1

To:

From: ETFO STEWARDS

SHARON O’HALLORAN, GENERAL SECRETARY

2017–2018

STEWARDS’ MAILING # 5

February 23, 2018

READ the Stewards’ Mailing electronically @ etfo.ca

An Introduction for Collective Bargaining Conference – Are you frustrated by the

many challenging aspects of your working conditions? Do you want to know what to do about them? If so, this one-day conference is for you. Discover how strong collective agreements create fair workplaces. Learn about ETFO collective bargaining–past, present and future. Find out how you can be part of collective bargaining during the 2019 round of negotiations.

The workshop is open to all ETFO members in good standing. Selection criteria will take into consideration designated groups, geographical location and diversity of ETFO locals. To register, visit the ETFO Events Management System at https://events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on An Introduction Collective Bargaining Conference. Deadline to register

is Thursday, March 15, 2018. For more information, please contact Lisa Mastrobuono, Collective Bargaining Services, lmastrobuono@etfo.org or 1-888-838-3836, extension 2512.

Effective Negotiation Skills for Women Leaders, Part 2 – This two-day intensive

workshop builds on the skills gained in Effective Negotiations Skills for Women Leaders, Part 1 and offered by ETFO in previous years. The workshop has been developed by ETFO in partnership with the Stitt Feld Handy Group. It is designed for women with previous experience in complex negotiations and dispute resolution who occupy or are actively working toward positions of leadership within the Federation, i.e., local president, chief negotiator, etc.

To register, visit the ETFO Events Management System at https://events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on Effective Negotiation Skills for Women Leaders. Deadline to register is

Thursday, March 15, 2018. For more information, please contact Lisa Mastrobuono, Collective Bargaining Services, lmastrobuono@etfo.org or 1-888-838-3836, extension 2512.

A Social Justice and Equity Conference for Male Educators: Understanding

Marginalization in Public Education – If you are interested in developing an

understanding of some of the causes and impacts of systemic marginalization in our public education system, we welcome male educators to apply to this conference which will take

place Friday, May 4 (evening) and Saturday, May 5, 2018.

Participants will have an opportunity to network and to discuss marginalization in the educational context at the ETFO Office. Spaces are limited so register early. To see further details and to register, visit the ETFO Events Management System (EMS) at https://events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on the Men’s Conference tab. Registration

deadline is March 12, 2018. For more information, please contact Todd Rimmington, trimmington@etfo.org or 416-962-3836 extension 2259.

2

Collective Bargaining Conference–Your Collective Agreement 101 –

May 12, 2018 – This workshop is for members that are new to Collective Bargaining.

Members will learn about legislative framework; education funding and grants; different member voices in the bargaining process; major components of central bargaining and the control system; and effective communication with members during a bargaining

round. Registration opens March 12, 2018 and closes April 11, 2018. For more information, please contact Derek Hulse, dhulse@etfo.org or 416-962-3836 extension 2218.

PRS Matters Volume # 98 – Behaviour Management Training – Volume #98 of

the PRS Matters bulletin provides members with information regarding behaviour management training that is being offered by many boards to educators. The bulletin also outlines ETFO’s position on member participation in this training.

ETFO STEWARDS INFORMATION

Please direct your members to the ETFO WEBSITE to find the Stewards’ Mailing Cover Memo and its links:

www.etfo.ca > Publications > Stewards’ Mailings

IMPORTANT: To change the number of members at your work site –

Contact:: Members Records at 1-888-838-3836 or trecords@etfo.org

The number of members within your school, on file at ETFO, appears in the top corner of the address mailing label

ITEMS:

1. AN INTRODUCTION FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONFERENCE 2. EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR WOMEN LEADERS, PART 2 3. A SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY CONFERENCE FOR MALE EDUCATORS:

UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZATION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION SO:JD:OR

4. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONFERENCE – YOUR COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT 101

5. PRS MATTERS VOLUME #98 – BEHAVIOUR MANMAGEMENT TRAINING

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2018 (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)ETFO PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 136 ISABELLA ST, TORONTO

DEADLINE TO REGISTER – MARCH 15, 2018

An Introduction to Collective Bargaining

Are you frustrated by the many challenging aspects of your working conditions? Do you want to know what to do about them? If so, this one-day conference is for you. Discover how strong collective agreements create fair workplaces. Learn about ETFO collective bargaining – past, present and future. Find out how you can be part of collective bargaining during the 2019 round of negotiations.

The conference is open to all ETFO members in good standing.

To register, visit the ETFO Events Management System at events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on An Introduction to Collective Bargaining Conference. Please have your membership number handy. Expenses are paid according to ETFO provincial guidelines for travel, dependent care, meals and double accommodation.

Selection criteria will take into consideration designated groups, geographical location and diversity of ETFO locals.

For more information, please contact Lisa Mastrobuono, Collective Bargaining Services, lmastrobuono@etfo.org or 1-888-838-3836, extension 2512.

EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR WOMEN LEADERS, PART TWO

To register, visit the

ETFO Events Management System at events.etfo.org/

upcoming-events/ and click on Effective Negotiations Skills for Women Leaders, Part Two. Please have your membership

number handy. Expenses are paid according to ETFO provincial guidelines

for release time, travel, dependent care, meals and program

materials.

April 26 and 27, 2018 ETFO provincial office 136 Isabella St, Toronto

This two-day intensive workshop builds on the skills gained in Effective Negotiations Skills for Women Leaders, Part One and offered by ETFO in previous years. The workshop has been developed by ETFO in partnership with the Stitt Feld Handy Group. It is designed for women with previous experience in complex negotiations and dispute resolution who occupy or are actively working toward positions of leadership within the Federation, i.e., local president, chief negotiator, etc.

For more information, please contact Lisa Mastrobuono, Collective Bargaining Services, lmastrobuono@etfo.org or 1-888-838-3836, extension 2512.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of OntarioFédération des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’élémentaire de l’Ontario136 Isabella St, Toronto ON M4Y 0B5Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll Free: 1-888-838-3836Fax: 416-642-2424etfo.ca

REGISTER BY MARCH 15, 2018

WIN- WIN

ET

FO Women’s

Program

EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR WOMEN LEADERS, PART TWO

INTRODUCING

PART TWO

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of OntarioFédération des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’élémentaire de l’Ontario136 Isabella St, Toronto ON M4Y 0B5Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll Free: 1-888-838-3836Fax: 416-642-2424etfo.ca

REGISTER BY MARCH 12, 2018

May 4–5, 2018

ETFO provincial office

136 Isabella St, Toronto

A Social Justice and Equity

Conference for Male Educators

Understanding Marginalization in Public Education

In this conference, participants will:

• explore and develop an understanding of some of the causes and impacts of marginalization in public education;

• learn about the diversity of ETFO programs, partnerships and supports while promoting engagement and understanding of their teacher union; and

• have an opportunity to network.

Professor Rinaldo Walcott is the Director of the Women & Gender Studies Institute. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Rinaldo has published on music, literature, film, theater and policy among other topics. Rinaldo is the author of Black Like Who: Writing Black Canada (Insomniac Press, 1997 with a second revised edition in 2003); he is also the editor of Rude: Contemporary Black Canadian Cultural Criticism (Insomniac, 2000); and the co-editor with Roy Moodley of Counselling Across and Beyond Cultures: Exploring the Work of Clemment Vontress in Clinical Practice (University of Toronto Press, 2010).

Workshops

Participants will attend workshops examining social justice issues around abilities/disabilities, race, poverty and First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI). Full workshop descriptions are available on EMS.

Registration deadline is March 12, 2018.

To register, visit events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on the Conference for Male Educators tab. Please have your membership number handy. All registrants will be informed by email after March 21, 2018 regarding their acceptance status.

Expenses related to travel, shared accommodation and meals will be paid as per ETFO provincial guidelines.

Participant selection is based on the following criteria:

• members from designated groups and all members who identify as male;

• geographical representation from across the province;

• priority will be given to members who have not previously attended an ETFO Conference for male educators; and

• completion of registration in Events Management System (EMS) and commitment to attend the entire program.

Keynote Speaker – Professor Rinaldo Walcott

Understanding Marginalization in Public Education

For more information about this conference, please contact Todd Rimmington at trimmington@etfo.org or 1-888-838-3836, extension 2259.

YOUR COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

ETFO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONFERENCE

Saturday, May 12, 20189:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.ETFO PROVINCIAL OFFICEDeadline to register is April 12, 2018.

Would you like to learn more about the collective bargaining process?

In this workshop for members new to collective bargaining, you will:

• Learn about the legislative framework for the upcoming round of bargaining;

• Be introduced to education funding and the grants that control the system;

• Understand how to include different member voices in the bargaining process;

• Explore the major components of the central bargaining table; and

• Study effective communication with members during a bargaining round.

This conference is open to all members that are new to ETFO or new to the collective bargaining process. Participants will be chosen by lot if necessary, with consideration given to geographic representation and members from the teacher, occasional teacher, DECES and ESP/PSP locals as part of the selection process. As part of ETFO’s ongoing efforts to provide leadership opportunities for members of designated groups, 10 spaces are reserved for those members.

To register, visit the ETFO Events Management System at events.etfo.org/upcoming-events/ and click on the Collective Bargaining 101 tab. Please have your ETFO membership number handy. Expenses paid per ETFO provincial guidelines for travel, dependent care, meals and double accommodation. The registration fee is $50. For more information, please contact Mark Hachmer (mhachmer@etfo.org) or Derek Hulse (dhulse@etfo.org) or the provincial office at 1-888-838-3836.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of OntarioFédération des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’élémentaire de l’Ontario136 Isabella Street, Toronto ON M4Y 0B5Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll Free: 1-888-838-3836Fax: 416-642-2424Website: www.etfo.ca

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT TRAINING

A number of school boards are offering behavioural management training to its teachers and education workers. Prior to engaging in this type of training, ETFO members need to know more about these programs as well as understand their rights regarding participation. The following programs are the most commonly offered by school boards: Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) This program has a focus on prevention and strategies designed to “safely defuse anxious, hostile or violent behaviour at the earliest possible stage.” “Disengagement skills” are demonstrated and practiced to train educators to remove themselves and others from dangerous situations. Participants are trained to recognize when it is appropriate to physically intervene and implement holding skills to manage aggressive behaviour. Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) This program stresses early prevention and intervention techniques. It aims to teach effective and safe physical intervention techniques. The BMS training framework is made up of four phases, one of which is the “Action Phase.” During the action phase, practitioners can “intervene physically” through a series of blocks or releases or by containing the student (i.e., by wrapping “your arms around the student”). There are four written cautions in the workbook specific to containments that mention “positional asphyxiation” and students incurring “a dislocated shoulder.” Physical components of behaviour management training It is ETFO’s position that members have the right to decide whether they wish to participate in the physical action component of training programs such as BMS. Members may not be comfortable with the physical training component for a number of reasons. ETFO supports a member’s right to decide this. Physical interactions with students and the use of behaviour management training ETFO has consistently discouraged members from physically intervening with students since engaging in physical contact puts members in jeopardy of personal injury, possibly injuring a student and/or facing discipline resulting from allegations of abuse. This advice has been provided to members in two separate PRS Matters bulletins, The Vulnerable Special Education Teacher and Use of Restraint Advice to Members.

Using the physical components taught in BMS and CPI could potentially put members in a precarious situation where they could face discipline for using restraint techniques or using excessive force to restrain a student. This could lead to a possible investigation by police, Children’s Aid Society (CAS) and/or the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) or the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). Another possible scenario is that members could face discipline if they take the training but opt not to use physical restraints in a particular behaviour management situation. ETFO believes that behaviour management training should be voluntary. In situations where a member volunteers to take the training, or the training is occurring during the instructional day, the Federation offers the following advice:

Members are required to attend behaviour management training during the instructional day or Professional Activity (PA) day if they have been asked or are scheduled to do so;

Before participating in any physical training, members are entitled to and should have a full understanding of the physical activity involved in the interactive phase of the training;

If a member is not comfortable with the physical activity for medical or other reasons, they should notify the trainer and request an accommodation. Should this occur and the training is during the instructional day at the request of the employer, the member is required to stay and observe that portion of the training but elect not to participate in the physical activity; and

Members are not required to, nor should they sign a waiver, in respect of the training and they should advise their local immediately if they are asked to do so.

For further information, please contact your local ETFO president or Professional Relations

staff in Professional Relations Services at 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836. DW:LN February 2018 Vol. # 98