OECTA's Chris Karuhanga Speaks!

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[Other OECTA Election Candidates:James Ryan Speaks! See: Presidents Race ]

Thanks to OECTA Provincial Treasurer Candidate Chris Karuhanga for replying to the following questions prior to this weekend's election at our 2013 AGM!

Why did you vote for/against the OECTA MOU?

 

 I voted for the MOU with good intentions, under very difficult circumstances, and in absence of any less painful or less unpleasant alternatives that I could possibly think of at the time.

Do you believe it is still the right decision you made? Why or why not?

 

At the time that I made the decision – in that moment and context - it was the least unpleasant of all other possibilities that I had the ability to think of that our membership could experience thereafter. Removed from that moment and context, it was clearly not the right decision! Reasons:- 1. subsequent negotiations with groups still in the trenches, produced improvements that we never thought ‘possible’ at that time and which OECTA had to use the ‘me-too’ clause to benefit from as well; 2.the absence of any process for input/approval/vote by membership in respect of this MOU with significant, unprecedented concessions. As I have publicly stated before, had I known the process that would be unfolding post-signing the MOU – I would not have signed it. For my own failure in that regard, I take full responsibility.

 

What would you do to improve OECTA’s communications with our membership?

 Effective communication is only possible when there is unmistakable honesty, transparency and clarity in the framing of the content of messages that are intended to be shared for the benefit of all the parties involved. Those would be useful starting areas to start, in OECTA.

 

Would you support “one member one vote” for executive elections + union referendums on other issues besides contract ratification?

 

As you may know, I was part of the PDT Task Force whose recommendations going to our AGM this week, include an all-member vote for any Provincial Agreement ratification. The idea of a one member one vote is a most ideal opportunity to engage our members, have them focus on current issues that matter to us in our teaching World, while gauging the Executive leadership contenders’ clear understanding of the same. There may be a need to re-vamp how we currently operate, so that every contender is afforded the same opportunity to raise their profile before members across the Province. Nonetheless, it is an idea worth exploring and I would support it.

How has our solidarity with the other affiliates been affected over the past year?  Does the situation pose a future danger?  What can OECTA do to foster union solidarity in the next 2 years ahead?

 Our solidarity with other affiliates, both in Labour and in the education sector today faces a credibility hurdle, and our current OECTA leadership has lost trust – in my view - in the eyes of very many labour groups. Internally, we’ve been busy creating the appearance before our membership that all is well with labour working partnerships, by simply dropping known names in labour and falsely indicating that we are proactively engaged with them in constant discourse over issues of mutual concern. We have a considerable damaged-relationships-repair job before us. I believe it will take some time but it will definitely require dramatic, visible, meaningful and ‘trusted’ leadership change at OECTA’s helm, just to start. 

How can we protect and enhance local Collective Bargaining if the government wants to move towards a Provincial Bargaining model?

 Local collective bargaining has been under threat for quite some time now – given the preceding PDT’s that have produced partial Collective Agreements and in which we have, of our own volition, played along. Consequently, I don’t believe we are any longer in the position to protect local Collective Bargaining as we have traditionally known it before, although we also know that Provincial Bargaining as a one-solution-fits-all strategy will never work – especially in organizations that are more internally democratically-oriented, like OECTA. Assuming it is a reasonable government that wants to move in this Provincial Bargaining direction, we have to be proactively prepared to engage them to help them see our view of what would/would not work in our OECTA ‘world’.

What do you think is the greatest problem OECTA faces today?

 

 Today – the greatest problem OECTA faces, touches at the heart of OECTA’s very existence and it encompasses the following:-

 

Internal:
 

- OECTA internal polarization and divisiveness, based on current personal leadership methods of work

- shaky relationships – with partnerships that we have to work with inside our own Catholic Community and without whom we become increasingly isolated and further threatened.

External:

- threat to Catholic Education – and by extension, to OECTA.

- increased OECTA leadership mistrust relative to/by other teacher affiliates.

- OECTA leadership credibility issues in the labour community.

What strengths do you bring to helping solve it?

 

Our strength remains in our ability to regain course, to reclaim our credibility by tapping into relationships that some of us have cultivated over time with leadership in those groups (both internal and external) at a personal level. I know that I and others have through personal, visible outreach actions – during various recent teacher strike actions, pickets, or protests at Government Office targets etc... (with ETFO, OSSTF, CUPE) contributed to the beginning of a change in the perception that the entire OECTA membership was the ‘enemy’! My strengths are in building bridges and sustaining them. My assets are my character, personality and ability to nurture and sustain healthy, trusted, working relationships based on honesty, fairness and directness. This honest relationship building exercise has to continue, preferably with and by those who have visibly shown themselves to have the ability to do so in the past.

How do we know that you are committed to working for us, the membership, if we elect you to represent us?

 

My commitment to working for my OECTA colleagues is not motivated by any personal gain or any consideration of stature – whatever that is worth. Whatever I dedicate myself to freely do for the collective of which I am part, I also know that if done well, will also directly benefit me alongside my OECTA colleagues. That is good enough motivation for me.

Optional: Is there anything else you would like to add? If so please comment.

Finally – I believe that serving you/working for you continues to be both an honour and privilege – and that over the last 9 years on your Provincial Executive, I have built a humble record of this committed service that speaks for itself on many levels, on my behalf.

No big secrets or privileged info here on my blog. For more OECTA Election Info see: MOU etc?

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