Ontario education minister imposes new contracts on teachers

[puckstopshere]

Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten announced that she will impose new contracts on teachers, a move that threatens to intensify labour unrest in the province’s schools.

Citing the stubborn $14-billion deficit, Ms. Broten said Thursday that she had a choice between protecting gains in the public education system and raising teachers’ salaries.

In imposing the two-year contracts banning teachers from walking off the job, Ms. Broten said: “I have been left with no other option.”

“In the end, action was necessary and we have taken it,” she said at a news conference.

However, Ms. Broten stressed that the controversial legislation known as Bill 115 is a one-time measure. The plan, she said, is to repeal the legislation well before the two-year contracts expire on Aug. 31, 2014.

Ms. Broten warned union leaders not to ask their members to take “illegal strike activity,” saying teachers are no longer in a position to walk off the job.

Sam Hammond, head of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, warned that “you cannot expect that it will be business as usual in schools” when classes resume on Monday.

However, he did not offer any specifics beyond a previously announced court challenge to the legislation, saying union leaders needed to meet first.

Mr. Hammond described the government’s use of Bill 115 as a “disgraceful use of government power.”

“A decade of goodwill has been squandered in just under 10 months by this education minister,” he said at a news conference, where he accused Ms. Broten of “trampling” teachers’ bargaining rights.

The government will not “remove the stain” of Bill 115 of simply repealing it once it has been used, he said.

The deadline for unions to reach local agreements with school boards came and went on Monday night, giving Ms. Broten the power to set the terms of the contracts for public school teachers and staff under Bill 115, which allows the government to freeze wages, reduces teachers’ ability to bank sick days and limit their right to strike.

Only 65 of 469 school bargaining units across the province have come to deals that meet the province’s strict requirements under Bill 115, the vast majority of them within the English Catholic school board, which settled in July.

Elementary teachers staged rotating one-day strikes across the province before the Christmas break and in late December ETFO urged Ms. Broten to hold off on imposing contracts until a new Liberal leader is chosen to replace Mr. McGuinty.

But it is unclear whether ETFO plans to escalate strike action, which could be deemed illegal. High school teachers across the province have withdrawn from extracurricular activities, which they provide on a volunteer basis. That job action is expected to continue into 2013 – and for the next two years – because of the province’s move to impose contracts.

Opposition members denounced the government for announcing that it plans to repeal the legislation after using it to impose a new contract.

"What we've just witnessed is cynical politics at its very worst," New Democratic MPP Cheri DiNovo told reporters.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, who has been pushing for mandatory, across-the-board wage freezes for public sector workers, criticized the government for planning to repeal its legislation that imposes such a freeze on the province’s teachers.

“It’s been 10 months of this chaos,” Mr. Hudak told reporters on Thursday. “Now they’re going to toss it overboard? That tells me they want to put the union bosses back in charge of this process.”

Annie Kidder, executive director of the advocacy group People for Education, said she doubts that repealing the legislation will solve the problem or restore a sense of “collegiality” between the government and teachers.

“It’s like giving with one hand and taking away with the other,” Ms. Kidder told reporters.

The Ontario Liberals have said that cutting teachers’ paid sick days to 10 from 20, and delaying a pay grid that increases their salaries to $90,000 from about $40,000 over 10 years, was necessary to tackle a $14-billion provincial deficit while preserving job-generating programs such as caps on primary-class sizes and full-day kindergarten.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ontario-education-minister-imposes-new-contracts-on-tea...

[petelesco]

To be fair, we are a low percentage that get paid by the hour. However we do exist. I make just over half of the "average" that you state, not exactly a kings ransom in this day and age. I do not get paid for sick days or stat holidays even. I'm not even sure how that is legal. Paid vacation?!? Not a chance.

Again, I get laid off over the major holidays which again means no pay. I am unfamilliar with the "excellent annual wage" you speak of.

It upsets me, because you will only ever read about the absolute top earning teachers in the newspaper. There are legions of us that have nothing near what they do, and likely never will, but the general public still thinks we are all driving around in brand new BMWs. We are not.

Remember that new teachers can start out as low as 38K per year. You might be lucky to get that after spending years on a supply list.

[petelesco]

Of course people with more responsibiliy put in extra hours. Do you really think we run for the car as soon as the bell rings? We already stay late doing marking, reworking lessons, providing extra help, setting up classrooms, etc. These things consume a lot of time. 

No, nobody put a gun to my head and asked me to sign. I didn't get an opportunity to sign anything as a matter of fact. I was forced to accept with no negotiation at all, and before anyone brings it up I must point out that teachers were not looking for a raise of any kind. Not one cent.

I don't understand the squabbles either. Before I became a teacher, I worked out what my working conditions would be with my boss. No problems. That option was legislated away from me by someone trying to score votes.

With any good fortune, I will never leave teaching. It is my passion, and I feel I am doing my part to leave the world in a better state than what I found it. I'm helping raise your kids, and I am doing a good job of it.

[puckstopshere]

Do you really think we run for the car as soon as the bell rings?

Some do.  I pick up my wife on Monday afternoons.  She plays euchre at a Catholic Church Hall.  Next door is the Catholic school.  I sit in my car beside the teachers' parking lot - on the opposite side of a fence. 

About half of those cars leave the lot before the school buses are loaded and gone.  This happens ever week - and I have been doing this for over two years. 

[puckstopshere]

laser surgery is still not a covered benefit.

For whatever reason, Lasik surgery is considered to be "cosmetic" and therefore not covered. 

Some of the things that are cosmetic surprise me.  A few years ago, I had some skin tags on my neck and back.  I was sent to a doctor to have them removed.  The ones that were covered by my shirt were covered.  Those that were exposed were considered "cosmetic" and I had to pay to have them removed. 

[puckstopshere]

Since no teacher has bothered to answer my question as to how many hours a year they actually work including extracurricular work.

I have been doing some figuring.  In the elementary schools around here, classes start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.  Take a lunch break and recess out of that and we have 5 to 5.5 hours.  Now, recess and playground supervision doesn't seem to be a teacher responsibility.  According to a mother I talked to in my building, these duties are usually handled by a) a parent volunteer or b) a paid employee, but not a teacher.  During recess and lunch, teachers are "on break". 

I took a calendar, and came up with 184 days in 2013 - that is with stat holidays, March break and 9 P.D. days.  So, without extras and assuming 5.5 hours per day - that is 1012 hours per year.  That leaves a hell of a lot of extracurricular time before you get to the 2000 hours that the average jane or joe works.   And that is assuming you don't take any sick days.  

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

It's refreshing to have someone like pete drop in and tell things from a personal perspective. I often think and sometimes I am sure that we never hear 'all' the facts or 'all' the stories.

I remember a few years back when there was a near strike of nurses and hospital staff. My cousin had been in the hospital working for many years as an orderly in out patients. He use to tell me lots of stories about how staff were treated and how money was wasted and I asked him why don't other people hear about this?.....why don't the staff speak up? He said because they can't! They have to sign a confidentiality agreement with the hospital and if they say anything they can lose their jobs and or be sued in court. I don't know if the same applies for teachers.

We....the taxpayers....never really hear what we should hear.

[puckstopshere]

We....the taxpayers....never really hear what we should hear.

Anyone who knows someone in nursing and in the other hospital areas knows that they are underpaid and work hard for their pay.  I know three in this building - a nurse, a person who takes samples from people (blood, etc.) for testing, and a cleaner.  I hear horror stories on a regular basis.  Many people in hospital are not on their best behavior because they are sick and often scared.  They tend to take their feelings out on the staff - both verbally and physically. 

I think anyone who would compare teachers and their salaries to the staff in hospitals is not well informed. 

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

I think anyone who would compare teachers and their salaries to the staff in hospitals is not well informed.

Was I comparing salaries? No.

I said ''I am sure that we never hear 'all' the facts or 'all' the stories.'' I was talking about confidentiality agreements and I wondered if teachers must sign one as hospital people do.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Which confidentialy agreement are you referring to ?

btw, not being cheeky.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Which confidentialy agreement are you referring to ?

The ones hospital workers have to sign. I've never seen one or what the wording is, but that's what I was told....they can't talk about anything that goes on in the hospital. So I was just wondering if teachers had to sign the same thing.

[bb_cool_stuff]

That is true.

No release of any confidential information at any time. Automatic seven day suspension, then review board. Repeat offenders equals dismissal.

Release of information to family members is allowed but no longer by phone.

Been that way since i've been in the business, just over twenty five years.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Should add the suspension is without pay.

Seven day suspension is the step below dismissal with no union protection.

[stevephinn2012]

BUT BUT BUT--- that has NOTHING to do with UNION contracts OR negotiations!!!

That is WHO,WHAT WHERE goes on IN the hospital itself.

what people are in for what meds they are on ETC. They can discuss what they make,how many hours they work etc.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

what people are in for what meds they are on ETC. They can discuss what they make,how many hours they work etc.

??????

Who mentioned what people were in hospital for or their medications?

First you have to actually Read and Understand what people are talking about.

[stevephinn2012]

Who mentioned what people were in hospital for or their medications?

First you have to actually Read and Understand what people are talking about.

YOU!!

I said ''I am sure that we never hear 'all' the facts or 'all' the stories.'' I was talking about confidentiality agreements and I wondered if teachers must sign one as hospital people do.

the ONLY confidentiality agreement that they sign is about WHO,WHAT,WHERE (meds etc) that goes on IN the hospital what they do with their CONTRACT they are free to discuss with ANYBODY

SO when you bring up saying they have a confidentiality agreement so we hear nothing that goes on in a thread COMPLETLY about negotiations you are WRONG WRONG WRONG  as usual.

Their confidentiality agreement has ZERO_ZIP-NADDA to do with contracts or negotiations

please read the copmplete thread before throwing out your usual BS

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

ROTFL He still doesn't understand. Not a clue.

Very sad.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

First of all I don't do the button thing. I prefer to leave what people say to stay so that everyone can see. I would never deprive them of that.

How many posts are in here mikey? Well before your first comment there were ....31. In post 36 you mentioned the thread title and then my post 25. You missed everything in between.

Here's how it works. When reading anything, be it a media article or a book etc etc etc....one has to take everything in context...not just what one wants to see.

The definition of context is ''the circumstances that form a setting for an event, statement or idea and in terms in which it can be fully understood and assesed.''

No thanks necessary. Glad to help.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

I wouldn't recommend him to do the tax return for a lemonade stand.