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OECTA Prepares for Contract Negotiations

All existing four year contracts expire this coming August. Whether you are an Elementary, Occasional, or

Secondary teacher, a new contract will need to be negotiated for you. There are a number of important steps in

the process of getting a new contract implemented, and teachers’ input is sought at each step along the way.

During the last school year, separate collective bargaining committees were formed for Elementary, Occasional

and Secondary teachers. These committees were comprised of teachers who expressed interest in being person-

ally involved. The responsibility of the committees was to broadly represent teachers in the system and to assist

in setting bargaining goals and priorities. To accomplish this work, the committees developed surveys that so-

licited all teachers’ input. OECTA’s established bargaining position is “status quo plus”, which looks for real

improvements without rollbacks. The surveys were then analysed by the committees, comparing them to the

existing contracts, to identify changes that Waterloo teachers want.

At the close of last school year, the Elementary, Occasional and Secondary collective bargaining teams were

chosen. These teachers were selected from each of the larger committees. The teams consist of a small number

of teachers that will do the actual negotiating with the Board. Currently, the teams are developing the contract

proposal, which entails writing proposed contract language. As the proposals are developed, your input will be

sought again at an endorsation meeting. During this meeting, the team will present broad bargaining goals to

you, for your approval.

During the past two sets of contract talks, a Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) was held. At the PDT, OECTA

and the government settled on the amount of money that would be devoted to wage and benefit improvements.

All bargaining teams from across the province were recently called together to provide input into potential con-

tract improvements that teachers would like to see. This input will be used in a PDT, should one occur. In the

event that a PDT comes to an agreement, our contract proposal may be affected.

This coming spring, the Board must be provided with our intent to negotiate a new contract. Once notice has

been given, a meeting must be held within the following couple of weeks. At this meeting, dates will be set for

further negotiating. In previous negotiations, talks have resulted in a settlement within months while at other

times, it has taken up to a year. If the bargaining team decides they are having difficulty in getting to an agree-

ment or facing strips from the existing contract, then a strike vote may be taken. Providing the team with a

strike mandate does not mean that a strike is guaranteed, but it does provide the team with extra support that

may be required to reach an agreement. At the end of the process, once the bargaining team has an agreement

that they find acceptable, it is presented in a ratification meeting to all teachers. At this meeting, you will vote

to either accept or reject the offer.

Further negotiating updates will be sent to you, by the Vice-President that represents your teacher group.

Skating with Santa

On Thursday, November 24th, OECTA Waterloo hosted

our 2nd Annual Skate with Santa event at the Ice Park in

Cambridge. This year, the turnout was TERRIFIC.

Of course, Santa was a HUGE hit – taking to the ice

and handing out treats to the children by the Christmas

tree. A great time was had by all!

Watch for us next year – same time, same place.

All of us at the OECTA office wish you a Happy and

Holy Christmas! Enjoy your time with family and

friends!

OECTA Membership Cards

A member can request a new or replacement OECTA

membership card by sending an e-mail message to

membership@oecta.on.ca. Membership cards are printed in

batches approximately every two weeks and mailed to

Association Representatives for distribution. The member

should include the following information in the e-mail request:

Full name

OECTA # (if previously issued and known)

Home mailing address

Home phone number

Board

Teaching status (full-time, part-time, occasional, etc.)

If full-time/part-time - name of school

Teaching panel: elementary or secondary

OCT #

OECTA - Waterloo Unit Chalktalk www.oectawaterloo.on.ca • 127 Weber St. W. Kitchener N2H 4A1 • 519 744 8051

Page 2

Know Your Leaves

Secondary and Elementary teachers have 21 different types of

leaves that they are able to access in their collective agree-

ments. Please refer to “Article 5: Leaves of Absence” for

more information. Occasional teachers should refer to Article

11 in their Collective Agreement for more information about

the number and types of leave that they are able to access. Con-

tinue Education teachers should refer to Article 8.

Elementary and Secondary teacher leaves include:

Sick Leave:

- maximum of twenty days per school year – pro-rated for

part-time teachers – may accumulate to a maximum of

240 days

- the Board has the right to request medical documentation

by a Physician

- 100% of accumulated sick leave from a previous Board

will be recognized by WCDSB, to WCDSB max

Personal Obligation Days:

- two (2) per school year, charged against sick leave

- teachers with a partial contract receive a pro-rated amount

of time

- not to be used on PD Days, Parent-Teacher Interview

days, semester start-up/end days, before or after a break,

or before or after a statutory holiday

- these days cannot be combined with a request for unpaid

leave

- these days approved by Principal

Emergency Leave:

- up to one-half day, approved by the Principal

- covered the other teachers

Any of the following leaves must be approved by HR:

Long Term Leave:

- up to one year at a time, without loss of previous service

credit

- a teacher must have completed two years of employment,

and must apply before March 31st of the previous year

- while on leave, a teacher may request an extension of said

leave, must apply before February 15th

Short-Term Compassionate Leave:

- up to three days per school year at the discretion of HR

with or without loss of service credit or sick leave credit

- Personal Obligation Days will be required to be used first

Bereavement Leave:

- five days for loss of spouse, child, step-child, ward,

brother, sister, parent or step-parent within 8 calendar

days of the date of death

three days for mother- or father-in-law, fiancé, grand-

child, grandparent within 8 calendar days of the date of

death

cont pg 4

Minister of Education Addresses OECTA

The new Minister of Education, Hon. Laurel Broten, addressed

OECTA at the Council of Presidents, November 4th. Shortly after

being sworn in as the new Minister of Education, Laurel Broten,

took time from her busy schedule to attend OECTA’s fall Council

of Presidents as a gesture to open lines of communication. All

OECTA Presidents from across the province were in attendance as

the Minister explained her personal leadership style and priorities

for education.

Laurel Broten is a lawyer and mother

of twin six year old boys in the

Catholic school system. She was first

elected to the Ontario legislature in

2003 and was re-elected in 2007 and

2011. She was appointed Minister of

Education in October 2011, and she

continues to serve as Minister Re-

sponsible for Women's Issues.

Broten has served as Minister of

Children and Youth Services, Minis-

ter of the Environment, Parliamentary

Assistant to the Minister of Energy

and Infrastructure, the Minister of

Health and Long-Term Care and to

the Premier. She also had responsibil-

ity for Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy.

As Minister of Education, Broten expressed that she wants to con-

tinue to build on the successes of the education system. She sees

these successes as increase student achieve, building confidence in

the system among the public and closing the gap for struggling

students. These improvements are possible because of the of part-

nerships and commit of teachers and she wanted teachers to know

You Choose to Give Up

or

You Choose to Get Up

Last month I marked a weird sort of anniversary. Seventeen years

ago on October the 13th (a Friday no less) I was diagnosed with

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. At the time I was principal at St.

David CSS and had a very young family. My diagnosis came out

of nowhere. I had been feeling pretty tired but figured it was the

job, parenting and middle age. I remember it took awhile to come

to grips with all of it. As it turns out, CLL was considered the

"Cadillac" of blood cancers as it progressed at a slow rate, which is

good considering there is no cure for it. What was worrisome was

that I was an anomaly as it normally is seen in much older people.

I was in my early 40's and this interested the doctors at Princess

Margaret Hospital (PMH) who included my case as part of an in-

ternational study. While international recognition is something we

might strive for, this wasn't the preferred route.

I was a patient at PMH for 9 years and, when the haematology

department opened at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, my

case was transferred here. In both hospitals I have received super-

lative care. Last year I developed Hodgkin's Lymphoma which, if

CLL is the "Cadillac" of cancers, this is probably the "Lada". With

the chemo I received for CLL I was able to work, bike and run as I

had very few side effects. With the Hodgkin's I dropped 30 pounds

and could barely walk 20 yards, holding on to my son for support.

The chemo just about did me in, more so than the Hodgkin's.

Luckily for me things have reversed and life looks a lot more

hopeful. My hair even came back thicker and a little less grey...go

figure. It's a cliché for sure but, every day is a gift.

Had I received the Hodgkin's diagnosis 17 years ago instead of the

CLL, I likely wouldn't be around to tell you about the research and

development of new treatments for all kinds of cancer being done

at Princess Margaret and shared with other regional cancer centres

like the GRRCC. All of this costs enormous amounts of money

and there's never enough. That's why fundraising is so important. It

can literally save lives.

Maybe you know someone whose life was changed after a cancer

diagnosis. After all, in a normal lifespan, 2 in every 5 people are

diagnosed with some form of cancer. Maybe it's been a family

OECTA - Waterloo Unit Chalktalk www.oectawaterloo.on.ca • 127 Weber St. W. Kitchener N2H 4A1 • 519 744 8051

Page 3

member or a friend. Maybe it's even been you or someone you

work with. I can't count the number of people within the WCDSB

(or their loved ones) I regularly see at the GRRCC for treatment.

We could probably hold a staff meeting, but chemo is bad enough

on its own.

When you get a diagnosis, you have two simple choices: you

choose to give up, or you choose to get up. I hope none of us sees

the first one as viable. The care and support we receive from our

health care team, as well as from those who love us, is even more

powerful than the drugs ingested into our systems to counteract the

disease. And, while the former will help us heal, the latter is im-

portant in the process. We want and deserve the best treatment

possible. We are constantly on the lookout for advances in medical

science to help us conquer cancer. Not surprisingly, it comes at a

cost and not all of it can be borne by government.

That's why fundraising initiatives like the Ride to Conquer Cancer

are so important. In June of 2012 a team of 22 riders from the Wa-

terloo CDSB will make up the "Wheeling for Healing" team, rid-

ing 200 km from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Check the names of the

team members below. Some of them may be in your school or pro-

vide services to you at the CEC. They come from all union groups,

with the majority being members of OECTA. Each team member

must raise a minimum of $2500 to participate, though there is no

upper limit. OECTA is a proud sponsor of the team. Hopefully you

will be as well. You

can choose to directly

sponsor a team mem-

ber or hold various

fundraising events at

your school, in coop-

eration with your

school administrators

who received a letter

asking for their sup-

port last week. Riders

often choose a person

they ride for as a mo-

tivator. Perhaps your

school or site might choose to sponsor a rider knowing they are

riding for a fellow staff member. That kind of emotional support is

a huge help in healing.

The money raised goes directly to support the great work being

done at Princess Margaret Hospital. The doctors there work in col-

laboration with our regional cancer centre to ensure you or your

loved one has a broad range of treatment options. So, what benefits

PMH benefits us.

cont pg 5

Know Your Leaves (cont)

Bereavement Leave – Other:

- at the discretion of HR, one day for attending a funeral

Pregnancy/Parental Leave:

- a teacher on pregnancy leave shall be permitted to continue

participating in all benefit plans (the teacher pays the em-

ployee's contributions to the plans). If a teacher opts out of

benefits, they must provide written notice to the Board.

- if request for an extension of the leave is granted, the teacher

assumes full responsibility for the cost of benefits. The

teacher must request, in writing, to continue benefits for the

duration of the extended leave

Adoption Leave: - the employee shall have the option of Plan A or Plan B:

Plan A - up to a maximum of four days for needs directly re-

lated to the legal adoption of a child

Plan B - leave may be granted under the same terms and condi-

tions outlined for Pregnancy / Parental Leave (except

for proof of pregnancy)

Paternity Leave:

- a male teacher shall be granted up to four days for needs di-

rectly related to the birth of his child without loss of pay or

service credit

Educational Leave - Conferences: - granted without loss of pay or service credits for attendance

at approved professional conferences and seminars, at the

discretion of HR

Education Leave – Board Initiated:

- if the Board initiates the request for Educational Leave, the

Board shall pay one hundred percent of approved costs

Long Term Educational Leave:

- granted at the discretion of the Board, for a teacher not on

probation, provided the leave commences on the first day of a

new school term, without loss of previous service credit

University/College Graduation Leave:

- one day, without loss of pay or service credit, to attend a

graduation for self, spouse or child

University/College Examination Leave:

- one day for a final exam written during the regular school

day

- one half day, if exam is written on a school day outside regu-

lar teaching hours

- satisfactory proof to be submitted to the Board

OECTA Release Time:

- release officers and school reps may, from time to time, be

released to do OECTA Business, with regular paid salary

without loss of service credit

Deferred Salary Leave:

- Refer to Appendix A in the Collective Agreement

cont pg 5

What is OECTA’s stand on driving students?

The responsibility for transporting students should remain with the

school board and parents. Public transportation or hired buses are

the best ways to transport students. OECTA recommends that

teachers do not use their own personal vehicles for any reason to

transport students. Teachers risk being personally liable, even

when renting a car to transport students, such as the risk that a stu-

dent or parent may sue or complain.

OECTA advises that teachers are under no obligation to personally

transport students, for any reason. Even in an emergency, the

teacher is free to refuse to provide transportation, and should trans-

port students only if fully aware of the risks involved.

In the past, teachers often used their own vehicles to transport stu-

dents to school functions and field trips. However, in today's liti-

gious society, teachers must rethink this practice. In addition, al-

though the board may assure teachers that board insurance will

protect them in the event of an accident, this is not always the case.

Board insurance policies usually contain ceilings on payouts; addi-

tional amounts may then be recovered from the teacher's insurer.

In the event of an accident, teachers could face cancellation of

their auto insurance policies or a steep increase in premiums, espe-

cially if they have not previously notified their insurer that their

vehicle could be used to transport students. Even if the teacher is

not at fault, anyone involved in the accident could launch a civil

suit seeking damages far beyond the liability coverage in the per-

sonal auto insurance. This also applies to car rental situations. If

the rental car is not fully insured through the car rental outlet, the

teacher’s personal insurance could be held liable. In cases where

this has occurred, the school board insurance policy has claimed

that they are not liable for any coverage, leaving the teacher’s per-

sonal insurance carrier to battle with the car rental insurer over

who is liable.

Teachers who choose to transport students should ensure that the

board insurance policy will cover transporting students by teach-

ers, and that the teacher has sufficient insurance coverage for per-

sonal injury to student passengers and property damage. If teachers

are asked to transport students to school functions, including be-

fore and after school events such as concerts and sporting events,

there should be a process in place to obtain parental consent. There

should also be a protocol providing official board approval prior to

the event for the function and the transportation of students.

As well as personal financial liability for costs, teachers risk pro-

fessional liability if a student makes an accusation of professional

impropriety during the trip. Without a witness, the student’s state-

ment must be weighed against the teacher’s statement. This could

lead to investigation by the school board, Family and Childrens’

Services, police or the Ontario College of Teachers. This is not a

risk that teachers should take.

For more information, don’t hesitate to call the local

OECTA office or the provincial Counselling and

Member Services Department.

OECTA - Waterloo Unit Chalktalk www.oectawaterloo.on.ca • 127 Weber St. W. Kitchener N2H 4A1 • 519 744 8051

Page 4

Correction:

OUR FAX NUMBER IS 519-744-0911.

Many people have been trying to send faxes through our phone

line, due to a type-o on the PD Funding forms originally sent out.

To send a fax, please use the LARGE number above. THANKS!

OECTA - Waterloo Unit Chalktalk www.oectawaterloo.on.ca • 127 Weber St. W. Kitchener N2H 4A1 • 519 744 8051

Page 5

Know Your Leaves (cont)

Quarantine:

- by order of the Medical Officer of Health, a teacher shall be

granted a leave without loss of pay or sick leave credits, with

the understanding the teacher is not currently on sick leave

- Board has the right to request appropriate documentation

Appointed or Elected Position Leave:

- municipal Council, Region of Waterloo, Library Board, Con-

servation Authority

- leave will not exceed three days in a school year

Jury Duty/Court Appearance:

- jury duty or subpoenaed witness service will be allowed

without loss of pay or service credit

- any remuneration received for jury/witness service is turned

over the Board

- a teacher will be given time to plead a case with no loss of

service credit. The teacher may be required to reimburse the

Board for the cost of a replacement teacher.

Sabbatical Leave:

- teaching staff may be provided the opportunity to improve

the Board’s competency in areas deemed to be needs of the

School System (see Appendix B: Sabbatical Leave)

The Spirit of Christmas

OECTA Waterloo Gives… Just Like Santa

Below is a list of donations that OECTA Waterloo has made dur-

ing 2011. Each year, 6% of the Unit’s general budget is allocated

to the Recognition Committee, who distribute donations, bursaries

and awards. Recipients this year include:

Lutherwood

Cambridge Shelter

KW Counselling

St. Mary’s Hospital

Arthritis Society

Make A Wish Foundation

Working Centre

Special Olympics

House of Friendship

Parents for Community Living

St. Monica House

Plus 13 student bursaries

Additional donations were made by other committees to:

United Way

Gowns for Grads

Mosaic Counselling

Food Bank of Waterloo Region

Mitts, Scarves and Hats to elementary schools

Personal Hygiene products to secondary schools

Unwrapped toys for The Firefighters of Waterloo Region

You Choose to Give Up (cont)

For more information you can contact Rob Holowack, Darcy Davis

or Peggie Nicolson via board email. This idea was born on their

bikes in this year's ride and I, along with many others, are grateful

for their commitment.

Best wishes,

Member, Wheeling for Healing Committee

Click here to find out more or donate to the

“Wheeling For Healing” team.

“Wheeling For Healing” Riders Darcy Davis Education Centre

Robert Holowack Education Centre

Peggie Nicolson Education Centre

Denise Francis Education Centre

Marilyn Lajeunesse Education Centre

Cathy Simoes St. Agatha

Alan Dicknoether Holy Family

Carla Santomero St. Don Bosco

Carolyn Coffey St. Nicholas

Fernando De Sousa Education Centre

Marina Ducharme Education Centre

Patrick Eby Education Centre

Kate Darcy St. Elizabeth

Lisa Bourque Blessed Sacrament

Joni Grundy St. Mary

Matt Acheson St. Mary

Paul Bourdeau St. Mary

Phil Leger St. Timothy

Kelley McLeman Holy Spirit

Laura Dicknoether WRDSB

Kevin Hynes Holy Family

Ray Halstead St. Agnes

Where Do We Come From – Where Are We Going?

Educators in Ontario have a proud history, and those of us who have been doing this for awhile will remember some of the events detailed

in the timeline below:

As we move ahead to 2012 and beyond, your collective bargaining teams will continue to celebrate the significant advances that have been

made for the teaching profession through the hard work of OECTA Provincial and those negotiators that have gone before us. We will

work hard to always keep in the mind the bargaining objectives that were identified in the surveys that the teachers of Waterloo Region

completed. We look forward to representing you as we move towards building our contract proposal and present it to the negotiating team

from the Board office.

1993 1995 2003 2011 2012

RAE Days The Common Sense Revolu-tion

Labour stability, Educational reform, Accountability

Oct. 6th VOTE Looking Ahead

- frozen on salary grid - common curriculum - destreaming - 5% pay cut - Rae days

- $2 BILLION cut from educa-tion

- teaching 7 out of 8 - permanent teacher testing - demoralized educators - private school tax credit - 55,000 students leave publicly

-funded schools - province-wide political pro-

test

- improved test scores and graduation rates

- 49% increase in per pupil funding

- 24% increase in teacher sala-ries

- smaller class sizes - increased prep time - ELKP for everyone - Ontario schools rank among

the top in the world!

- the people of Ontario chose to keep education at the forefront of provincial talks

- all contracts expire - will there be a PDT? - fiscal restraint? - working conditions? - safety in our schools - teacher autonomy - initiative overload…

OECTA - Waterloo Unit Chalktalk www.oectawaterloo.on.ca • 127 Weber St. W. Kitchener N2H 4A1 • 519 744 8051

Page 6

Things Heat Up in Guatemala

The Status of Women’s Committee was certainly busy last year. In June,

the group donated $250 to the “Guatemala Stove Project”, and as a result,

we were able to purchase a cooking and heating stove for a family (photo

attached). Many families in this area of the world heat their homes and

cook with open fires in the middle of their houses. The purchase of a stove

will benefit this family by having a warm, comfortable home in the cold

season, eating hot, cooked meals – all done without exposing the family to

harmful carcinogens from open fires.

New members are always welcome at our Status of Women's Committee

meetings! Please contact Heather Poje-Fascinato or Suzanne Johnson (Co-

Chairs) for more details.

Waterloo Unit Fall AGM

Approximately 175 teachers gathered at the Waterloo Inn on Monday, November 14 for the

Unit’s annual general meeting and dinner. During the meeting, business included acceptance

of this year’s budget, consideration of over 70 resolutions to our by-laws and 16 resolutions to

be sent to the Provincial AGM. Reports from all the Unit’s committees included the Status of

Women, Spiritual Development, Social, Professional Development and Recognition, among

others.

The dinner portion of the evening was a celebration. Beginning Teachers and teachers who

have devoted 25 years to Catholic education were recognized. Our students who were Young

Author Award winners were also presented with gifts.

President: Michael Devoy

Past President: Warren Grafton

Treasurer: Anton Milardovic

Vice President and CEO Elementary: Patrick Etmanski

Vice President and CEO Occasional:

John Kearns

Vice President and CEO Secondary: Chris Stockie

Recording Secretary: Melissa Garrett

Councillor Elementary: Virginia Hansraj

Councillor Elementary: Samantha Brehm

Councillor Occasional: Kimberley Namespetra-

Sullivan Councillor Secondary:

Mark Devlin Councillor Secondary:

Steve Tangney ETO Councillor:

Rob Purificato

Unit

Executive

Puzzle Corner

Complete the number crossword, then submit your answer (with name and school location) to the

OECTA Office by faxing to 519-744-0911 or by e-mailing to office@oectawaterloo.on.ca.

Prizes are available for first responders! Teachers can “win” puzzle corner only once per school

year.

Across 1. Three times 19 down

4. 19 down minus five

6. 15 across plus eighty-three

7. 17 across minus 2

8. 18 down plus thirty-eight

10. 19 across minus sixty-six

12. 3 down plus forty-seven

14. 12 across doubled

15. 13 down minus 150

17. 20 down minus sixteen

19. 5 down minus 133

21. Minutes in four hours

22. Four times 4 across

23. Five times 10 down

Down 1. 12 across divided by eleven

2. 1 down plus twenty-five

3. Minutes in three days

4. Dozen in twelve gross

5. Seconds in five minutes

9. 17 down minus eleven

10. 11 down minus eight

11. Minutes in three hours

13. 3 down divided by twelve

16. 23 across doubled

17. 14 across divided by eleven

18. 4 down times three

19. Months in nine years

20. 3 down divided by six

Contact Us: Michael Devoy: president@oectawaterloo.on.ca Chris Stockie: vp-secondary@oectawaterloo.on.ca Patrick Etmanski: vp-elementary@oectawaterloo.on.ca John Kearns: vp-occasional@oectawaterloo.on.ca Office Email: office@oectawaterloo.on.ca