The following CB eNewsletter was sent to members and subscribers this afternoon.
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August 20, 2015
President Hammond Announces Phase 2 Work-to-Rule
In a live streamed speech from ETFO’s 2015 Annual Meeting earlier today, President Sam Hammond announced that ETFO members would be intensifying their strike action by moving to a “Phase 2″ work-to-rule (WTR) on the first working day of the 2015-16 school year.
During his speech, President Hammond referenced the demands that have been made by the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), which include:
- interfering with the self-directed preparation time teachers and occasional teachers need to plan their lessons and prepare specialized plans for students;
- having teachers do more testing and less teaching;
- taking education support staff away from their classroom responsibilities with students to do non-classroom tasks;
- allowing principals the ‘flexibility’ to pass over experienced, qualified educators for classroom positions.
President Hammond indicated that “things must change at the central bargaining table quickly. Our provincial Executive has determined that we will stay on course and begin a Phase 2 work-to-rule in addition to the current administrative strike action…effective the first working day of the 2015-2016 school year.”
ETFO members can find the following Phase 2 WTR strike action documents on ETFO’s Our Union Our Values Our Profession collective bargaining (CB) website at www.etfocb.ca:
- Phase 2 WTR strike action protocol;
- Frequently Asked Questions About Phase 2 Work-to-Rule;
- Written excerpts from President Hammond’s speech.
A video of President Hammond’s announcement will be posted on ETFO’s CB website later today.
Solidarity from Annual Meeting Delegates Regarding Central Bargaining
On Wednesday, August 19 delegates to ETFO’s 2015 Annual Meeting passed a motion of solidarity regarding the current round of central bargaining. The motion is a declaration that the delegation “is in firm support of the position taken by the [ETFO] Executive and bargaining team against the objectionable items put forward by the provincial government and is in firm opposition to any proposed settlement containing the following items:
- any language that increases supervision time for teachers;
- any language that removes supervision time limits for daily OTs who are called for assignments that are shorter than a full day;
- any language that allows for control by principals and school boards over the quantity and timing of diagnostic assessments;
- any language that allows for principals to direct how teachers and occasional teachers use their prep time;
- any language requiring that ETFO endorse the revocation of Regulation 274 to the Ministry;
- the removal of all staffing and hiring language in local collective agreements;
- the removal of all entitlements in local collective agreements that are superior to central terms;
- language allowing for the work day to go beyond the instructional day (e.g., allowing teachers to be assigned teaching/non-teaching duties before, during and after school by their principal or school board);
- changes to sick leave provisions (90% coverage to 85% coverage);
- any language allowing principals and vice principals to return to teacher bargaining units and be placed in positions ahead of surplus teachers and occasional teachers and with their seniority intact;
- any language allowing for DECEs to be assigned responsibilities outside the FDK classroom at the principal’s discretion.”
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