Merry Christmas and all the best for the Holidays!

Here we are, the last BLOG for the 2015 school year!  Your Local has been very busy with Bargaining, Professional Development and always, representing it's members with professional and sound strength.  Stay tuned for our upcoming Newsletter, "The Supply Line" which will include new and unadvertised planned PD events for 2016.  The Supply Line will be sent to all members via Canada Post, so please advise our office if there has been a change to your residential address.
It is also a condition of employment that the Board have your correct address, so we also ask that you go to the Employee Portal under 'Your Personal Information' to ensure it is correct.  If you have a unit/apt/suite  # in your address, please ensure it is on the same line as your street address;
eg. Suite # 8 - 521 Nottinghill Road.

ETFO's Awards Program:
ETFO members often engage in activities and programs outside of their work responsibilities that deserve recognition.  This program honours these members and others for activities, academic achievements and outstanding contributions to education and the Federation. Locals and members may nominate a colleague or themselves for an award.  Categories include:

• Environmental Education Award
• Curriculum Development Award
• Humanitarian Award for an ETFO member
• Children's Literature Award
• Anti-Bias Award
• Honorary Life Membership
• Health and Safety Actvist Award
• Arts and Culture Award
• Writer's Award
• Humanitarian Award for a non-ETFO member
• Member Service and Engagement Award
• New Member Award
• Rainbow Visions Award

ETFO Women's Program Awards:

• Women Working in Social Activism on Behalf of Women and Children Award
• Writer's Award
• Curriculum Development Award
• Women Who Develop Special Projects in Science and Technology Award
• Outstanding Role Model for Women Award

For more information, contact Evelyn McGrogan at 1-888-838-3836, extension 2214 or emcgrogan@etfo.org.  To apply please visit etfo.ca/aboutetfo/awardsandscholarships.  Deadline is February 1, 2016.

The Local office will be closed during the Christmas Break and re-opening when school resumes on January 4, 2016.  Emails and telephone calls will be checked weekly.   If you have an emergency, please contact Provincial ETFO at 1-888-838-3836/www.etfo.ca.

On behalf of your President, Terry Card and your Local Executive, we wish you a relaxing and joyful holiday.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
 

  
 

Ratification of Local Agreement Tonight and other news

Ratification:
Thank you to everyone who came out this evening to the Best Western Lamplighter Inn for our all important meeting to vote on our tentative Local Agreement. The membership gave the agreement  100%  approval and your bargaining team of Terry Card - Local Pres/Chief Negotiator, Vivek Nath, Nancy Springer, Sharon Pinylo and ETFO Provincial CB Staff Officer Susan Ansara thank you for your support.
Our next step is to work with the Board to finalize enactment of the new terms.  Look for these details and other important information in our next newsletter which will be out by the new year.

ETFO Provincial Opportunities:
We encourage members to check the ETFO Provincial website on a frequent basis. ETFO offers many workshops, leadership and professional growth opportunities with very generous subsidies - most courses cost less than $100 and often provide release time (as if you worked a day) and cover accommodation and transportation and meal expenses.
ETFO is also well know for their Additional Qualification courses, practical and popular courses which are reasonable priced.
Don't forget that our Local offers a $150 grant to those who have been on the list for one year so be sure to register on our website and get your form - there are still funds available for this self-directed professional development as well as our $40 book rebate available to all members regardless of date of hire.

We Have a Deal!

Your Local bargaining team is happy to advise members that we have reached a tentative settlement for a local agreement.
Voting on the new terms will follow an information meeting being held at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Road South, in London, N6C 4R3 on Wednesday, December 9th.
A light meal will be offered at 4:30 PM with the meeting to follow at 5 PM.
This meeting is for ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local only.

Registration for this meeting will be open shortly on the etfotvot website, www.etfotvot.com. Members with accounts on the secure portion of the site will be notified via email.

Outreach Donations

In light of ETFO Provincial's intent to match donations, your OT Local voted to send $1500 from our Outreach budget line to assist the Canadian Red Cross to provide  relief to those in refugee camps. Provincial's initial donation of $55,000, dispersed to the Canadian Council of Refugees, Oxfam Canada, and the Canadian Red Cross has now been increased another $25,000 so that ETFO's combined provincial and local donations total $112,800, a significant contribution to both the international relief efforts and the settlement projects in place to welcome Syrian refugees to Canada.

In the spirit of solidarity, our Locals and many others in ETFO have also donated $500 to Operation Christmas Cheer to assist union members currently on picket lines in Ontario who are facing hardship. Contributions are used to provide food hampers, grocery gift cards and one toy for each child over this Christmas season.