ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO
LAKEHEAD OCCASIONAL TEACHER LOCAL
PROVINCIAL TAKEOVER BULLETIN #7
Mass Meeting: Strike Sanction Information
Date: December 4, 2012
Time: 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Location: Victoria Inn, Embassy Ballroom
November 27, 2012
Local Bargaining Unit Strike Action Commencing Across the Province
Across the province local negotiations table teams have been meeting with conciliators and district school boards’ bargaining committees. At every conciliation meeting it was clear that there was no agreement to be reached that didn’t include the fiscal parameters set out by Bill 115 so ETFO requested a ‘no-board report’.
Effectively, a no-board report indicates a failure to resolve differences between the two parties. After a no-board report is issued, the parties must observe a sixteen-day period during which terms of employment are frozen but bargaining may continue. On the seventeenth day, lockout or strike is legally possible. A no-board report does not mean lockout or strike will occur; the decision to lockout or strike can be kept in abeyance until any point in time.
On November 15, 2012 members of the Lakehead Occasional Teachers’ Negotiations Table Team met with conciliator Anthony Harte and the Lakehead District School Board’s Bargaining Committee. Similarly, as in every local to date, we requested a no-board report. Under the Ontario Labour Relations Act negotiations may continue. We have met twice with the Lakehead District School Board and meet again on November 30, but will be setting up future dates into January 2013 with the board.
Across the province, depending on the timing of the conciliation and no-board report, local bargaining units have commenced strike action. When the no-board is issued for the Lakehead Occasional Teacher local and the sixteen-day period concludes we will be in a legal strike position. The Lakehead local strike action will be planned to place escalating pressure on the employer. Prior to the commencement of strike action your Takeover Team will issue a bulletin which will clearly layout the direction for the strike action. It is imperative that occasional teachers attend an all-member meeting on December 4, 2012 at 4:15 p.m. at the Victoria Inn, Embassy Ballroom.
Bill 115 Media Campaign
On November 11, two months after the passage of Bill 115, ETFO launched a media campaign calling for the repeal of Bill 115. This campaign has four components:
• Radio ads which will run for a month on stations across the province.
• Billboards will also be posted in locations across Ontario.
• Print ads in close to 100 community newspapers across the province including the Thunder Bay Source.
• A new website – StopBill115.ca – that provides information about Bill 115 for the public and hosts a petition that will be sent to MPPs.
Local Communications
It has been ETFO’s experience that communications can become challenging during strike action. It is important that you not react to rumour or innuendo which tends to multiply at an alarming rate during these situations. Similarly, in some situations the employer seeks to muddy the waters by ‘advising’ the employee group as to the strike actions.
It is critical that ETFO members come to ETFO for information and not the employer. This information can be found a) in Takeover Bulletins which are distributed to all members, b) at the Control Your Future Website.
Mass Meeting: Strike Sanction Information
Date: December 4, 2012
Time: 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Location: Victoria Inn, Embassy Ballroom
Sam Hammond Colleen Lee Nancy Nix Vivian McCaffrey
ETFO President ETFO Lakehead Occasional ETFO
1-888-838-3836 Chief Negotiator Teacher Local Strike Co-ordinator
1-888-838-3836 President & 1-888-838-3836
Chief Negotiator
807-475-7721
OTIP