(Kitchener, ON) In a message sent out earlier today, the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Waterloo Region Teacher Local, Greg Weiler, responded to recent government statements about bargaining and the related media reports.

“Let’s be clear about what teachers are rejecting, because what is being reported in the media is not accurate,” Weiler said.

Weiler continued to explain that teacher contract negotiations are bound by law, “The process is legislated in the Labour Relations Act. Under the Act, teachers bargain with individual school boards, not the government. Current agreements do not expire until August 31, 2012. Under the law, as Dalton McGuinty knows, teachers cannot even begin to bargain with local school boards for a new contract until after June 1, 2012.”

Noting that teachers in other provinces have legislated provincial bargaining, where the unions bargain directly with the government, Weiler continued, “If that is what was wanted in Ontario, McGuinty has had more than 8 years to make the necessary legislative changes. He has not. What he wants to engage in is an extralegal process that strips away any of the rights and protections afforded under the legal collective bargaining process.”

McGuinty is attacking teachers’ collective bargaining rights, not just their salaries or benefits, according to Weiler.

“No one has rejected a discussion of the current economic realities faced by us all. No one has rejected the normal bargaining process, where everything is examined, discussed, and proposals flow back and forth across the table. No one has even been given the opportunity to do any of these things. The government did not come forward with a process or proposals that could be discussed or that could fit into the regular collective bargaining process. McGuinty came forward with a planned attack that could have been lifted directly from the playbook of Caterpillar or Mike Harris or Scott Walker,” he said.

Weiler explained that Ontario teachers have, in the past, engaged in talks with the government about contract items. This has happened twice, in 2005 and in 2008. Both times, the process involved lengthy discussions with the Minister of Education and staff from the Ministry of Education. This time, teachers were presented with an ultimatum by a group of insolvency lawyers, with no opportunity for discussions or questions. “One only has to look to what is happening in B.C. to understand how problematic such a situation can become,” Weiler indicated, referring to the current labour strife in that province, “The speed with which the premier took to the media illustrates that there was never any intent to follow the legal process for bargaining; the legislated bargaining process does not take place in the media.”

“McGuinty has chosen in his attack to ignore the recommendations made in the Drummond Report, which he commissioned at the province’s expense,” Weiler went on. “Drummond did not recommend a wage freeze or any of the other components that make up the government proposal. Instead McGuinty has selected, out of context, what he knows will most easily inflame public opinion and create controversy. His Minister of Education, Laurel Broten, has provided misleading and inaccurate information to the media to support this attack,” he said.

Most of the things that would be discussed in a real, legal negotiation cannot be discussed with the government, according to Weiler.

“The majority of contract negotiations involve local issues, working conditions, and non-monetary issues. McGuinty’s attack strips away the possibility of these discussions, since school boards will have no motivation to engage in real and meaningful discussions of such issues once all of the big-ticket items like salary and benefits are off the table. It is no surprise then that the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA), representing school board trustees from across the province, is supportive of this attack, as it means less work for them,” he said.

“McGuinty’s proposal is a transparent attack aimed at the heart of collective bargaining. It is designed to remove the rights of teachers, and surely others in short order, Weiler asserted, “It is not a short-term request for restraint to help with the deficit, as it would permanently alter the profession and the education system for many years into the future. It is an attack, on a profession that is 84% women, designed to permanently strip away rights, salary, and benefits gained over many, many years of legal bargaining. The government itself seems determined not to follow its own laws, but instead to scheme around them and attempt to bypass them by creating straw men and inflaming the public.”

McGuinty has rebuffed offers to sit down and have discussions with the teacher unions.

“McGuinty’s actions are cowardly and not befitting the leader of this province,” according to Weiler.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario -Waterloo Region Teacher Local represents 2400 public elementary teachers in over 100 elementary schools.

http://www.controlyourfuture.ca/

Letter to the Editor
Toronto Sun
Torsun.editor@sunmedia.ca

Re: Institute for Canadian Values Ad – “Please don’t confuse me”

The ad published by the Toronto Sun that objects to school discussions of human sexuality is misleading.

There will be speeches from all three candidates, then the voting process.
You will not be able to leave the room during voting.
It would be appreciated if you could bring a pen with you; it will make Amanda’s job a little easier.

In the event that another position is vacated because of the election of President, there will not be another election on October 13th.
That election, should it be necessary, will take place at the Fall Business Meeting on November 1st.

Child Care/Dependent Care forms and a light snack will be available at the election.

Please look in the ETFO Elections subconference in the ETFO Conference for candidate messages.

Below are the by-laws in our current local constitution that deal with election of a local executive member.

Vol. 6, No. 3

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