ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

TVOT Annual Meeting and Spring Banquet; Important Deadlines; Call for Nominations; Keeping Personal Notes; Happy Holidays

NEW DATE FOR TVOT ANNUAL MEETING

Save the date because this Spring's ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Annual Meeting and Spring Banquet will now be held on Tuesday, May 16th at the Lamplighter Inn in London.

Join us after school that day for a beautiful dinner and take part in the business of the Local. Registration will open after the Easter weekend.

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Annual Request for Candidates

The TVOT Constitution states: Members shall be notified of the request for candidates at least thirty (30) days prior to the Local Annual Meeting. (Section 9.2.1)

Members at the TVOT Annual Meeting select their Local Executive each year. Why not join the Executive team and make a difference?

Dinner meetings are held once a month at the TVOT office after school.

Elections will be held May 16th at the Lamplighter Inn for the following positions:

President: (non election year as this is a two year term) however it is a full-time position; legal spokesperson and representative of Local; Grievance Officer; liaison/ member of all committees; signing officer; attends all Provincial Rep. Councils, ETFO Annual Meeting, other ETFO meetings in Toronto (Section 7.2.1) Candidates for this position must have a minimum of one year of Local Executive experience (Section 9.1.2)

First Vice-President: assists the President; coordinates preparation of the newsletter; attends committees (Section 7.2.2) Candidates for this position must have a minimum of one year of Local Executive experience (Section 9.1.2)

Second Vice-President: assists the President and First Vice-President and acts as liaison to the P.D. Committee (Section 7.2.3) Candidates for this position must have a minimum of one year of Local Executive experience (Section 9.1.2)

Secretary: records, prepares and circulates accurate minutes of past and present Executive and General Membership Meetings (Section 7.2.4)

Treasurer: maintains financial records; pays expenses of the Local as signing officer; drafts budget and reports to Executive and membership (Section 7.2.5)

Health and Safety Officer: acts as liaison with the Board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee, the Local Executive and general membership; conducts annual audits of schools and participates in all applicable training (Section 7.2.7)

Executive Members at Large (4): great learning opportunity with duties as determined by the Executive (Section 7.1.1 – 7.1.13)

Chief Negotiator: (no election as bargaining is in progress) however this person negotiates the Collective Agreement; maintains the Agreement and reports to membership (Section 7.2.6)

Collective Bargaining Committee (President, Chief Negotiator and 4-5 others): (no election as bargaining is in progress) however this committee surveys membership; prepares preliminary submission; negotiates Collective Agreement (Section 7.3.4)

ETFO Provincial Annual Meeting Alternates (5): pool from which delegate/alternate vacancies will be filled; Toronto Sheraton Centre, August 14-17, 2023 (all costs paid) (Section 10.1 – 10.3)

Candidate Forms will be posted on the Local website: www.etfotvot.com

The deadline for receipt of Candidate Forms is 5 PM April 26, 2023 (Section 9.2.2)

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If your teaching day hasn't gone well -

Teaching is a skill we continue to hone our entire careers and so the Local encourages members to reflect on what went well and what were the challenges, after each assignment.

When members have faced a difficult situation at school, we suggest they create a personal document of the facts, including names and as many details and dates of conversations with students, Administration, parents etc. as possible. We stress that these are personal notes to be kept at home for reference in the unlikely event that something more comes of it. Remember to contact your TVOT Local for confidential support.

Occasional teaching allows members to see the best and the worst of the classrooms we visit - Both ends of the spectrum help us to become better Teachers.

April 15th: OCT fees are due https://www.oct.ca/members/services/annual-membership-fee-information
April 16th: final day of Columbia Sportswear Outlet invitation (see previous blogs)
April 26th: last day to submit Candidate Forms for TVOT Local elections
April 30th: last day ETFO Provincial will accept applications for their scholarships and bursaries https://www.etfo.ca/about-us/awards-scholarships/etfo-scholarships-and-bursaries

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DOES HOME INSURANCE COVER MOULD DAMAGE?

Mould is a common enemy of Canadian homeowners. It poses a severe health risk and can significantly damage your home, making it expensive to repair. As a homeowner, understanding how to purify your indoor air and keep your family and visitors healthy is essential.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Columbia invitation; OCT Fees; NTIP evaluations; OMERS pensions; Education in the Ontario Budget; Retirement workshop.

Did you miss the Columbia Sportsewar Outlet invitation in last week's Wednesday Blog?
Details are further down in this week's edition.
Vailid from March 24/23 to April 16/23

1) TVOT members must pay their annual Ontario College of Teacher's (OCT) fees by April 15th to remain in good standing. Those in LTOs on January 1/23 will have had their fee deducted as verified on their TVDSB pay stub in the Employee Portal. To pay your fees online click https://www.oct.ca/members/college-fees . Those who do not pay will have their salary adjusted to non-certified pay and must pay an additional $130 penalty to OCT for re-instatement.

2) LTOs in NTIP are exempt from the Evaluation Process as it applies only to permanent Teachers. You can find out more at https://www.ontario.ca/page/new-teacher-induction-program

3) Newly certified Occasional Teachers who previously worked as UOTEs will have paid into the Ontario Municipal Employess Retirement System (OMERS) pension plan during that time. There is an opportunity to transfer these contributions to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. For more information on this process and the deadlines to apply for such a transrer, click on https://docs.otpp.com/PensionTransfers_FS.pdf

Planning for retirement when it’s ten years, five years, and one year away

Planning for retirement but don’t know where to start? You’re not alone. Here are some action items you can take as your retirement date draws closer.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Columbia Sportswear Invitation; Remedy Payments Bill 115; New Paid PD events for TVOT Members; Retirement Workshop

Remedy Payment Update - Bill 115

The Ministry of Education has completed their review of all Bill 115 Remedy Notices of Objections and are in the process of updating the final eligibility payment list. This means transfer payments should be made to School Boards by April 1st. School Boards will then issue payments to those eligible by June 1st.

TWO NEW PAID PD EVENT Selections

Lamplighter Inn, London on March 29/23 from 4:30 - 7:30 PM

(dinner is provided)

1) Engagement and Integration in the Arts for the Occasional Teacher - This workshop is packed with fun, practical, easy-to-use activities and strategies for teaching drama, dance, visual arts and music. Occasional Teachers will become more confident in teaching the arts and leave with a variety of resources that are enjoyable for students, can be used immediately and are easily integrated into their teaching practice.

2) Special Education and the Occasional Teacher - Navigating the challenges of special education, student mental health, and occasional teaching. Participants will learn practical, classroom-based strategies to effectively plan and manage special education student programming and mental health needs as an Occasional Teacher. Throughout the workshop, we will share research, interventions, and strategies to help you and your students develop learning environments where all can succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

Registration is via the TVDSB Employee Portal and participation counts for all purposes as a half-day of teaching, so come Earn While You Learn!

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Ramadan Begins Today - March 23, 2023

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Lots of LTOs out there; Final chance for Men's Health and Wellness Conference; Retirees Can Teach 95 days; Anxiety Workshop online tonight; Upcoming Retirement workshop;

- When a LTO is posted to the Occasional Teacher conference in TVDSB's Outlook, it is because no certified members have applied and so the LTO will be available to people who are not certified teachers. There are some great opportunities here for our TVOT members as these positions must first go to our members.

- Eligible OTs can participate at their convenience in the online paid PD selections listed in the Employee Portal with the deadline of June 30th; each module counts as a half-day of teaching.

- When a LTO leave states, "with Occasional Teacher cost deduction" it means that the day is not entirely unpaid because the LTO gets to keep the difference between their grid salary and the daily OT rate.

- The TVOT Local continues to advocate that members receive the scheduled prep periods of the Teachers they are replacing so keep track of the dates, locations and length of any missed prep time. This is a violation of our Collective Agreement and the Local will be seeking compensation for our members.

- The TVOT Office will be closed during March Break.

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TONIGHT

Deadline Extended -

Today is your last chance!

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Again, Ontario Courts rule that the Ford Government Acted Unconstitutionally

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TODAY IS -

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Your TVOT Office will be closed during March Break and will re-open when school resumes March 20, 2023.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Central Bargaining update; ETFO Town Hall, Bursaries, Violence Survey; Discount available

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What does the Union / Local Do?

- We support members having difficulty with payroll, Administration, assignments etc. NB: ETFO stewards represent the permanent Teachers at that site. Representation for OTs/LTOs comes from your TVOT Local Office which you can reach at 519-641-3936 or etfotvot@gmail.com

- We negotiate the best possible terms and conditions of your employment through collective bargaining

- We provide guidance and respond to questions from TVOT members regarding these terms

- We provide meaningful professional development for our members, both as a Local and in conjunction with TVDSB staff development

We are your advocates.

Call us when you are unsure or at the first signs of difficulty!

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1) ETFO Provincial's Town Hall on Central Bargaining, is being held for ETFO members in Thames Valley tomorrow, March 2/23 from 8 - 9 PM. Several minutes before the start, members will receive a phone call from ETFO (416-800-9227). You will be contacted using the number on file with ETFO Provincial so be sure that your information is correct. To update your personal information, contact ETFO Member Records at memberrecords@etfo.org

2) This is the final week for members to complete the Violence in our Schools survey for ETFO Provincial. This is important information for ETFO as they negotiate with the government for the supports necessary for a safe environment in our schools. For more information go to http://etfohealthandsafety.ca/site/workplace-violence/violence-survey/

3) The deadline for Teachers/OTs to pay their annual OCT fee is April 15th. Please note that ETFO objects to the recent fee increase to $200, however a valid teaching certificate remains a requirement. Here is a link to the OCT fee page https://www.oct.ca/members/services/annual-membership-fee-information

4) Members have until April 30 to apply for one of ETFO Provincial's scholarship or bursaries. These are awarded to members and non-members entering faculties of education and members studying at the graduate level or upgrading their qualifications. Find out more at https://www.etfo.ca/about-us/awards-scholarships/etfo-scholarships-and-bursaries

5) TVOT members are reminded to record any lost prep time as the Local has filed a grievance with TVDSB in hopes of settling this breach of our Collective Agreement. We will keep members informed of any new developments.

6) TVOT members must teach at least 10 days in an elementary school in order to remain on the OT list for next school year.