Opening Statement



Thursday 28 May 2015

ETFO WTR Strike: Phase 1 Update!




This ETFO memo has been sent out to it's tens of thousands of members. It was posted online by the CBC, May 26th @ CBC

Effective June 1st, ETFO is ratcheting up it's WTR strategy which has been running concurrent to the OSSTF Magnificent 7 strikes. The OSSTF strikes are now on hold as a result of the recent OLRB/ ERC rulings, and the Wynne government's subsequent "back to school legislation."

According to the memo ETFO teachers now WILL NOT:


  • complete any paperwork, applications or proposals to the Ministry of Education for special grants or funding
  • participate in the preparation or completion of Grade 8 to Grade 9 transition reports
  • participate in any grade-to-grade transition meetings
  • complete end of year Ontario Student Record (OSR) activities including filing, sorting and completion of French cards
  • participate in any in-school meetings or professional learning activities on the end of year Professional Activity (PA) day
It's very significant that the first extracurriculars; school trips, are now being included in the WTR job action mix. Will the trustees resume their mandatory EC OLRB case from 2013? It's interesting to note that board lawyer Mike Hines, recently successful at the OSSTF OLRB hearing, was lead that charge too. See @ Fall 2013

The professional learning activity boycott will include the in services for the MOE's new controversial Sex Ed program. Combined with ETFO's instructions not to book any school trips, we see the momentum building for a very explosive teacher protest when classes are scheduled to resume this fall!

Kindly note that ETFO's refusal to fill out MOE applications and forms for grants or funding WILL NOT apply to GSN's [Grants for Special Needs]. That's an appropriate concession to our most needy students, a most welcome and seemingly heartfelt touch! One hopes it isn't lost on those who will falsely accuse the province's teachers of being self serving and only concerned about personal gain!

FURTHER READING

ETFO WTR Phase 1 Memo @ ETFO

Teacher contracts: What was ETFO offered? @ Here!

News links are posted @ News + Views and Contract Guide!

My Blogsite Acronym Guide is @ Here! 

COMMENTS:

Wednesday 27 May 2015

OECTA's Autumn Strike Memo!


The following OECTA Member Update, now circulating online, was sent to OECTA's tens of thousands of teachers on May 27th and is being widely commented upon in the media. The text follows below, for your consideration:



Your Provincial Bargaining Team met with the employer side of the bargaining table, consisting of representatives from the government and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) on May 21 and 22. This was the first time the parties had met with the assistance of the mediator, Jim Breckenridge. He helped the parties engage in talks regarding a major stumbling block: superior provisions.

We will continue these mediated talks on May 28 and 29 and June 4, 5, 6, 24, 25 and 26.

However, given all of the contract strips that are still on the table, and in light of the difficulties confronting our sister affiliates regarding employer intransigence, OECTA continues to prepare for job action in the fall.

It will not be business as usual in Ontario Catholics schools in September.

Some members may be in the process of planning activities for the fall that would take place outside of a teacher’s regular instructional day duties – duties that would be cancelled in the event of a job action. As such, you are advised not to schedule any activities in the fall that are outside of your regular instructional day duties.

In addition, you should consider notifying your financial institution to make arrangements to discuss monetary obligations such as mortgage payments, loans and leases.

Please continue to monitor the situation via provincial bargaining updates and e-blasts. Bargaining information is also available on the OECTA website (www.oecta.on.ca) in the Provincial Bargaining Updates section of the Members’ Centre.

If you have any questions or concerns about the bargaining process, please do not hesitate to contact your local bargaining unit president.




OECTA: Me too!?

COMMENTARY:

This "bulletin" might make it seem that OECTA is doing more than they presently are as a part of the union battle plan, while ETFO steps up their WTR strategy and the striking OSSTF teachers are being legislated back to work. Like the cavalry in the wild west, it suggests OECTA Provincial might be expected to come to everybody's assistance, come September. 

The media is making much hay out of the advice that members contact their financial institutions about any outstanding loans, payments and leases. However, this is pretty common practice in the case of any possible strike action, and, well, the members have voted for a strike. 

One might well argue that OECTA is just being prudent. Then again, the media are now using the memo to boost the "rising tension", that is the spectre of Ontario's teacher unions preparing to strike in mass this fall. Is everybody and everything spilling out of control as the OLP's new CB process unravels?!? Staid OECTA too??? No matter! The attention creates the illusion that OECTA provincial is doing something/ anything besides just continuing to try to negotiate with the intransigent OLP MOE. Hopefully, the members will feel reassured about OECTA Provincial's questionable leadership ability. The MOE is advised accordingly. Maybe for OECTA provincial this is as rough and ready as it gets this spring?

Job actions, outside of not planning any activities outside of the regular school day for next year, otherwise remain vague. OECTA isn't about to get boxed into any corner for strategic reasons. Fair enough, but the advice, and list of upcoming meeting dates though interesting tidbits are very minor all the same.

Do you feel better all ready?! The messaging isn't exactly reassuring! The offerings? Still pretty slim pickings indeed, considering their track record with the 2012 OECTA MOU!



She: "I .... I .... I .... feel better all ready!"

FURTHER READING:

No teacher strike actions! Is OECTA to be believed? @ Here!

OECTA: Manufacturing Consent @ There!

News links are posted @ News + Views and Contract Guide!

COMMENTS:
  

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Ontario Interlude: Land o' the Lakes!



There is no place finer, nor more majestic, than Canada in the summertime.  Late spring will also do in a fix. So it is, with our winter travels now over. Cuba? St. Maarten? I find myself back out in Canada cottage country. Most days are a balmy, seasonal 20 degrees Celsius, with perhaps more rain than shine. Night times can be nippy, but so far, not too cold. The weather remains unpredictable. Most everyone has left our trailer park with the forecast of rain. I find myself all but alone at our summer "home away from home" in the woods beside Mississaganon Lake, Land of the Lakes, Lanark County, in south eastern Ontario.

It’s a relaxing respite. A chance to shake off the jet lag. Set up camp for summer. Sunset brings the "Spring Mating Symphony of the Frogs and Toads". It's a thunderous, ageless, repetitious croak emanating from the nearby pond. Echoing back throughout the millennium. Absolutely hypnotic. A reminder that nature was here before us, and might well still be around long after we are gone, if we don't totally destroy the environment first. Mosquito Stutka dive bombers come alive! Sensing our fresh blood, they swoop down in a thick cloud, soon quickly dispersed by the flotilla of dragon flies come to our rescue. Hoovering overhead. A loud buzzing cloud! 



I often paddle out on the lake in my kayak. The trees and brush are a fresh, virgin green, new growth everywhere, still somewhat sparse, not rich and lush like come July, nor tired yet from the heat of August. My kayak drifts lazily far out on the still water, my only companion, the cry of the loons. Later, a crackling campfire. We are peaceful and alone in the starry night.
Empty nesters now, Janet and I have downsized our life to a city condo in Toronto, three hours away. Family and friends abound. Our home is always a busy place, whether I am there or not. Everybody likes to visit the big city, especially as school ends and the summer holidaze schedule begins. I’m glad to share and head off to the country instead. In our best of both worlds, it’s winter in the city, with frequent last minute escapes to warmer climes and summers spent enjoying Canada's rich bounty in the unspoiled countryside. These are the joys of my retirement. But enough, with a cold drink, a good book and my lawn chair, I head back to the beach....



Thursday 21 May 2015

Our Caribbean Trip to St. Maarten!



The screeching roar of jet engines send thunderous sonic waves and whipping white sand over Maho Beach, knocking the excited crowd of thrill seekers off their feet. "Plane spotting": It's truly bizarre, very exciting and quite dangerous! The jets are arriving and departing from Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten. The beach bar patio is packed, as are the sun chairs. I lie on my back, camera ready, snapping photos of the huge silver birds. 

I feel as if I could reach up and touch it's smooth underbelly. The aircraft arches overhead on it's mad descent to the tarmac less than a hundred feet away. An ominous street sign warns that our proximity could result in death. No matter! Janet and I are here to partake in the Edge of the World Party on this tiny French and Dutch island to the southwest of our regular holiday hunting grounds in the Gulf and Caribbean.



Fortunately, my Joys of Retirement include last minute half price sales at the end of tourist season. We have booked a fancy, well heeled resort, the Sonesta Great Bay, on the outskirts of the Phillipsburg, the Dutch capital city. We could usually little afford to stay here. Every meal at the all inclusive resort is scrumptious and picture perfect. It's a quaint, pastel green, eighties style building with three pools, a multi-layered lobby and small casino on the side of the mountain hilltops surrounding the city. There's always plenty of available beach chairs and umbrellas. 

Our ocean view balcony looks out across the bay at the huge luxury cruise ships coming and going each day. Sometimes during high season there's up to eight at a time, providing the duty free port with it's source of wealth. The bay is a breathtaking turquoise. Further out to sea, it's a pleasing royal blue stretching to the horizon. 


A room with a view!

Overhead, the trade winds create a psychedelic sky. Rows of white ripples slowly spread out in wide circles extending from the big, pillowy, cumulus clouds so common in the region. There is even a rainbow around the sun! The winds carry sand from the Sahara desert across the Atlantic creating a pastel effect. By mid day the sky and scenery become very surreal as everything fades in the blinding white light.

In St. Maarten, the homes, villas and condo towers are big, but it is the huge yachts that are the competitive measure of ones' true wealth. The average monthly income? Well, it's only $600. It's very hard to attach any sense of a national identity to St. Maarten. A quick Wiki search reveals that most of the inhabitants aren't citizens of the country. It's historically been run as an oligarchy along the high powered cocaine drug route extending from South America due north.



A perusal of the local "Daily Herald" letters to the editor is rife with complaints of corruption, government lethargy, and a preoccupation with happenings in Holland and the rest of the Netherlands. Anywhere but here. Indeed, it seems not much else happening! I flip the T.V channels from one infomercial to another, past the US CNN news channel and endless reruns of tired, old reruns of popular North American t.v. shows without any noticeable local flavour.

Outside on the streets, St. Maarten is like a wild west version of a Caribbean island. Merchants lie in wait to hawk their wares to the endless daytime throngs of cruise ship patrons. They are renowned for selling clothes, jewellery and electronics at supposedly ridiculous low prices. You could fool me. Oh well, maybe if I liked to haggle? Hey big spenders! I buy a few Hawaiian shirts for $10 each, and Janet some cheap baubles and gifts.



By sunset, as the ships leave port, the capital city of Philipsburg shuts down tight for the night. Driving while on the cellphone is very popular and still quite legal. Tires screech. Tempers flare. All manners of vehicles snake in and out along the narrow mountain roads from town to town along the islands approximate 38 mile coast.

On our hotel beach, impossibly thin, tiny, black children perform dangerous flips, and leaps off the high sand dunes for an American dollar, until they are chased off by staff.  "Back Street" is Philipsburg's second major thoroughfare and the local, discount shopping strip. We are quite shocked as an angry mother brutally whips her helpless preschooler with a bare, tree branch. He desperately pleads, and screams as he tries to wiggle free from the fierce lashes and her iron tight grip. The locals lean out the street doorways and windows making indecipherable cat calls. They seem to be quite enjoying the afternoon entertainment. Frightened, Janet and I can tell we are far from home!


Everywhere we go most of the staff are polite and give us a per functionary MacDonald employee smile. One senses it's a job requirement. They aren't rude. Perhaps just lacking in the self possessed, natural warmth and charm one usually finds elsewhere in much of the Gulf and Caribbean? 

For the cabby's, it seems to always be open season on us as visitors, with endless tales of folks literally being taken for a ride. No two fares to the same place ever cost the same, plus there's no haggling entertained here. There's apparently an unmarked local bus stop a few blocks from the hotel. However, many of the tourists we met became resigned to a cheap car rental. Considering the mad traffic, I myself am not game. For us, a minibus, catamaran and motorboat excursion will have to do.



The churly, choppy sea swell sprays us as we sail from one picturesque white sand beach to another. Each is the perfect picture of paradise, one in which a beach chair and umbrella cost big bucks, except fortunately at our resort. The shoreline invariably drops off quick and deep making for a vigorous and very refreshing swim. Its great fun bobbing on the waves crashing against the shore. However, non swimmers will definitely need a floatation device to avoid getting swept under. 



The snorkeling and diving at St. Maarten is very basic, nothing special, compared to many other Caribbean sun destinations, but it can still be fun. I saw some good sized tropical fish, a green turtle, a fair number of conch shells and a few types of coral. There didn't seem to be many easily accessible shore dives. The noisy, dangerous Seadoos definitely had right of way. Invariably, I had to pay to go out farther on a boat. I live to dive. Regretfully, the safety and accessibility concerns definitely put St. Maartens at a serious disadvantage as far as future visits go.



We also took a minibus shopping trip around the island. Clothes, jewellery, and electronics abound in the stores. The sellers were invariably Indian, except for the handicraft stalls and shops staffed by the locals. Alas, our various excursions were rather pricey and invariably cut short, for one reason or another, with our guides basically disinterested in us except when we were being hustled for tips.



St Maarten? It's a beautiful place, where the beautiful people go to be beautiful. I much prefer Cuba for its natural charm and authenticity. There's nothing really wrong with St. Maarten itself as a tourist destination. We were at a very nice resort, on a very beautiful island. We also seemed lost at sea in a strangely, non generic version of the America's. Like the overhead roar of the jet loads of tourists overrunning whatever the island might once have been, our one week visit seemed to come and go like a figment of the imagination. Here but not here. Everywhere but nowhere. In a place where most anything goes, but probably not us anytime soon unless on the very cheap.

I'm glad we got to visit and see St. Maarten. Make no doubt, for the most part we had a very lovely time, except as noted. Still, on the surface, it's oddly picture perfect but with a subtle nagging feel. St. Maarten seemed rather empty, formless, intangible and quite unreal, like a faceless, commercial extension of the US Sunshine states lost somewhere far out on the sun drenched, pastel edge of the Caribbean Sea. Where's it's heart and soul?




Youtube Video: Best of the landing + take offs at Princess Juliana International Airport @ See!

MY RECENT TRAVEL BLOGS

Cuba: What Do They Think? @ CSP

Cuba: What the Heck is Going On? @ Santiago

Cuba: Sea, Sun + Sand @ Brisas

A Canadian Teacher On The Road In Cuba @ Cuba Si!

Christmas in Cuba @ Holidaze

Habana Diary: Club Rio @ More Cuba!

A Whirlwind Trip to New York @ NYC

Ontario: Land of the Lakes @ South East Ontario @ Lake Mississaganon

Jamaica: A Trip to Bob Marley's Home @ Jah Bob!

Jamaica: On the Beach @ Runaway Bay

Paris: The Eiffel Tower @ France

London: A Visit to The Beatles Abbey Road @ England

Joys of Retirement @ Brisas

See my Site Archives top left screen for many more!!!



Tuesday 19 May 2015

No Teacher Strikes: Are OECTA to Be Believed?

The following May 13 OECTA Collective Bargaining Update appears was found online. It was sent out in "secret" to tens of thousands of teachers across the province. It is presented here for our ongoing open forum, teacher free speech info, and discussion purposes. Please see my Commentary below, and have your say!



WHEN WILL OECTA TAKE ACTION?

As OECTA members watch their counterparts in other teacher unions commence strike actions across the province, some may wonder why OECTA hasn’t commenced strike action given our overwhelming strike vote.

This is a result of legislative requirements. OECTA was delayed, and as a result, is following different timelines. Nonetheless, OECTA is in constant contact with our sister affiliates and is working closely with them.




WHAT HAPPENED?

In 2013, the Minister of Education introduced provincial bargaining legislation in the Ontario Legislature. The legislation, called the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014 (or Bill 122), mandated a two-tiered approach to bargaining, where certain items are negotiated at the provincial bargaining table, and local specifics are bargained between individual school boards and the union districts.

If both the union side and the school trustees/government teachers’ side can reach agreement on which issues are local and which are provincial issues, bargaining can commence. According to Section 28 of Bill 122, parties may refer issues that cannot be agreed upon to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB).

The affiliates on the public side of the equation were able to reach the necessary agreements with the public trustees and government, thereby avoiding any OLRB hearings.

OECTA’s provincial bargaining team met with the employer side of the provincial bargaining table (representatives of the government and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association) in October 2014 to establish which matters would be dealt with at the provincial bargaining table. Although both sides agreed on 17 items, they did not reach agreement on the five matters to be included in the scope of provincial bargaining (matters relating to sick leave, staffing provisions, etc.).

Since an agreement could not be reached, the parties referred the matters in dispute to the OLRB to make a determination. We did not receive a ruling until February, putting us behind the other affiliates in terms of the bargaining process.

Meanwhile, both OSSTF and ETFO moved ahead on their own different paths. OSSTF is in mediation at the central table. At the same time in local OSSTF negotiations, conciliation was sought and ‘no board’ reports obtained in several areas. Currently, OSSTF locals in Durham, Sudbury and Peel are on a full withdrawal of service. ETFO chose to apply for conciliation at the central table and received a ‘no board’ report from the Minister of Labour, enabling them to initiate province wide strike actions. ETFO began “phase 1” of a work-to-rule strike action on May 11.




  
WHAT’S NEXT FOR US?

While OECTA members provided their union with a strong strike vote mandate of 94.2% on April 24, the Association is committed in trying to reach a negotiated settlement. Most recently, OECTA announced it would continue to bargain, with the assistance of the Ministry of Labour, in an attempt to move OCSTA/trustees off of their entrenched positions – similar to OSSTF’s provincial bargaining approach.

Our upcoming bargaining dates are May 21, 22, 28, 29 and June 4, 5, 6, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26.

If we are unable to secure a fair and just agreement, we will move forward and apply for conciliation. This would likely place us in a provincial strike position in September, a more realistic and tactically superior time to commence any type of action than mid-June. This is the earliest OECTA would be in a position to start any action if we filed for conciliation immediately, because of the mandatory procedures and timelines under the Ontario Labour Relations Act.



  
COMMENTARY

Fair is fair. OECTA deserves to be heard on the thorny issue of why the Catholic teachers are still in class and schools open, while their public counterparts commence strike action. Past experience, however, requires one to be quite critical in assessing the credibility of their claims

In 2012, OECTA teachers, despite OSSTF and ETFO claims to the contrary, were reassured that no deal was in the works as they left for summer holidays. On July 5th they did indeed sign a deal, the infamous OECTA MOU, over which the members had no ratification vote. [1]

All Ontario's teachers suffered when OECTA agreed to contract stripping and concession bargaining, destroying decades of hard fought CB gains with the stroke of a pen. In the months that followed, the OECTA MOU became the OLP Road Map or blue print for the same cuts that the OLP then dished out to the rest of our teacher and Education Worker union colleagues across the province, in AEFO, ETFO OSSTF and CUPE! [2]

Ironically, the OECTA secretariat fared much better with their own contract. They secured comfy raises for themselves with their sick days and gratuities intact, all of which they had given away, without a ratification vote, when it came to the due paying members. An unsuccessful OLRB run at further padding their own plan on the membership's dime proved unsuccessful. Nonetheless it still provided insult to go with the injury suffered by the rest of the province's teachers. [3]



In 2014, we are again faced with an OECTA CB redux team made up with many of the same players back at the provincial bargaining table. All opposition has seemingly been quite thoroughly jackbooted and silenced by the tight knit oligarchy now ruling the OECTA roost. It would be foolish not to watch and question everything OECTA does very carefully. Do you still believe in and support a democratic, teacher union movement in Ontario? Then regretfully, OECTA which has no credibility left, leaves those hopeful, remaining reformers among us without any other choice! [4]

It is interesting to read OECTA's claim above when it states that they are still in contact and working closely with the other teacher affiliates. If so, their members had best watch out! If not, then what's really being said behind closed doors at your executive level? How does ETFO and OSSTF square off the awkward fact that the membership are meanwhile out on the street, or involved in a controversial WTR? With the public schools closed? While parents decide which school system to register their kids in for next fall?

Surely, OECTA won't want to be the first past the post in signing a new contract in the current round of negotiations. Another boner will be too much for even them to try to hide, deny or explain away. However, is it just happenstance that OECTA had to go the lengthy OLRB route? Knowing full well it would cause a lengthy delay, while the other affiliates cut to the chase? Then blame it all away on the the Ontario Labour Relations Act? 

Are OECTA to be believed? 


FOOT NOTES: 

1] Coincidence? In late June 2012, OECTA President O'Dwyer, now a Contract Services Officer on the current provincial negotiating team [Here], denies OSSTF and ETFO's claim that a "secret deal" is imminent. [Yes][No] Surprise! On July 5th, the OECTA MOU is ratified on the members behalf, in their absence, after everyone had left for summer holidays! [Here]. Fool us once, shame on you .....

2] The OECTA Road Map or "Putting Students First Act" is @ August 2012 Also see "Comparing the OECTA and OSSTF MOU's" @ April 2013 ETFO's MOU is June 2013

3] The OECTA Secretariat 2012-14 contract isDownload The 2012-14 OECTA MOU that they helped negotiate for the membership isDoc Compare? Contrast? Conclusion? 

4] See "OECTA: Manufacturing Consent" @ Here



YOUR COMMENTS:

Tuesday 5 May 2015

ETFO Work to Rule Phase 1 Memo!

The following is provided for your Teacher Free Speech information and discussion purposes. It is from copies of the memo as posted on the CTV and Scribble Live website @ CTV and @ Toronto Star My Blogsite Acronym Guide is @ Here!



STRIKE PROTOCOL: WORK TO RULE PHASE 1

Effective May 11, 2015 ETFO shall begin strike actions by the withdrawal of administrative services; Effective May 11 Teachers and Occasional Teachers will:

NOT undertake any EQAO related activities including field testing, marking, administrative duties, or EQAO test preparation activities with students or other personnel;

NOT undertake EQAO testing with students;

NOT prepare report card comments, complete or package the June report card -teachers WILL provide the school administrator with a class list of marks for the various subjects/ strands taught;

NOT perform the duties of a report card administrator [eg: merging, printing reports etc];

NOT perform the duties of a computer site administrator;

NOT attend staff/ divisional/ grade team meetings;

NOT act as Teacher Designates or Teacher-In-Charge unless receiving an annual allowance or annual stipend under the collective agreement for this assignment;

NOT participate in Ministry meetings/ activities of any kind before, during or after the instructional day;

NOT meet with Student Work Study Teachers [SWST];

NOT conduct any reading, writing or mathematics assessments other than those that the teacher deems necessary to report on student progress;

NOT input or submit any student assessment data [ie for MISA/ OnSIS] for any purpose other than their own personal student assessment;

NOT participate in any professional development workshops/ activities/ discussion forum/ webinar sessions on Ministry initiatives and 



MOE Liz Sandals: Not impressed [of course]!

NOT attend meetings or undertake tasks related to the following Ministry of Education activities:

Annual Learning Plan [ALP] projects
Associate Teacher [AT] Pilot Projects
Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement [BIPSA]
create Pathways, All About Me Portfolios, Individual Pathway Plans
District Reviews
Early Years Collaborative Inquiry
Experiential Learning Pilot Projects
Learning for all Regional Projects
Math initiatives...
Ontario First Nation, Metis, and Inuit [FNMI] Education Policy Framework Initiatives
Ontario Focused Intervention Partnerships [OFIP] activities
Professional Learning Communities
Regional MISA Professional Network Centres [PNC's]
School/ Student Improvement Plans [SIPSA/ SIP's]
School/ Student Support Initiatives [SSSI]
Steps to English proficiency [STEP]
System Implementation and Monitoring [SIM]
Teacher Learning and leadership Program [TLLP]
Teacher Learning Critical Pathways [TLCP]; and
21st Century Learning Projects.

Effective May 11 2015 Teachers and Occasional Teachers will:

CONTINUE to teach and provide extra help for students;
CONTINUE to take attendance;
CONTINUE to maintain contact with parents regarding students during the instructional day;
CONTINUE to provide scheduled supervisory duties.

This job action is incremental in nature. This action will continue in effect until the labour dispute is satisfactorily resolved or ETFO's Provincial Executive deems that further actions are required. Should you have further questions or require clarification, please contact you steward or local.



COMMENTARY: 

ETFO's Phase 1 plan will first and foremost direct it's consequences to at the OPSBA and MOE, rather than place the heaviest burden on the parents and students whom the teachers are there to serve. Note that report card marks will be submitted, for the school to compile, complete and send out. Teachers will be available for parent contacts concerning their students during the regularly scheduled instructional day. Also note that the plan is incremental, and but a first step prior to further, escalating job actions as deemed necessary by the provincial executive.

ETFO's Phase 1 plan treads lightly on the contentious issues of a teacher's extracurricular duties as they apply to student supervision and after school activities, which as of Fall 2013 is still a part of an unresolved issue/ case before the OLRB.

ETFO's Phase 1 plan effectively diversifies and supplements OSSTF's Magnificent 7 incremental strike plan. So far, OECTA continues to be missing in action, without any job actions, including Work to Rule or a Teacher Strike not expected until June, or more likely, by OECTA's own reckoning, not until much later this fall, effectively maintaining business as usual during the period when parents will be deciding where to register their children for classes next year. Tch Tch!!! 

RELATED LINKS

See the ETFO Media Release @ ETFO WTR!

ETFO's 2014 Bargaining Goals are shown here @ ETFO

OPSBA: What was ETFO offered? @ Initial Offer!

ETFO at the OLRB @ Fall 2013

COMMENTS:

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!
See below ...

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?
A careful analytical study!

Help! I Have No Arms!

Help! I Have No Arms!
Please scratch my back.

I can't find my underwear!.

I can't find my underwear!.
Have you seen them!

Weee! I can fly!

Weee! I can fly!
Look! I can crawl thru walls!

I have a headache!

I have a headache!
And a broken nose.

I have a square hole in my bum!

I have a square hole in my bum!

Here try this, it's very good!

Here try this, it's very good!
No. You have a bird face.

I have an ugly baby!

I have an ugly baby!
No I'm not!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!
OK but I need a new hand too!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

You don't look well.

You don't look well.
No. My head hurts +I have a sore chest.

Would you like a bun?

Would you like a bun?

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!
The Temple of Kukulkan!

Gotta love it!

Gotta love it!
Truly amazing!

Under Reconstruction!

Under Reconstruction!

Temples + Snakes!

Temples + Snakes!

The Snake!

The Snake!
It runs the length of the ball field!