Opening Statement



Friday 3 April 2015

Teacher Free Speech April News + Views!

Spring is sprung! Summer holidays are coming! See the categories below for your latest Ontario Teacher Free Speech April News + Views links. Updates are later included in large type. The 2011-15 Archives are located for easy reference top left of your screen. My Blogsite Acronym Guide is @ Here! 



Upcoming Cuba news + teacher strike coverage continues here! 

Fighting the good fight @ Happy Easter!

TEACHER + UNION

"Parents Strike" are planning to withdraw their children from classes the week of May 4th to protest the provinces new Sex Ed bill. Much more info about the issues is on my Teacher Free Speech Guide to Ontario Sex Ed Curriculcum blog [Go Here] and at the parents' Facebook page @ Facebook

OSSTF Sudbury walks out on strike Monday morning April 27, joining OSSTF Durham who have been on strike for a week now @ OSSTF Strikes!

CUPE workers offer solidarity + support to striking OSSTF teachers in schools @ CUPE

Sudbury public trustees rejected every single "substantive" issue OSSTF brought up at the local bargaining table. Looks like the province and trustees are gunning for a big show down @ Sudbury

Ditto Durham where the school board has announced that no changes in the strike situation are expected @ Durham

Details on how the Sudbury board plans to accomodate parents and students during the strike @ Sudbury

OSSTF D3 accuses Sudbury board of misrepresenting the union's negotiating position. BTW read the "Comments" below the article here for a much more balanced response. Teacher input too? Get writing? Go for it @ Northern Life



Day 1: OSSTF Provincial Exec joins Sudbury D3 on picket lines

Stories to watch: Our Ontario teacher unions move into strike position this month: 

OECTA has voted 94.2% in favour of strike action. ETFO voted 95% and is set to go beginning May 10! Meanwhile OSSTF Durham and Sudbury are already on strike, with 5 more units awaiting word! As for OECTA: when will they "walk the talk"?! 

The Toronto Sun has set a May 10 OECTA strike date, which is bogus. Typical Toronto Sun muckraking or just plain inaccurate journalism? The real interesting news story here, for our new teachers anyway, is the riled up and hate filled "teacher bashing" tsunami that follows in the "Reader Comments" below the Sun article. 

Realistically speaking, brace yourself for more attacks, and ask; how will the affiliates counter the anti teacher progaganda in 2015? Regretfully, public opinion can make or break the teacher strikes, whether it's correct or not. 

It's still early in the PR [Public Relations] strategy game plan for all sides, but see @ Sun Comments 

Also see my Teacher Free Speech Spring Contract Guide @ OECTA


Hi Mike Harris!!!

CUPE education workers vote 93% for strike mandate @ CUPE!

OSSTF evokes 1997 province wide strike in rallying call for teacher strikes @ OSSTF

OECTA President James Ryan sees an OCSTA "control issue" rather than the OLP "Austerity Agenda" at the root of negotiation woes @ CNW

ETFO President Sam Hammond denounces trustees "agenda of control and micro-management" @ Sun

ETFO President Sam Hammond says teachers are "losing patience" and are "insulted" by the trustees + provinces efforts to strip contracts, erode working conditions, and reduce their ability to exercise professional judgement @ Insulted! 

Late April: ETFO, OECTA, OSSTF step up their strike plan strategy @ CTV

Both OSSTF and OECTA have walked away from the provincial bargining table expressing frustration! See my Teacher Free Speech Spring 2015 Contract Guide  Here!


Here we go again ...

Toronto Star prepares readers for months of teacher strike unrest ahead. Tired, lazy emphasis is on salary @ Star

MOE Sandals claims she's perplexed by the OSSTF Durhams strike: whats the local issue? NDP leader Andrea Horwatch denounces plans to increase class size. PC opposition laments OLP fiscal mismanagement @ Sun

Peel board accuses teachers of using students as "pawns" as May 4 strike date looms. Newbies pay heed: The provinces neo con interests are lining up their ducks with the same time tested teacher bashing tactics to manufacture consent against what the job actions are really about @ Management Agenda



7 OSSTF units are prepared to strike by the end of April: Peel, Durham, Halton, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, K-W! 10,000 teachers will be involved! @ Elliott

The OSSTF strike clock countdown is now ticking at 7 "lighthouse" boards. OSSTF is looking at a "full withdrawal of services" @ Globe

OSSTF Durham warns of April 20 strike date if local CB not reached @ Strike!

OSSTF Durham: ticking bomb @ Star

OSSTF cites Durham boards "complacency and indifference" @ Sun

OSSTF Peel ready to strike April 25th @ Peel

Premier Wynne responds to OSSTF strike notice. Pay freeze issue cited @ Canadian Press

Provincial PC + NDP respond CTV

ETFO files for conciliation @ Hammond.

ETFO receives "no board report" from the province. They are "losing patience" and have set a May 10 stike date @ ETFO

OECTA strike rallies begin April 7, with strike votes being held April 23-24th. President Ryan's rally speech is @ Ryan



Teacher strikes ahead?

The Supreme Court of Canada's decision that the right to strike is constitutionally protected could have an impact on the educational sector @ BLG

MOE has announced that Ontario's education budget will be frozen this year. Minister Sandals claims that because of declining student enrolment the amount of funding per pupil will actually increase. She is also targeting unused school space as a budget saver @ Sandals

MOE nixes Hamilton Catholic board plan to demolish unused school wings to balance budget @ HCDSB

Picture of Sunshine? Indie HCDSB News blogger reports that according to the latest Sunshine list, Halton Director Paula Dawson was paid $17,000 more than allowed. Seems the MOE's turned a blind eye! Or maybe they got their shades on?!? More @ Oops! Me Bad!



Shhh! Don't tell anyone!?

Ontario School Bus Association calls on boards to release collision reports. Over 1500 cited in Toronto alone since 2010 @ Crash

Dufferin Peel Catholic Board + the Archdiocese of Toronto seem to be involved in the cover up of a school priest from the US. He has confessed to a series of sexual assaults on a 9 year old boy in a suicide note @  Dufferin Peel



Dufferin Peel Catholic board admits it does not report sex abuse allegations to parents or the community @ Peel

Neighbourhood school streaming is helping to create the systemic inequities of a two tiered education system in Toronto @ Segregation?

TCDSB budget cuts continue with minimal accountability, transparency, consultation or discussion. The local OECTA and CUPE units have joined together to make recommendations, as per the board's request [Letter]. Regretfully, only 5 minutes total twere allowed for the unions to present as a part of the very dubious and flawed board "process". [Process] Trustees Rizzo and Davis continue to often ask good questions, while nonetheless voting for job and program cuts. The unions wonder why the board balancing act doesn't involve more admin cuts and selling off a few board properties. Indeed the 2015 Sunshine lists shows fat pay raises for senior administrators are definitely not on the chopping block too [Sunny]. See my TCDSB March News + Views coverage @ Here!  

TDSB will now be making an additional $7 million in cuts. MOE funding announcements cited @ TDSB

TDSB releases list of 41 school safety recommendations in wake of student stabbing death including giving teachers for more supervision duties as cops on the cheap. Duh! It's a vicious urban jungle out there folks!!! What about the teachers' safety?!?  @ Safe Teachers too?

TCDSB: Further cuts now include: 14 principals, 8 VP's, 30 EA's, 4 Guidance, and $500,000 in PD. Not mentioned is the 106 secondary school teachers cut @ CP24



Sign the Teach All Kids petition to protect programs for children with severe learning challenges from the TCDSB's drastic cuts @ Change.org

TCDSB is now looking at revenues to balance the budget with a running total of nearly $30 million in cuts having all ready been made @ City TV

Cuts include I.T. services, textbooks and a 5% cut in general non staff cuts. The board has until June 30 to make the cuts before the MOE gets on their case. Why the mad rush?!? More @ 1010

The Catholic board will be now running operations just like in an old fashioned "company" town! Yup! Trustees have voted to charge teachers and staff for parking at school and the board offices! Now you will pay to park to go to work for them on property they own? It's a lot like the mean, nasty company towns of old where they owned everything. You worked to pay them off. Even at $5 a day, that's $100 a week, up to about a $1000 a year! Sounds like a pay cut to me! And it's because they made a mystery accounting error they won't provide a line by line breakdown for?!? Other board teachers: watch out!

BTW: wondering what the OECTASA Secretariat contract looks like from 2012 when we plebs got the OECTA MOU? What a scoop! "OECTA Watchdog" launches another much needed blogsite into the teacher free speech cybersphere @ OECTASA

OECTA Watchdog has also added an OECTASA poll @ Poll

Alberta Catholic schools may be preparing to "out" students to their parents if they join a school GSA club, under the new provincial legislation, @ GSA's


CUPE 3903, the York TA's union celebrate a major strike victory with a new contract that strengthens tuition indexation and includes a new LGBTQ employment equity clause! Bravo @ CUPE

Striking TA's at University of Toronto and York earned widespread faculty and undergrad support @ CPCML

Contrary to popular opinion, public services sector wages aren't sky rocking @ OPSEU

Re: 19 month USW Toronto Crown Plant Worker Strike: This weekend there's a GTA Education Workers Solidarity Rally at the plant on Saturday April 11 2015, from 12 until 2pm. It's sponsored by ETFO Peel/ ETT, OSSTF D19/20, and YCT OECTA, Why not go too to show some much needed solidarity against contract stripping? See you here? 

TYLC President John Cartwright addresses the "business of inequality" at Crown @ TYLC

My report on the GTS Education Workers USW 9176 Rally @ Solidarity!

Read my report on a visit to the USW pickets @ Week 5!


Just how much expertise do the "education experts" that are so regularly quoted on all things educational actually have? Perhaps not much @ PHYS ORG

Encouraging paternity leave can be a good way to get men to take on more child care duties @ Male teachers?

BC teacher sues her school for harassment and bullying after she had complained about the coaches abusive language towards students, including her own son @ BC 

UK teacher union NUT is concerned over the government's "Prevent" program. Ironically, it seems "Prevent's" goal of protecting "British values" from "terrorism" and "extremism" can also prevent any meaningful discussion of ideas from happening within the classroom setting. If a student says something politically incorrect or wrong in the heat of a lively debate, then the teacher might very well have to report the student to police @ Nuts

4 out of 10 UK teachers quit within the first year due to becoming exhausted, stressed and burnt out. The UK's neo con education policies, often made up on "a wing and a prayer" are to blame @ ATL

Autism Parent Resource Kit: Share @ Ministry Child/ Youth Services!



Teachers: up in smoke?

OCT has spoken out against an off duty TDSB teacher who it seems was illegally smoking pot, claiming that we are officially on duty 24/7. The behaviour could apparently shake "public confidence" in the system. As a result a teacher could be disciplined even though it the activity is outside of school and the regular instructional day. So, what if a teacher has a medical marijuana licence? How will the schools accommodate that? With a vapour room? Or wouldn't one be allowed to teach anymore?!? Could you use up the 90 sick daze? Qualify for LTD? ;-) Besides, if teachers are in fact on duty 24/7 does that mean we should be getting a work load raise after all?!? The BS boggles the mind @ Not So High Times?

If in doubt and living in the Toronto area, perhaps it might be wise to contact Dr. Shecter and the wonderful staff at the Cannabinoid Medical Clinic to see if you qualify for one of Mr. Harper's medical marijuana licenses [ie injury, nerves etc.] CMC 

Teachers at one TDSB school are using an alternative report card to avoid using MOE approved "asset based language" [read gobbledy gook]. It simply requires providing comments in plain "clear" but "kind" English instead. With all those student "fragile egos" and "parent explosions" though, I wonder how long this will last?!? More @ Human Report Cards



PARTY POLITICS

If you have any doubts that the Wynne OLP government is through with teachers look no further: they are ready to introduce a bill limiting third party election advertising! BTW: the article states OECTA spent $2.2 and ETFO $1.2 million during the 2013 provincial election. More @ CP

Ontario is balancing the budget on the back of the public service sector as it moves further to the political right @ Austerity Binge!

Premier Wynne accuses PC's of stoking anti sex ed protests for partisan political reasons @ Star

PC leadership candidate Monte McNaughton drops out of race and endorses Patrick Brown against Christine Elliott. The vote will be held May 3-7 with the results announced at the party convention on May 9th @ Globe

Christine Elliot's claim that "Fiscal irresponsibility denies social compassion" might be too progressive for the many PC neo con's who'll be voting in the leadership race @ Pinko?!

Are we watching the PC's shoot themselves in the foot again?!? The weak leadership choices might help the OLP stay in power for many years to come @ PC's Go 2 Hell



CAMH is calling on NDP MPP Cheri Di Novo to with draw her motion to ban conversion therapy in Ontario. Seems CAMH is getting a lot of heat over its program that tries to turn trans kids straight @ Now

Parents tell Kathleen Wynne having an openly gay premier helps their homosexual kids @ Globe

Ontario Premier Wynne has spoken out against the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It allows companies to discriminate against gay and lesbian customers. Wynne invites companies like Apple, who have expressed concern, to come to Ontario where LGBTQ rights are protected @ Indiana

IN THE NEWS



US President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro ended 50 years of silence between the two countries at the 7th Summit of the Americas on the weekend. Castro brought up the deplorable US track record on Cuba. Obama reiterated his claim that the US does not support "dictators" though he did not mention which ones. Both expressed interested in finding ways to normalize US Cuba relations so they can get a more constructive dialogue happening!

Obama is next looking at having Cuba removed from it's bizzare inclusion from the US's list of "terrorist nations". The meeting also allowed him to play down the "summit subtext" of anger and disillusion over US interference and manipulation of the conference and the Americas. For starters, many of the nations were adamant the US had to finally allow Cuba to attend the conference for the summit to be more credible @ NY Times

Castro explains that the US and Cuba will need to "agree to disagree" on a move forward basis. Obama made reference to disagreeing with a "spirit of respect and civility @ BBC



Cuban President Castro y US President Obama will cross trails in a potentially high profile encounter as the US continues to "normalize" it's relations with Cuba. Get this: The US is finally allowing the Caribbean state to attend the Organization of American States [OAS] "Summit of the America's". The summit's in Panama April 10-11th. No doubt US imperialism will be the elephant in the room vis a vis US control and interference in this assembly of the "other Americas".

Castro will be in good company with fellow progressives from Venezuela and Bolivia. Perhaps they can give the US a good run for their money when it comes to the autonomy, and self determination! NIMBY? The US espouses the principles so strongly in word. Alas, but not in practice with the OAS states!

Perhaps Che was right about Bolivia after all? 50 years after he was hunted down and killed by CIA trained operatives in Bolivia, MAS [Movement Towards Socialism] President Evo Morales considers himself an admirer of Che [Che] [More Che]. However he is striving to achieve change in the economic and environmental wasteland of Bolivia through peaceful means. Betcha Barrientos must be rolling in his grave! We will watch with bated breath developments in this summit and in the years to come, as Cuba is once again "allowed" by the US to join the table. Visit the OAS site @ 
Summit

Evo y Che! 

For an insightful backgrounder on US interference + meddling in the affairs of the OAS see @ Hemispheric

Reality Fix: Despite the drivel we are fed in the mainstream media, US supported dissidents in Cuba do not actually have a very high credibility rating there. Surprised? Think about it! It makes sense! How bizarre do you think US sponsored "dissidents" would be here in Canada?!? Hopefully Cuban scholars and academics who have been constructively debating the changes sans the US style jingoism are in store for a better shake as the new reforms take hold @ Cuba Si!



US OAS: Tanks a lot! 

BTW, stay tuned for first hand reactions to US efforts to normalize relations from the Cuban school community later this month here on my site! 

A Broadbent Institute study shows that Canadians under the age of 35 tend to be more left wing in their views nowadays. Too bad they don't also vote @ 35



Former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has become an advocate for the "legalization and regulation" of marijuana. Seems Federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau and he have knocked heads. Now that his former job's gone "up in smoke" Bill Blair will be running for the Liberals in Scarborough South West in the upcoming federal election @ Blair

Federal Liberals continue to receive heat over tepid opposition to Bill C51 @ C51

Bill C-51 will jeopardize the Canadian Charter of Rights + Freedoms to further Harper's dubious US style War Against Terrorism @ Charter



Kenya school massacre: 147 students! No CF-18's!?

Blogger "Antonine Speaks" questions if racism is to blame for our lack of interest in the terrorist massacre of 147 African students at a school in Kenya. Where's the international outcry and much thumping of chests? @ 147!

Syria: just what the heck are we getting into?!? All helluza' poppin' with massive terror attacks against students, teachers and citizenry in Nigeria and Kenya but nada! No CF-18s "to the rescue". Nothing! However, PM Harper's Conservatives have used his parliamentary majority to extend Canada's controversial military intervention in the US "War Against ISIS" for a year. We will now be involved in air strikes in Syria, as well as Iraq @ Syria 

Whatever happened to PC senator "Old Duff"?!? That's what the courts want to know! It should come as no surprise that the Harper government would rather you didn't see his PC fund raiser video anymoreOld Duff

Manufacturing Consent: it is increasingly common to blame the poor for their own misfortune as the gap between rich and poor continues to grow into a chasm @ Fault Lines?

Reigning senior Misao Okawa, from Osaka Japan, has died at age 117! Her secret? She ate lots of sushi and udon noodles @ 117!

KULTURE KULT INK



Carlos Verela hangin' out at the Hotel Nacionale Cuba!

Cuban protest singer Carlos Verela is popular in Cuba for his often critical, but acceptable "Nueva Trova" style songs about the challenges facing the revolution. Jackson Brown has recently covered "Walls y Doors" in English. Hear @ Varela and @ Brown. The lyrics are translated @ Here

"The Who hits 50!" tour touches down in North America April 15th. Then it's off to Europe for a bit but back for 2 Toronto shows on Oct 19+21 [Tour]. This is seemingly the final "final tour" but we've heard that before [think of the much touted last ever Who concert in Toronto 1982 ...] These working class "Mod" punters were part y parcel of the Holy Trinity of Rock, when I was a young rocker, though I'm not sure they are as well remembered today as the Beatles or the Stones! Too bad. They were so hip it hurt! The Who's hard hitting socially and politically aware lyrics and strong power pop garage rock sensibility continues to influence new bands thru today. For a trez kool taste of the "Oooooo" back in 1965, check out this vintage Who Mod video @ I Can't Explain



Added bonus [for reading this far!]: when's the last time you danced to the Beatles + Fat Boy Slim's version of "I Am The Walrus"?!? Never??? Watch this Youtube

COMMENTS:

41 comments:

Ms.Chievious said...

Go to http://oectawatchdog.blogspot.ca/ to view OECTA and OECTASA Collective Agreement 2012-14 signed post MOU. Highlights: MJ et al get 22 bankable, cashable sick days/yr vs membership 11 with neither option, 3 months sick leave before providing a medical note vs membership being scrutinized by 3rd Party medical leave approval after 5 days, 100% pregnancy leave top up for 32 weeks vs membership limit of $500 max per week from EI, and...wait for it.....Death Gratuity vs removing Brock from his democratically voted in Presidency, for trying to protect his membership Death Gratuity.

This Collective Agreement exemplifies the fact that when OECTA uses the term "WE" they are doing so as a regal power. The Collective Agreements of the membership peasantry are forged on OECTA/SA's breadcrumbs.

Anonymous said...

So when will OECTA be in a full strike position? What's the hold up on the strike votes? Waiting for OSSTF and ETFO to get a deal for them? If they want to gain back any sort of respect they will be out before the end of this school year with the rest of us.

Ms.Chievious said...

Dear Anonymous of April 4,

It should be clear to everyone in province by now that he only time "my OECTA" takes a position its to sell the teaching profession out and take care of themselves. Regain respect??????Impossible. The entire organization needs to be imploded and replaced with people of integrity.

Anonymous said...

As far as I am concerned (and many of my colleagues at my school as well), OECTA's push for a strike vote is a contract/MOU too late. The strips in the MOU were definitely worth striking over, yet OECTA didn't even let us vote on the "deal" let alone ask for a strike vote. This time around? Meh. Sorry, I don't feel like being told "how high" when being asked to jump. I'll be voting NO to the strike vote; the bargaining team should get back to the table and negotiate.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Perhaps its become a case of do as we say not as we do? See the OECTA Secretariat contract above from the same time as the MOU! Know that the same characters are now back at the negotiating table!

I wonder if the pay increases, sick days, benefits and gratuities, which one wouldn't want to deny anyone, couldn't be held in trust until they are restored for all the members?!? Or do leaders not lead by example anymore???

BTW OECTA legal letters threatening members not to talk about whats going on are going out again! Gag order time!
For shame!

Solidarity!

David C

Anonymous said...

And what exactly can they threaten members with? Stand up for yourselves already!! And to you who will not strike, thanks for riding our coattails once again. Shame. Who's fault is it that you allowed your union to negotiate a contract without be able to vote on it???????????????????

Ms.Chievious said...

Interesting that OECTA is using member dues to pay for lawyers to gag them. Time for letters to be posted on line and in the media so OECTA's true colors can be exhibited even further than the MOU, and OECTASA CA have already exposed. Gag letters! Who the hell does OECTA think they are?!!!!!!! Members should start following the advice we give to the kids about responding to bullies-strength in numbers. What are they going to do Procedure 13 the world in yet another pathetic attempt to keep their asses covered and the truth from being told?

Anonymous said...

OECTA members are also paying for an OECTA Secretariat who apparently can only bargain when the bargaining is for THEMSELVES despite their official position as TEACHER BARGAINING AGENT. Compare the following excerpt from the SECRETARIAT CONTRACT with what the TEACHERS got in the MOU of 2012!

ARTICLE B3 - SALARY SCHEDULE
B3.01 The salary shall be paid to Secretariat members, from July 1, 2012, for the duration of the Collective Agreement, in twenty-four (24) pay periods per year.
Years of Experience
July 1, 2012
Jan 1, 2013
July 1, 2013
Jan 1, 2014
0
148,913
150,403
151,907
153,426
1
156,642
158,208
159,790
161,388
2
164,373
166,017
167,677
169,354
3
173,488
175,223
176,975
178,745
B3.02 The Association recognizes two effective dates for increment purposes, namely July 1 and January 1. In the event of a dispute the date of hire shall be used for increment purposes.
B3.03 Placement on the salary scale shall be determined by the Provincial Executive at the time of appointment.
ARTICLE B4 – CUMULATIVE SICK LEAVE AND RETIREMENT PLAN
B4.01 The name of the plan shall be THE CUMULATIVE SICK LEAVE AND RETIREMENT PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE ONTARIO ENGLISH CATHOLIC TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.
B4.02 Effective Date
This plan shall become effective September 1, 1959.
B4.03 Objectives of the Plan
(a) To protect all employees of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association in the event of a serious illness from loss of wages by allowing them to use the accumulated portion of their annual sick leave allowance.
(b) To provide employees who retire from the service of The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association with gratuity based on the terms of Articles B4.07 to B4.09.
Funny how they seem to forget how to bargain or lose track of which side they are on when they are bargaining for TEACHERS (which is supposedly their job)! They apparently had no problem keeping their own cumulative sick day plan and their gratuities either. How do I sign up for a position at the SECRETARIAT. They apparently even have a clause to cover them in the case of communicative illness. WE teachers who are exposed to thousands each day have NO SUCH CLAUSE!

Anonymous said...

That email last week from OECTA Provincial Bargaining produced this result on my staff in my school-Who do they think they are talking to? Release no information on contracts then threaten a keep quiet campaign to kill off any debate or discussion. It is good to see all members experiencing the same bizarre treatment usually reserved for select units and unit leaders.

When OECTA asks you to vote YES to a strike, ask your Provincial and Unit Presidents will they get paid while they are on strike.

Ask if the Provincial OECTA staffers will get paid if you go on strike.

Ask them how much will they get paid?

Ask them why is it that OECTA Provincial Staffers get 22 paid sick days a year while you only get 11 paid sick days.

Ask why there was no AGM 2015 Resolutions booklet published this year.

Ask them why OECTA Provincial Staff Salaries went up to levels of $178,000.00 while your salaries went down and you had unpaid days from the MOU.

Ask them all these questions.

Then, and only then, decide if you want to vote YES or NO to a strike led by the same leaders that brought you the MOU.

Anonymous said...

Where can I put foward a non-conifidence motion aimed at OECTA and our "Leaders" for a general vote?

Anonymous said...

You might also want to ask them what's with the article in the Toronto Sun and OECTA General Secretary? The Provincial Executive votes to not renew his contract at the end of February and he still is there?
And why wasn't it advertised that pro-MOU Provincial Presidential Candidate/President Elect Ann Hawkins is NOT Catholic? OOOPS. Guess the delegates did not need to know that information.

Anonymous said...

Apparently why the OECTA General Secretary is still flourishing despite his dubious (at best) deeds and his dismissal is that the local presidents all want to gain the most lucrative positions at the Secretariat and these are APPOINTED positions. Therefore they present no OPPOSITION to the evil that abounds at OECTA. Personal advancement and MAMON are the obvious concerns of our union "leadership" not the advancement of the rights and interests of due paying members. This union needs to be disbanded before it does more damage to the union movement (if it can do any more damage)! Seventy years of union gains were lost in one stroke of the pen by Kevin O'Dwyer and Marshall Jarvis et al in the MOU of 2012!

Anonymous said...

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
—Matthew 6:19–21,24 (KJV)

Our OECTA union “leaders” do not appear to be paying heed to the Gospel in their worship of Mammon; let alone representing their members!

Anonymous said...

All the above OECTA bashing needs to be substantiated with web links are they just become unproven gossip.

Anonymous said...

On the last contract the public elementary teachers set themselves back by $2000.00 because their union was either sleeping on the job or getting greedy and hoping to extract more money from the McGuinty government. At least TECT was on the ball which is why we pay them the big bucks through our union dues. The other teachers' unions are just as greedy in rewarding themselves with big pay increases as well as all the sick leave days. I can't provide a web link since they are careful to hide this information from the general public.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

This is a teacher free speech news and views blog.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous -Look at the previous postings and the links are provided. I hope that you "read and understand"/

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Please see my Teacher News + Views Link Archive 2011-15 top left column of your screen.

Anonymous said...

David there was an interesting story in the news this morning about how corporate bosses get their big salaries. They put their friends on each others' boards and vote raises for themselves. The "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" syndrome. Perhaps this is happening with OECTA- the local presidents vote big raises for the Secretariat and then subsequently get appointed to the Secretariat and reap their rewards regardless of MERIT (how well they bargain for their members).

Anonymous said...

It looks as if TECT did the job it was mandated to do before Provincial jumped in with its Central Control and Central Giveaway agenda! Hats off to Mario! It is unusual to see a teacher union boss actually looking after the rights and interests of his members THESE DAYS!

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Hey Ho Anons!

I wonder if there has been a hinterland revolt at COP + AGM with a coalition of the willing, if you will, throwing in their support for hopes of unit or personal gain before the next MOU is signed? Read over the reader comments on my site as of late and figure it out for yourself ......

As for Mario B + the crew at TECT: I have had the distinct pleasure of working with them in various capacities over the years and have no doubt they are real troopers! I 'm pretty sure Mario B still reads these blogs from time to time. He's hip to the jive! Then there's Kent M at Sudbury EL, Dave + the gang at TSU .... there's still some tip top OECTA units out there, so all is not lost!

BTW: Hope everybody who can comes out to the Crown Plant Rally this weekend! Would be great to meet and to support this important strike against contract stripping! Hope to get lots of kool photos for my site too!

Also, you can sign up to my twitter tag @davidchiarelli for regular updates + supplementary stuff, important retweets and so on. If you have an event etc, please forward!!!!

BTW where are my OSSTF readers?! We need more input!

Cheers!/
Solidarity!

David C

Anonymous said...

That goofy comment posted that everything is OECTA bashing and unsubstantiated rumour.

This can all be fixed with a posting by OECTA on its members section in the form of the Secretariat's salaries and benefits and the OECTA Secretariat's Collective Agreement.

All OECTA members pay the Secretariat's salaries via union dues so why is this information not openly published to OECTA members?

Stop playing games and publish it.

Transparency and Accountability for All!

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Teacher free speech blogs, tweets and other form of social media are puncturing holes in the OECTA Code of silence all over the place. See OECTA Watchers link for the OECTASA Contract above! Unfortunately the OECTA powers that be are too busy trying to jackboot anybody who says boo, rather than waking up to smell the coffee and get with union grass root renewal and the democratic times! So sad!

Anonymous said...

If only they were just doing their job- bargaining for fair increases for teachers (their members who are footing the bills) rather than grabbing salary, power and benefits for themselves we would have to be scrutinizing them so much! OECTA and all other unions have to be accountable! We can not continue to write them blank cheques for less than zero performance.

Anonymous said...

Tie their pay and salary increases/decreases to what they achieve for their members. There's an AGM Resolution for all unions and union staffers.

Anonymous said...

Such a resolution would never even make it to the floor as it would be either removed by the Provincial censors or by friendly unit presidents before it even got to the floor for discussion and debate at the AGM. This has happened in the last OECTA AGM's and is a shameful bid to control the agenda and stop democracy from working!

Anonymous said...

Lovely idea for a resolution though!

Anonymous said...

The anonymous comment for April 9 should read "we wouldn't have to be scrutinizing them so much". Wish this was larger type so I could read it.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Few realize that the guest blog Proposal for an OECTA Bill of Member Rights blog is still one of the most read here on my site with tens of thousands of reads in Ontario, Canada, the US, UK and even Europe! This week alone it had over 1,600 hits!

It seem to be an interesting template and food for thought for other unionists facing the same union problems we do. Ironically, little or no headway seems to be have been made at OECTA! Either it lacks a champion, or perhaps they have all been silenced by now?

Kulture Kult Ink said...

Sorry about the small type. Comment type set is standardized and I cannot adjust. If you have an Apple you can enlarge on your screen but of course not everybody does, nor wants to go that way. I find I am growing increasingly disenchanted with Apple myself.

Kulture Kult Ink said...

BTW: very thorough list of questions there Anon!

Anonymous said...

Nudge wink maybe that list of questions can be retyped into a blog entry by you. .....? Call it a List of Questions to be Asked Before Going on Strike?

Kulture Kult Ink said...

I believe OECTA Watcher will be posting a poll on her site that will be right up your alley! I will re-post the link up above in my April News y Views blog, as soon as I see it.

Lately, I am toying with the idea of re-posting the OECTA Bill of Members Rights for discussion purposes. It's "boiler plate". Could be updated with some new clauses by readers to be used as a whole and/or there are a lot clauses that you could use for separate resolutions and so on.

I'm retired, so I won't be at an AGM to steward it thru, which is the most important part. However, I can provide a cyber work space. And if anyone wanted to moderate it, like "Ask Angelo" did, then that's fine. Otherwise, if I decide to go with the idea, it's still useful as a re-post for "food for thought", which is never wasted. However, it's not like enough people don't see it anyway. If anyone has any ideas, please speak up.

As for the OECTASA issue, like I wrote in my "Teacher Free Speech + Grass Root Renewal blog, I want to divest myself of a lot of the internal OECTA drama. I can still report, provide links, docs, an open forum for discussion and debate etc. etc. etc. Without doubt, all is not well, and it shouldn't be ignored, for the long term health and well being of all the active union members it is supposed to represent!

Have you thought of using the "Create a Blog" link on the top right of my site to start your own blog? It's very cheap and easy, depending upon how fancy you want to get. The more grass root teacher blog sites the merrier! And more effective! Anyway, there are details on this months "Spring 2015 Contract Guide" blog.

Cheers/
Solidarity!

David C

Anonymous said...

As Labour Historian Leirer says workers can lose their salary and benefits without a the expense of a useless union to help them do it!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/unions-on-decline-in-private-sector-1.1150562 Old article but still most pertinent to our situation.

Anonymous said...

Make that
http://infotel.ca/newsitem/labour-day-unionization/cp19975035
See Leirer's advice about unions that have gotten "respectable".

Anonymous said...

Noticed that the police changed their sick leave plan but their saved days were grandfathered (not stolen by the government or given by the union away like the sick days of the teachers were).Ever since that happened, I am half expecting the bank manager at my bank to inform me that the bank has changed the savings plan and that my savings are gone so that I can now enjoy the new "improved" plan starting from zero savings as they confiscated mine. OECTA and the government seem to work together very well to save the government money- to avoid paying their workers. The police union at least seems to demand some degree of fairness.

Anonymous said...

David Maybe Ontario should declare itself a "have not" province or a "third world" province and ask for assistance from the "have" countries if it has no money to pay its workers!

Anonymous said...

Just witnessed the pink slip (surplus declarations) for several young teachers at my school in TCDSB. I found it totally heartbreaking just being part of the LSSAC that selected them! I predict that we will have many more pink slips in our profession if people do not become active in their unions! Young peoples' entire livelihoods are being decimated by our decisions. It is time to stand up and be counted OECTA! Enough is enough! Let's not go like lambs to the slaughter!

Anonymous said...

Maybe we need to get rid of some of our top heavy and high maintenance bureaucracy at OECTA and devote some of our member's dues to hiring a few professional bargainers. Nurses got 8% and police got 20% and teachers will probably get -20% if our "bargainers" continue to perform in their usual manner. Prudent use of union dues is one of the duties of the executive.

Anonymous said...

Hey David. Here are the results of current collective bargaining agreements with the Ontario government- police+20, nurses +8 and teachers if the spirit of the last two "bargaining" rounds continues = minus 20.

Anonymous said...

Score so far in Provincial bargaining police +20, nurses +8 and teachers -20 (the last several years)

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