Salary for LTOs/QECO; Lost Prep time; OTIP Contest; TVOT Office Spring Break

Are you in a LTO? If so, you may not be receiving adequate pay for this year's long-term assignment(s). As an LTO, you are eligible for salary that reflects your qualifications and teaching experience, however the onus is on you to provide the Board with a QECO / Qualifications Rating Statement (or a card indicating that your rating is in progress), prior to July 31st for retroactive adjustment. N.B. The QECO application process can take several weeks.

1. To obtain a QECO rating, follow the instructions at www.qeco.on.ca or call QECO at 1-800-385-1030 and request an application form.
2. Once you have received your rating, submit the results to TVDSB Staffing Officer Jessica Grison Roeder at j.grisonroeder@tvdsb.ca before the July deadline or forward a copy of the confirmation card if your application is in process but will not be available by the due date.

The same July 31st deadline applies to proof of any post-certification teaching experience outside of TVDSB. Be sure to submit those documents to HR so that you can advance on the salary grid. 

Do not hesitate to contact the ETFO TVOT Local at etfotvot@gmail.com for further details or assistance.

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Your Collective Agreement Provides:

L18.02      The timetable for an Occasional Teacher shall be the same as the timetable of the Teacher being replaced except as set forth in Articles L18.03 and L18.05.

L18.03    (a)     Unless hired for a long-term occasional assignment in accordance with the provisions of Article L14, an Occasional Teacher shall not be assigned supervisory duties prior to the commencement of class on the first morning of an assignment or prior to the commencement of the afternoon class on the first day if it is a half-day afternoon assignment.

(b)      Where an Occasional Teacher is hired for a vacancy for preparation time coverage, IPRC coverage, etc., that Occasional Teacher shall be assigned no more than one supervisory duty.

(c)     If the assignment is for the Occasional Teacher to provide preparation time payback in full day assignment, then that Occasional Teacher shall be provided with a minimum of forty (40) minutes preparation time at the beginning of the assignment. 

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LOST PREP PERIODS -Occasional Teachers/LTOs are reminded to keep a record of the dates and number of minutes lost of any scheduled prep periods that they are denied. This violates our Collective Agreement and the Local will again be seeking compensation for such lost time.

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Your TVOT Office will be closed from Friday afternoon, March 8th/24 until the morning of Monday, March 18/24. If you have an emergency which requires ETFO Provincial legal assistance (see below), please contact their office at 1-888-838-3836.

Bill 124 Remedy update; ETFO Survey; ETFO Bursaries and Scholarships; TVOT financial incentives

 

Members may not be aware that TVDSB and your TVOT Local are in discussions about timelines for the Bill 124 Remedy payout to members who worked for the Board during any of the periods 2019 - 2020, 2020 - 2021, 2021 - 2022 and the years since. The Local will send out further information when it becomes available. Boards have until June 8th to make this remedy payment. N.B. This is separate from the recently negotiated salary arbitration which does not begin until this September.

To ensure that nobody is missed, please contact anyone you know who retired during those years, as they may still be eligible for financial compensation. If those former members have new addresses, they will need to update that information with Sofia Dahbour at s.dahbour@tvdsb.ca. If former members have changed their banking information since working for TVDSB, they must contact the TVDSB payrollhelpline@tvdsb.ca . 

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Provincial ETFO will be emailing all members who have advised them of their personal email address, with an invitation to participate in their 2024 Annual All-Member Survey. If you do not receive an invitation please contact them at memberrecords@etfo.org and staff will assist you.

The survey is being sent from survey@etfo.org and will only take a few minutes to complete. Survey closes Friday, March 29th. 

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Did you know that April 1st is the deadline to apply for ETFO Provincial Bursaries and Scholarships? This program offers financial incentives to members and non-members entering faculties of education; members studying at the graduate level and members upgrading qualifications at publicly funded institutions in Ontario. This include bursaries for members of designated groups and bursaries for children of ETFO members.  Here is the link - 

https://www.etfo.ca/about-us/awards-scholarships/etfo-scholarships-and-bursaries

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Resource Rebate: TVOT members may not be aware that they can be reimbursed for up to $75 from the Local, to purchase professional book(s) or resources related to their elementary professional needs. Applications for the Resource Rebate are available to those who register on our website at www.etfotvot.com .

Professional Learning Development Fund (PLDF): TVOT members who have been with us for at least one year, may apply for up to $500 per year for courses related to elementary teaching, taken during the current school year or for future use (summer, etc.). It cannot be applied retroactively to courses with start dates prior to the current school year. Applications for the PLDF are available to those who register on our website at www.etfotvot.com .

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Not sure about something to do with your job? Give your Local a call. We are authorities on your Collective Agreement and our role is to advise and represent you - not to judge or evaluate you as the Employer may. All information is confidential unless you want us to act on your behalf, so please never hesitate to contact us at etfotvot@gmail.com using a personal email address as the TVDSB system is not private. You can also reach us by phone at 519-641-3936. 

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February 28th, After School Paid PD Event and Dinner: BMO Centre London Optimist Sports Centre from 4:30 - 7:00 PM

Giving Students Voice through Drama Presenter : Are you tired of thinking of drama as just “Readers Theatre”? Learn to use drama both as a means of giving students voice and a way of creating authentic assessments opportunities throughout the curriculum. We will learn to make cross- curricular connections and leave with tools to integrate drama into multiple subjects and grade levels. Participants should come prepared to actively learn and participate in drama activities and exploring their effective. Learn to bring the curriculum and learning alive for your students!

Register in the TVDSB Employee Portal to earn a half-day of pay!

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Unsure what TVDSB Form to use when reporting an Accident or Incident? Check the Flow Chart - 

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TVOT members are guaranteed the timetable of the Teacher they are replacing by Article L18.02 of our Collective Agreement. This includes the prep time and supervisory duties of that absent Teacher. If you are asked to forfeit your prep time, the Local asks that you keep a record of this (date, time, length of prep period lost, absent Teacher) as once again, the Local will be seeking monetary compensation for the time lost by our members.

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Black History Month: The London Arts Council participates in Black History month to honour the legacy of Black Artists and to recognize their daily contributions to Canada. To read the perspectives of some of these artists, click on their pictures at https://www.londonarts.ca/black-history-month

Free tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/black-history-now-our-people-our-stories-our-perspective-tickets-823159370837

For more information on events celebrating Black History in our region, click on https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/take-part-in-black-history-month-in-london-1.7101877

Wouldn’t it be GRAND? Enter to win OTIP’s monthly prize of $1,000 cash and the grand prize of $3,000! Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SyciBd #OTIPUpdate

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April 19 PA Day; Benefits for LTOs; Bill 124 Remedy; Black History Month

- TVDSB has rescheduled the Friday, April 19th PA day to Monday, April 8th due to safety concerns associated with the total solar eclipse that will take place between 2 - 4:30 PM in our region.

- There is still time to register for "Giving Students Voice through Drama", a paid PD event with dinner being hosted by TVOT at the BMO Centre in London on February 28th from 4:30 to 7 PM. Check the TVDSB Employee Portal for more details and registration information.

- Benefits for LTOs cease immediately on completion of the long-term assignment. For those in LTOs with posted end dates, coverage begins immediately but if the assignment end date is indeterminate, eligibility takes 90 calendar days with coverage then retroactively applied to the first day of the LTO.

- T4s for 2023 are now available in the TVDSB Employee Portal. 

Under the terms of ETFO’s 2022-2026 Central Agreement, school boards are responsible for paying members no later than 120 days after the arbitrator’s decision was released on February 9, 2024.  Eligibility for the Bill 124 remedy includes those who worked as ETFO members (in Teacher, daily Occasional Teacher / LTO roles) any time between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2022. This includes members who received paid sick leave during this period of time. N.B. OTs who worked for other Boards in Ontario should contact those Boards to see how those payments will be processed.

A separate arbitration hearing will be held in September to determine the wage increases that will be applied during the term of the 2022-2026 Collective Agreement. This means ETFO members will be receiving additional increases through a separate arbitration award for the 2022-2026 period, over and above the Bill 124 remedy increases. 

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The 3rd Annual Essence and Culture Awards: February 18, 2024 at Aeolian Hall in London celebrating outstanding people in the black community.

For more information visit https://aeolianhall.ca/events/the-3rd-annual-essence-culture-awards/ 

For additional ETFO Resources about black history, go to https://www.etfo.ca/getmedia/913aa8a5-2e9e-4382-86e0-5dbdadcd59bc/240206-BHM-curriculum-doc-v2_DC.pdf

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NEW: Afterschool Paid PD Event; ETFO's Town Hall for New Members ; Black History Month Events

An Evening of the Arts - A Paid PD Event including dinner

February 28th, BMO Centre in London from 4:30 to 7:00 pm

Select one session then register in the TVDSB Employee Portal 

1) Loose Parts: Making Mandalas With Natural and Found Materials - Mandalas are found in many cultures. In this workshop, participants will explore ideas around patterning, repetitions and placement as they create mandalas using natural materials. Learn how to make connections across the curriculum by exploring cultural motifs and how elements of the natural work and environmental practices can be introduced into the classroom. Participants will be provided with all materials needed but are welcome to bring any natural materials they wish to incorporate. A theme of self-care and collective care will weave itself through the workshop as we explore these ideas. Presenter: Nimra Bandukwala, Visual Artist and Occupational Therapist

2) Giving Students Voice Through Drama - Are you tired of thinking of drama as just "Readers Theatre"? Learn to use drama both as a means of giving students voice and a way of creating authentic assessment opportunities throughout the curriculum. Find out how to make cross-curricular connections and leave with tools to integrate drama into multiple subjects and grade levels. Participants should come ready to actively learn and participate in drama activities. Bring the curriculum alive for your students. Presenter: Greta Hofstede

3) Exploring Elements of Design Through Ceramic Painting - Come out for a relaxing evening where participants will explore both elements and principles of design while painting ceramic objects. Learn about basic elements of design such as line, shape, shade, space and colour while exploring techniques such as pointillism and abstraction. Learn to create a foundation of design principles with a focus on proportion, balance, repetition, etc. Participants will have a choice of painting a mug, bowl or plate. Presenter: Kim Oliver of Muggs Coffee and Clay, Strathroy

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ETFO Provincial will be hosting their first ever, online Town-Hall Meeting for new members. Provincial President Karen Brown will host meetings on February 12th and again on February 13th at 7 PM.  Members can register at surveymonkey.com/r/ETFO-NewMemberTownHall

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Claims counselling – our dedicated team is here to help

The unfortunate reality is accidents happen. That's why insurance exists. However, we recommend you speak with your licensed insurance broker about whether making an official claim with your insurance company is in your best interest. That's where claims counselling comes in handy.

Read more at www.otip.com/article177. #OTIPUpdate

Gratuities. Pension buybacks. Deferred salary leaves. Get a customized financial plan built by experts who understand the unique financial realities of education members. Plus, find out how you could WIN $1,000! Book a consultation with (please tag @Educators Financial Group on Facebook or @EducatorsFG on Twitter/Instagram): https://bit.ly/3H0SqA2.

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