty's contributions to education in Ontario are great but his legacy has become mired in recent actions with teacher contract negotiations. Too bad. What was he thinking?!? See:  Daltons Education Legacy


Dalton + Terry have always been a close item during their 9 years in Toronto. She misses Ottawa.

Queen's Park scuttlebutt is that Terry McGuinty is counting down the days until January 26th. Dalton is making good on his promise he wouldn't stay on as Premier for more than 10 years. She has quit her teaching job in Toronto and is looking very forward to spending more time back at the family quarters in Ottawa. 

Timmin's Press editorial complains the only time northerners see the OLP is when they want votes. Change -what change?!? See: Timmins

The Toronto Star reports on this weekends OLP leadership candidates delegate voteToronto Star

Final Scores going into the OLP leadership convention on Jan 25-26: OLP Delegate selection: Pupatello-504/ Wynne-463/ Kennedy-257/ Takhar-244/ Sousa 198/ Hoskins-104/ independents=67/ Total: 891. There are also an additional 419  ex-officio votes.

Percentages are: Pupatello=27%/ Wynne=25%/ Kennedy=14%/ Takhar=13%/ Sousa=11%/ Hoskins=6%/ Independents=4%


An Enterprise Canada Poll: Who would make the best OLP party leader? See: OLP leaders Poll

Steve Paikins claims Pupatellos chances of winning a seat before she would recall the legislature are far from a given, even if the Dunc' gives up his. See: Safe Seats?

The OLP numbers game: an interesting analysis: OLP delegates?

The Toronto Star's Bob Hepburn handicaps the OLP candidatesPupatello 6-5/ Wynne 3-1/ Kennedy 25-1 etc. Considers where the candidates delegates will go as the balloting continues. Some surprises? See: Odds?



Jan 26: Ontario's 1st woman premier? Win with Wynne? Or will it be the pooper? 

Ontario seems poised to have it's first women premier. How long she remains in office though, is not nearly so sure. See: 1st Woman Premier

Kathleen Wynne? Huffington Post Canada's J.J. McCullough asks if the OLP is "eager to celebrate a more tolerant Ontario than actually exists?" Ouch! Still, it is the silent elephant in the OLP leadership debate + a lot of strategists' minds, especially with the party on the skids. See: Kathleen

Takhar does surprisingly well in delegate vote selection. Is he fit to run the province? Martin Regg Cohn thinks not. Some scary insights: Takhar

Warren Kinsella + others weigh in on Cohn's article. Some consider it racistKinsella

Eric Hoskin's plans to stay in the race despite his low number of delegatesHoskins

OLP leaders "poker faced" about who they will support if eliminated from the race. Takhar counters accusations made against him: Poker faces 

Is the OLP dividing into two camps during the leadership race? How it seems to be shaping up and why. See: OLP Camps?


Ontario's corporate bad boys haven't been paying their taxes. Guess where the money will come from now? 


Pupatello + Wynne's political dance with Hudak + Horwath. Wheee! It's a political party
See: Scott Stinson

Pupatello downplays need for a provincial election. Still plans to hold her own by election to get a seat and leave the legislature prorogued until March: Pupatello

The next Premier: a footnote in Ontario history? This article assesses Wynne and Pupatello's chances of survival: footnote?

How did 1990's OLP Leader Lyn MacLeod became a footnote in Ontario political history? See: Lyn MacLeod 

Kennedy claims OLP needs to shake off it's "governmentitis" to stay in power. Does he seem a distant third in the delegates department? Don't forget, in the last couple of OLP leadership races neither of the two front runners won. Once candidates are eliminated and the the horsetrading starts, the delegates 2nd or even 3rd choices start to become more and more important. If it's a tie a compromise candidate might win the title. Be sure that's what Kennedy is thinking. He doesn't look too unhappy with his initial numbers. Anyway, governmentitis? See: Kennedy

In Other News



Winter in Canada: Slow down + drive carefully!


Donna Quan appointed acting TDSB Director to replace Spence after plagiarism scandal: TDSB Director?

Catholic schools in Hamilton still apparently not offering GSA's as per the Ministry requirementsGSA's?

Canada is not the USA. Duh. Why Ontario's "locked door" policy won't work. Is it just a knee jerk reaction to school shootings in the US? See:  Newton North?

Then again, some Quebec students have been charged with plotting a school shooting on Facebook. Still, there are serious limits to relying on locked doors: windows, ceiling tiles, fire alarms etc. I've said it before. Read: Facebook Plot

MOE launches new initiative to help aboriginal children. Canadians are among the first to denounce apartheid, and oppression abroad, but what about in our own country? See:  Aboriginal

Here's a link to Tim Hudak's "Pathways to Prosperity". Big on self proclaimed "Bold Ideas" short on details, it seems to be his idea of the new "Common Sense Revolution". We know where that all took us. Shudder. These are the white papers he keeps touting across the province about everything from "Right to Work" [for less] to you name it. It sometimes seems he could only be elected by default, but he's getting all his ducks lined up and stranger things have happened. A year from now, could this be the new blueprint for the Ontario government? Best to be aware of what he is up to. Check it out sometime: Tim's Evil Plan!

The numbers game? The air pollution index in Beijing China today hit 888 as measured at the US consulate. The Chinese claim it's only 700. The danger line is 25. It was 2 in Toronto. Tomorrow it's expected to hit 3. Janet's niece was teaching inside China a year or two ago. Because of the pollution, she had to wear a cloth mask over face each day to go to and from school. When she got home at night she'd have to throw it out because it was pitch black. When it's really bad, no recess, or everybody gets a smog day off to stay home. Hack! Hack! Kaff! Kaff! 



Hudak: Mr. Steam Whistle is planning to blow some factory air our way!

PC opposition leader Tim Hudak wants to return manufacturing to Ontario. In a typical angry snit, he also plans to eliminate the College of Trades which is only an " ... excuse to tax businesses through membership fees." Back we go to the industrial revolution Charles Dickinson style?!? Egads! See: Factory Daze?

Golden Oldies: Listen to Winnipeg's the Guess Who play "Smoke Big Factory" [1972] here: The Guess Who

Eat the Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale from the CFT [California Federation of Teachers] Ha ha ha. To my American readers: Is the House of Unmerican Activities Committee still around? Does they know about this?!? Luckily for safety reasons there is an inadvertent message against unions in here too. ;-) See: Eat the Rich?


Hard times for rich folk?

Peterborough student sexually assaults and tries to choke teacher after class. Charges laid. This is a case for a Bill 168 teacher safety work hazard complaint too. Also a WSIB 6 should be filled out. Know your rights. This is getting to be real b.s. See: Teacher safety?

Bring back the hat! I get a lot of comments on my hats these days. I see more men wearing them [sometimes women too]. When 2 guys pass on the street you can touch your hat as a kind of cool form of recognition. It's like being in a club. Or there's a tip of the hat for a lady, chivalry shouldn't be a lost art, or somebody you respect. Ditto. Let's face it, like many of you I'm not that young anymore, [No. Really!] I don't drive a truck, play basketball or want to be a walking commercial for whatever.As far as I am concerned the old trucker and sports cap have had it! Nyet. Too each their own. Here are a few good links to hat: 

Bring back the hat: Hats!

The perfect hat for your ugly mug: Hats + You


See my Haberdashery Videobar below this blog column post.

My father in law Sus Fujiwara died this week. He is Janet's father, whom my OECTA Toronto readers probably know from having met us both around the local teacher union political and social circuit. Sus never spent a day in the hospital, including when he was born, until he was admitted about two weeks ago from the retirement home. He survived losing his family estate, the humiliation of a Japanese Internment camp in BC during WW2, and then being sent to Toronto to work as a labourer after the war was over. He always remained stoic, found gainful employment and together with his deceased wife Pat, raised their family well. He will be missed. Obituary and funeral arrangement details for this Saturday are available at: Sus


Susumo Fujiwara  1920 - 2013 RIP


UK teacher morale takes a big hit with new policy to let head teachers decide merit pay. What a recipe for nepotismNUT [National Union of Teachers] fights back. 77% of teachers oppose merit pay but pay cuts are enforced to penalize teachers involved in any job actions. Our teacher struggle really is worldwide! See: NUTs

Be aware! Alberta Canada Ministery of Education is also considering merit pay. See: No merit!

The Canadiana Corner: 


The Castro Bros: Fidel explains to Raul how it is done!

The Trudeaus: Canadian royalty? Here's the latest in the Prime Minister PET [Pierre Elliot Trudeau] saga. Deborah Coyne has entered the federal leadership race against PET's son Justin. She has also just published a book about how she had an affair with PET, and has a daughter from their tryst. They met over popcorn at a movie theatre and one thing lead to another and ... Oh la la! [ ... as they say in Quebec ... ] PET's other flings included Barbara Streisand, + classical guitarist Liona Boyd. Then he married his wife Maggie, Justin's mother. She allegedly had an affair with Jack Nicholson. True story: Fidel Castro grabbed her butt and pinched it on a state visit to Cuba. Now it seems she was with Teddy Kennedy too. Then there was the RCMP drug bust at the Harbourcastle Westin in Toronto where she was found in her housecoat in Mick Jagger's bedroom " babysitting" his children after the Rolling Stones live club gig at the El Mocambo. Well la di da. At least Harper + his wife aren't like that. OMG can you imagine? "Steve" picking up girls over popcorn at a movie theatre? Ol' Raul Castro grabbing his wife's rear end? Steve finding her in Mick Jaggers bedroom? What would he say? Do? Hey, maybe I should change my blogs name to "Hello" like the magazine, eh?!? ;-) See the latest atPET Memoirs


PET, our "Northern Magus" visits Cuba: Ah c'mon Fidel I know what you just did!

FINAL WORD

Gonzo [Bonzo?] journalist Hunter S Thompson's [1937-05] daily routine. Holy smokes! A coffee and some good tunes are enough to get me primed up to write. See 4 yourself: Bonzo Gonzo


Hunter S Thompson: Fear + Loathing + the new journalism? Umm. I'll have a coffee + some good tunes please!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

The reason people arn't mad at CUPE is because everybody feels like they have to "pick up" for school support workers. OECTA teachers on the other hand are expected to "know better" and are rightly held to account. OECTA and AEFO were the first to roll over and play jailhouse sissy to Dalton's prison crew. Largely in part due to the symbiotic relationship between OECTA Liberal PE and the Liberal Government. Look for O'Dwyer to pick up an appointment from this disgraceful government. I don't know how this guy is going to show his face as past president when he comes around AGM for his free supper.

Anonymous said...

ETFO and OSSTF are the only holdout unions left. They are now a minority. OECTA, AEFO, CUPE, OPSEU, and the doctors all found a way to work with this government. CUPE members ratified their agreement by a large majority. OECTA can no longer be singled out

Anonymous said...

The government threw a fair deal at CUPE so they could focus their fight against OSSTF and ETFO. You can't blame CUPE for signing and ratifying. This was NOT the case with OECTA provincial who DID NOT ratify and and acted out of self-serving incompetence. OECTA is the reason we are in the position we are today.

Anonymous said...

Do you think the pollution rose to those limits because Dalton is there leading a delegation? His smoke screen is off the charts!!!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I just created a new Facebook Page in a minor attempt to promote positivity about teaching in Ontario. It's called...Thank an Ontario Teacher Movement. Basically, a page for anyone to thank a special teacher from their past in elementary school or high school that they feel had a positive impact on them. Please visit it and let me know what you think. It's for all teachers from all unions and the public.

Anonymous said...

I believe Kevin O'Dwyer OECTA President was also in attendance at yesterday's protest. Well done. He has been a true leader during these difficult times. History will show that OECTA mitigated the worst of the government's parameters. If not OECTA and the other affiliates would be forced to accept an inferior agreement as legislated by the government. Show the Liberals our disdain at the next election but show it in a strategic way that puts the NDP into power and not the Tories. We will forget the Liberals in a hurry once the Hudak-Harris Conservatives start their cuts.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

If Kevin was there he wasn't with the OECTA group nor did he get up to speak with the other affiliate leaders. James Ryan was with us all night as were the local OECTA affiliate presidents, so I'm pretty sure he was a no show. I'm not trying to discredit your argument by saying so, but I find that aspect highly unlikely.

Chris from Timmins said...

Hi David. Thanks for posting the picture of us standing up for teacher rights and democracy at the rally last night. It was great to meet you and to be a part of the energy that was present. As a former OECTA member it makes me proud to see that some in OECTA have the strength to lead by example and live the message that was taught to me when I attended leadership training and political action events in my short career as a Catholic teacher. I find your blog informative and see a real value in the work you do in holding your provincial executive to account. As in any democratic institution it is the duty of those with ability to watch those in power and report on their activities to keep the membership informed. The labour movement needs more people like you to hold it true to its principles and your voice is an inspiration. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

The Toronto Start article on the protest quotes Kevin and states that he was there. Is this erroneous?

Anonymous said...

If Kevin was there he certainly kept a low profile. Probably didn't want to attract too much attention and get Laurel mad at him. Gotta think of the future and a possible appointment to something. Maybe assistant deputy minister of education. Ahh yes that has a nice ring to it. History will show that O'Dwyer's capitulation paved the way for increased bullying by the Liberals in negotiating the rest of the crap deals with the other unions. He laid down big time for his corporate master and sold out labour.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

You are right. It does say that. However, like I said, he wasn't with our OECTA group, didn't speak publicaly, nor did we see him with Sam Hammond. Would've expected he would and would have liked to have see him there too. I will ask around some more to confirm what happened. Thanks!

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Hi Chris! The pleasure was all mine. It's so great you could make it all the way from Timmins for the Bay Street Protest! Northern Ontario Rocks!!!

Anonymous said...

I call total b.s on O'Dwyer being at the rally. Any good politician in attendance would work the crowd, shake hands, talk to people.... you know like be..... visible! He would have gone to the mic, addressed his members and maybe even spoken with the media who most surely would have recognized him. If he did go it is embarrassing for OECTA that he wasn't seen! Oh wait I did see a guy there in a chicken suit handing out flyers to Popeye's. Could that have been our president?

Anonymous said...

"I believe Kevin O'Dwyer OECTA President was also in attendance at yesterday's protest. Well done. He has been a true leader during these difficult times. History will show that OECTA mitigated the worst of the government's parameters."
My comment this poster smokin' somethin'! Who in their right mind would post anything like this? O'Dywer will ONLY be remembered as the traitor to ALL unionized workers in Ontario. That includes the person who posted, their children and families. Shame, shame,shame

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Maybe Kevin posted it?!? Me bad! ;-) I give voice to all points of view here, agree or disagree. Still, I couldn't resist ...

Anonymous said...

LOL! David. Probably! Love your sense of humour. I hope all OECTA members are supporting James and he becomes your new president. After all that OECTA has been through, you deserve more than an idiot like O'Dwyer. If james visits your blog, I wish him the best of luck!

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