LTOs and Friday's pay; ETFO Solidarity Signature; Columbia Sportswear Invitation

Message to LTOs about Friday's pay -
The Local had thought we had an agreement with the Board that no more than 2 strike days per pay period would be deducted from LTOs. The Board now tells us that because of the way absences are input for LTOs, this has not been possible and so LTOs will lose pay for 4 strike days this Friday.
This is a great disappointment to us all but it is ultimately out of our control.
Please know that we are doing all we can to get February's strike pay from ETFO Provincial and out to members as quickly as possible. All members should have received payment for the January strike day by the end of this week.  Please contact the Local if yours has not arrived in the mail by then.
_____________________________________________________

EFFECTIVE Today - 
All ETFO member are asked to affix the ETFO Solidarity signature to their school board signatures per the Phase 6 Strike Protocol.
Download yours at
www.etfocb.ca/phase-6-resources/
Though we will not be fully withdrawing our services this week, ETFO is counting on members to apply continued pressure and show solidarity by sharing the messages and template letters available at buildingbetterschools.ca/ , using the hashtags #CutsHurtKids and #Istrikebecause in your posts and participating in school pickets when you are teaching at a school that day.
For more information please contact us at the OT Office
_________________________________________

Columbia Sportswear Employee Invitation -

It's that time of year again.
TVOT members are invited to shop the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store.  The invitation can be found on the ETFOTVOT website under Member Services - Happy shopping!
_________________________________________

National Day of Action for Education
Friday, February 28th is the Canadian Teachers' Federation sponsored National Day of Action to bring awareness of the threats to public education that are sweeping the country.
Teachers, parents, students and all educators are urged to show support by wearing Red for Ed that day and posting their support with the hashtags #RedforEd and/or #EnsemblePourAgir

Feb. 21st OT Strike Locations; Striking; Strike Pay

Friday, February 21st Picket Locations from 8AM - 11AM -
Whether you are a TVOT Occasional Teacher in an LTO assignment, or one who takes daily calls, these six are your OT designated picket sites for this Friday:
In London - Woodland Heights P.S., John Dearness P.S. or Fairmont P.S.
In St. Thomas - Elgin Court P.S.
In Strathroy - Mary Wright P.S.
In Woodstock - Oliver Stephens P.S. (not Southside)

Your Local Executive acknowledges that some members may want to picket with the permanent Teachers, but we are one of the largest OT Locals in Ontario and administratively, this has proven to be the most effective way to reconcile our OT data and submit it to Provincial ETFO in a timely manner - the first step to getting strike pay to our members. That obligation must supersede individual preferences.
____________________________________________________

Striking 
ETFO strike pay is relatively generous but we must keep in mind that this is not "money for nothing". It is the Union that sets the parameters around strike pay: length of shifts, expectations of the line, location of sites, exemptions etc.  Please respect this and keep in mind that picketing is a very public act. Your peers and those in community notice when someone leaves early or flaunts the rules. As Teachers, we must strive to be professional in all that we do, whether in the classroom or on the picket line.
___________________________________________________

Strike Pay
Your TVOT Office is rightfully receiving calls from members about when they can expect their strike pay and we wish we had an answer.  The Local has submitted up to date reconciled data to Provincial ETFO for all strike days thus far. The ball is in Provincial's court and we assure you that we will get cheques to TVOT members as soon as possible.
Also be aware that if this is your sixth day of picketing, your strike pay will increases by $25 on Friday. Day #6 is the threshold ETFO Annual Meeting members set when they passed the OT motion determining rates for picket pay.  If you have missed a day or two, you will have to wait until you meet that threshold to be eligible for the increase.

As always, please contact your Local TVOT office at 519-641-3936 if you have any questions.

Winners of "Fun on the Picket Line" Sign Contest

                                      Congratulations!

               $50 each to these TVOT Sign Contest Winners!

Ericka Deakin

Thank you to all those who submitted signs!

We are on Strike and the Sign Contest; What about inclement Weather? Why OT only Sites?

Yes, We Are On Strike
Thank you to the many hundreds of TVOT members who have shown up on the picket line for the two days of full withdrawal.
We recognize that nobody wants this and that strikes come with a cost not only to our members but to their families, but we must do all we can to support ETFO Provincial at the Central Bargaining Table and to pressure the government to properly fund Ontario's well-respected public education system.
You Can Win $50
To help lighten the mood, your Local has decided to award five prizes of $50 each for the best home-made signs worn on the picket line from those submitted from our members to etfotvot@gmail.com. We will select 5 different signs submitted during the week of February 10th for $50 prizes as well.  Please note that all signs become the property of the Local and may be posted on social media.
_______________________________________________
What if the Weather is Treacherous?
Once a strike is called, it stands but we do not want members jeopardizing their safety!
If the morning weather makes travel dangerous to an OT Designated Picket site for either the 8 AM shift or for the later 11 AM shift, then email us at the Local - we won't require the formal exemption form for prohibitive weather the morning of a strike.
Those who attend will be paid.
_______________________________________________________
 OT Designated Sites
Many members have let us know that they are enjoying getting to know their peers at the designated Occasional Teacher Picket sites. Others feel that they would rather be part of the larger group and picket alongside the permanent Teachers. As someone who has given up many weekends to travel to Toronto and rally for education, I understand the thrill of being part of something large.
However, individual preference cannot override the need to ensure that members are paid in a timely manner. Administering and processing the picket information and exemption requests may seem fairly straightforward but it is a monumental task.  Your Staff Administrator, several of our Executive members and myself, have spent hours and hours working into the evening and during our weekends tackling the task. Our registration data from January 22nd when almost a thousand OTs picketed alongside permanent Teachers at just a few sites, is still incomplete and may take weeks to ensure accuracy. Designating sites for Occasional Teachers only, is making this much easier and more accurate.