Can it Be?

Well here we are - 7 days left until the end of the school year.  As everyone is busy cleaning out classrooms and desks, we too are busy planning for next year's school year.  2010 - 2011 brought many an opportunity for Professional Development for the elementary Occasional Teacher and we were pleased to see how many of you took advantage of these very beneficial events. 
In a nutshell, next year's tentative PD schedule looks like this:


October 2011:     SMARTBoard PD (always fully registered when offered)
Oct/ Nov 2011:    PD Boutiques offered at the offices of ETFO TVOT
Nov  24  2011  :     Fall General Meeting at Elm Hurst Inn, Ingersoll
Feb/ Mar 2012:    PD Boutiques offered at the offices of ETFO TVOT
March 7 2012 :    PD Evening Meeting at Lamplighter Inn, London
April 20, 2012:     Designated Paid PD at Althouse College (includes AM and PM sessions)
May 24, 2012:     Spring General Meeting and Elections at Lamplighter Inn, London


All events will be detailed in our Fall, Winter and Spring newsletters.


We are currently working on finalizing the handy pocket calendars that will be mailed to you in September. Please remember to refer to these as we go to great lengths to include accurate information and contacts that are very pertinent to the OT. 

Regarding LTOs, the second round of LTO assignments will be posted on First Class under the Occasional Teachers’ Folder on August 15^th.  

Those LTOs currently in a continuous assignment which extends beyond 3 months will be paid an additional $8.00 per day worked (pro-rated for part-time) in addition to regular salary, in lieu of benefits, commencing the fourth working month.  This amount includes vacation pay and     statutory holiday pay. This is the second installment for full year LTOs and it will come with your July 15^th pay.

As well, if you expressed an Interest in an Elementary Teaching Position and received an evaluation this year, submit your receipt for single board Apply to Education subscription to Sandi Douglas at the Board for reimbursement per Article 17.03 of the Agreement.

This will be our last Wednesday Blog posting for the school year.  We thank you for reading and hope you found it beneficial.  We look forward to resuming on Wednesdays in September. 


Have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing summer! 

The Hiring Process

We have received several enquiries this past week from members pertaining to the hiring process and how it unfolds. 
In a nutshell, there are three (3) rounds of hiring for permanent teachers. Initially, it is an internal process for permanent teachers only.  Occasional Teachers cannot apply at this point.  Once Round 3 is completed, the Board reviews what positions have been filled, what jobs may still be available, complete any and all transfers, etc.  Only when Round 3 is completed will the postings be available on "Apply to Education" - these may be available by June-end, where these postings will be up and open for application by the OT.

Please refer to your Collective Agreement - Article 17.04
a) When interviews are conducted for a position posted at the completion of the internal elementary staffing process, at least three (3) Occasional Teachers who have indicated an Interest in an Elementary Teaching Position, and who are qualified for the posted position and who apply for the posted position, shall receive an interview when interviews are conducted for the posted position for a school.
c) If an external candidate and a member from the Occasional Teacher List are under consideration for a position, and all other factors are equal, the member from the Occasional Teacher List will receive the appointment.

On another note, with regards to LTOs that have just been posted on 1st class, the Board will release an LTO to take a permanent position but will not release an LTO to take another or  more desirable LTO.

Additional LTOs will be posted on First Class > Occasional Teachers' Folder on August 15th.

Your Pension is Safe!

On June 3, 2011, The Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF) and the Ontario government agreed to a three-part plan to address the projected $17.2 billion funding shortfall in the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. The plan, which is subject to final approval by OTF and the government, includes:

• A 1.1% contribution rate increase, phased in over the next three years
• Slightly smaller annual cost-of-living increases for teachers who retired after 2009
• Recognizing the current contribution rate as the permanent base rate

The pension plan board increased the rate of return assumption used in the 2011 funding valuation to 3.25% from 3.15%, a move that reduced the size of the shortfall.  This change was made possible by measures introduced to resolve the 2011 shortfall, which reduced the plan's funding risk.
The rate of return assumption, also called the discount rate assumption, plays a critical role in projecting whether or not the pension plan has enough assets to meet its future pension obligations.  A lower discount rate assumption increases the projected cost of pensions; a higher assumption lowers this cost.

In taking action now, OTF and the government addressed the current shortfall and will file a funding valuation with the provincial pension regulator one year earlier than required.  An earlier filing avoids potentially more dramatic changes that likely would be necessary if next year's valuation were filed, and provides time for possible improvements in factors, such as real interest rates, that affect pension costs.  A valuation filed with the regulator must show future assets and future liabilities are in balance - there cannot be a shortfall.
OTF, the government and the pension plan continue to work together to examine the plan's long-term funding challenges stemming from member demographics, plan maturity, uncertain economic conditions and other factors.  The three parties will continue to study ways to keep the Teachers' pension plan secure and affordable well into the future.
For more information, visit the plan funding section of http://www.otpp.com/

June 30th PD Day Clarification

We are in receipt of numerous requests for clarification regarding the June 30th P.D. Day.  Some members are asking how they can participate and where it will be held.
The June 30th PD Day is the day that OTs will receive a day's pay for working providing all 21 on-line training modules* are completed.  These are the Mandatory On-Line Training that you must complete.  It is accessed by going to the Employee Portal under Staff Development and Training/Mandatory Training.
So, there is no PD to actually "go to".  It is the day that all OTs will be paid for completing the Mandatory On-Line Training, by June 30th, 2011.
* Please note that the Domestic Violence module is in development and will not be available until the next school year. 

Our Spring General Meeting on May 26th, at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn was a wonderful success.  We held Elections for our Local and we are pleased to announce your New Executive for 2011-2012:

Returning President and Chief Negotiator (two year term; no election this year) - Terry Card
1st Vice-President - Nancy Springer
2nd Vice-President - Sheri-Lynn Honyust
Treasurer - Lorna Wilson
Secretary - Gina Droppo
Executive:  Health and Safety - Carrie Heiter
Executive at Large - Donna Leonard
Executive at Large - Angela Mitchell
Executive at Large - Vivek Nath

Congratulations and thank you to each of our Executive members for their dedication and hard work for our Local.

  

Last Chances

As May draws to a close let us remind you:

• Space is limited but there is room left for anyone interested in attending and being a part of the Annual Spring General Meeting at the Lamplighter Inn. You can register by either emailing tvotpd@gmail.com or calling 519-641-3936. Receive a hard copy of your Collective Agreement, enjoy a lovely dinner with your peers and elect your Executive.  This is your forum to discuss the issues and meet those who will represent you.
• There is still time to submit your application for a $25 dollar book rebate.  Check the latest newsletter or your Local website for an application form and submit before May 31st.
• Remember that your bargaining team is counting on you to identify your priorities so that we can address these in our preliminary submission.  Take a few moments to participate in the bargaining survey posted on our website http://www.etfotvots.com/.  The survey is available until May 31st to allow you another opportunity to influence your working conditions.

Category A1 Rating

All Occasional Teachers must be evaluated by QECO to obtain a salary placement beyond Category A1, the daily rate.  A QECO evaluation may result in one of four category placements:  Category A1 through Category A4, depending on individual academic criteria, as determined by Program 5.  Those in a long-term assignment have until July 31st to provide the Board with a Qualifications Rating Statement and any supporting documents for retroactive adjustment.  After receiving a QECO evaluation, it is the Occasional Teacher's responsibility to submit the new QECO rating to Sandi Douglas in Human Resource Services at the Board for the appropriate salary category placement.  Visit http://www.qeco.on.ca/ for further details.  N.B. a copy of your pay statement from the Employee Portal is sufficient proof of employment.

On another note, it's time to think about your future and completing the Bargaining Survey.  Your current Collective Agreement expires August 31, 2012.  The deadline might seem far off, but to those of us who negotiate on your behalf, it is time to begin work on your preliminary submission.  One way we identify local bargaining goals is to solicit input from the general membership by means of a survey.  We have posted the link to our Collective Bargaining Survey on our website: http://www.etfotvots.com/ for the month of May.  Please help to determine your workingconditions by taking a few minutes to participate in this assessment of your needs.  If you have any questions or wish to discuss an issue before you respond, please contact your Chief Negotiator, Terry Card at 519-641-3936/etfotvot@gmail.com.

TVARRIS Focus Group:  Human Resources Services Manager, John Cuddie is interested in meeting with a focus group of 15 elementary Occasional Teachers to discuss TVARRIS.  If you are willing to participate in an after school meeting to be held mid-June, please email us at tvotpd@gmail.com.  We will forward the names of those interested to HRS by May 31, 2011.  There are currently 12 names on the panel with room for 3 more.

Lastly, don't miss our Annual General Meeting and Elections scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 2011 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Road South, London, Ontario.  Dinner Buffet at 5:00 p.m. R.S.V.P required for meal to tvotpd@gmail.com/519-641-3936.  All who attend will receive a copy of the ETFO Occasional Teacher Collective Agreement and a chance to win one of our many door prizes.   

YOUR BILL OF RIGHTS

As a fully qualified teacher and member of the ETFO Thames Valley OT Local, it is my right as:


A Professional:

• to have my professional judgement respected,
• to have the authority of teachers respected, 
• to determine my own professional development needs,
• to freely determine how, when and under what conditions I volunteer my time,
• to expect to be consulted and have my opinion given full consideration;

A Union Member:

• to have my Collective Agreement respected and followed,
• to be provided with due process and have the right to union representation,
• to participate in my Federation without fear of reprisal;

An Employee:

• to work in an inclusive environment that is a respectful workplace free from any form of discrimination or harassment,
• to work in a healthy and safe workplace that promotes my professional and personal well being,
• to be supervised in a fair and consistent manner that respects me as a professional and a person.

On another note:

REMINDER

To remain an elementary Occasional Teacher with TVDSB you must annually:

• Work at least five full days per school year as a TVDSB elementary Occasional Teacher
• Pay your Ontario College of Teachers' fees by April 15th (fee deducted for those in LTO on January first)
• Complete your Offence Declaration online
• Complete all online training modules and WHMIS review
• Submit your online Statement of Internet to Remain on the List by April 30
• Inform the Board of any changes of name, address, and/or telephone number

Look for your May 2011 copy of The Supply Line for important information and news.  Available either online at http://www.etfotvots.com/ or coming soon by post.

Annual General Meeting and Elections:

     when:   Thursday, May 26, 2011 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.

     where:  Best Western Lamplighter Inn 

                 

591 Wellington Road South, London, Ontario

                 Dinner Buffet at 5:00 p.m.

                 R.S.V.P. required for meal

           tvotpd@gmail.com/519-641-3936

  All who attend will receive a copy of the ETFO Occasional Teacher Collective Agreement and a chance to win one of our many door prizes.