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OSSTF District 11- Thames Valley
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District 11 Office |
PSSP Bargaining Unit Newsletter:
September 18, 2007
Table of ContentsPlease click on any of the items in the Table of Contents to go to that item. |
President’s Message
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Welcome back to the 2007-2008 school year. I would also like to welcome the new PSSP members to OSSTF and to the Board. I trust that you all had a safe and relaxing holiday! This year’s PSSP Executive has only one change and we welcome Bev Anderson, Counselling and Support Worker, as the new Job Class Rep. To refresh your memory of who sits on the Executive, please check the left side of the page for the names and positions of those involved. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate in contacting your job class rep for assistance. This is year two of my term and I am eager to continue advocating for our members and the valuable work that we all do. The end of last year was quite stressful with the worry re. job losses. I would like to extend my gratitude to all of those involved directly and/or indirectly for your support of our members and participation in educating the administrators and trustees on who we are and what we do to enhance the learning process in a positive manner. As a bargaining unit, we need to continue to advocate for our members and to advocate in remaining an integral part of the multi-discipline educational team! The Board will receive additional funding from the Ministry that includes funds for PSSP members: an enhanced education fund for this school year and next as well as funds to promote safer schools. We will continue to monitor to see that these funds are being utilized as per the Ministry’s direction. Outsourcing is still a concern and we will be submitting our recommendations to the appropriate councils to have these become new policy and procedures. We need to continue to track the external services provided that duplicate our own. Please contact either myself or Nancy McDougall (659-6588) if you note our services being performed by outside agencies. Our collective agreement expires at the end of this school year so it will be a busy one gathering information from members on what should be addressed in negotiations and to compile the CBC committee. Your job class reps will keep you posted on what is happening in this area on an ongoing basis. The Provincial Election on October 10, 2007 is fast approaching! If you wish to help out the candidates in any way (a form was sent to all OSSTF members late summer), please fill out the form and send it back to the OSSTF District Office where it will then be directed to the appropriate candidate’s office. It is imperative that all members vote as the issue of education has become a contentious one. OSSTF is also endorsing the Mixed Member Proportional system, a referendum that will be on the ballot on election day. If you are interested in hearing Justin Trudeau at the London Convention Centre on Wednesday October 24th, please contact the District Office. Early bird prices are still in effect so come out and bring friends! The new OSSTF Members Reception and Workshop is being held at the Four Points Sheraton on November 7th. More details will follow as the date approaches. The Bishop Townsend Award is being held at the Grosvenor Club on February 19, 2008. Let’s start thinking about all those PSSP members that could be nominated and get their names in when the forms are ready. In conclusion, there are many changes and stresses to come about with the Learning to 18 initiatives and programming for the 16 and 17 year olds. Outsourcing and job security are still major concerns for our members. We must remember that we are all in this struggle together and that as a supportive and collective team, we will succeed and move forward. Have a terrific year and thanks to those who represent our members so efficiently! Jody Harris PSSP President. District 11, OSSTF Phone: 452-2954 Collective Bargaining Committee Believe it or not, it’s that time again. Time to start thinking about your “Wish List” for our next round of contract negotiations. Shortly your job class rep. will be asking you to share any thoughts, wishes and ‘demands’ you would like to see pursued when we begin collective bargaining with the Board. The collective bargaining committee will then meet to collate the surveys results. This information will lead us as we write our Brief. Our completed Brief must go to Provincial Office for approval in January, 2008 and we will begin negotiations next spring. Our current contract expires August 31, 2008. Please take a moment to contemplate issues governed by our Contract which you feel have an impact on Members. Is there current contract language which needs to be strengthened? Are there issues not yet addressed within our Contract? What improvements can we make for our Members? If you have questions, please ask your job class rep. or call either Nancy McDougall, FSO, at 659-6588, or me at 452-2955. R. Craig Read Chief Negotiator, PSSP-OSSTF Planning on Retiring this year? If you are planning on retiring this school year and have accumulated sick days, you may be able to opt out of paying LTD premiums for some or most of the school year. Please call Nancy at the District Office to ask details. It could mean money in your pocket. A reminder that as of September 1, 2007, PSSP members have $300.00 Vision care coverage as negotiated in our last Collective Agreement.
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