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249 Saunders Road, Unit 3 Barrie, Ontario L4N 6C1
705.739.7232 
opseu330@opseu330.com
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249 Saunders Road, Unit 3 Barrie, Ontario L4N 6C1 705.739.7232 opseu330@opseu330.comGood morning OPSEU members,
I have attached my rebuttal to MPP Rod Jackson’s inflammatory comments in his Open Letter to Minister Broten. I was pleased to see that it made “Letter of the Day” in the Barrie Examiner and many other papers across our County.
While at Convention this past weekend I was informed that Jackson had also made some unfounded allegations in the legislature regarding Educational Assistants” herding children like cattle”, and restraining and bullying students.
These false allegations have to stop, at Convention I put forward an emergency resolution, and with the support of your delegates we have OPSEU behind us condemning MPP Jacksons uniformed biased claims.
OPSEU Convention 2012 News
One amendment, one resolution passed Saturday Afternoon
April 21 2012 2:45 p.m.
An emergency resolution was passed supporting members of Local 330, Simcoe County School Board, in their struggle to continue using protective equipment in dealing with special needs students.
I have also provided you with a link to see for yourself the despicable behaviour of Conservative MPP in the legislature, it will upset many of you, and I hope enough so, that you will join me on Wednesday evening, where SEAC is submitting a motion that the employer immediately remove this protective equipment, without a true understanding of what some of our colleagues go through on a daily basis, and that this equipment protects both the workers and the health and safety of the students they support.
http://rodjacksonmpp.ca/multimedia/
I am also contemplating a rally outside of Jackson’s office on Wellington St. Barrie, prior to arriving at the Board meeting. This event is NOT confirmed; I will send out more information tomorrow.
PLEASE hold your Wednesday evening for OPSEU, where you can support all EAs that find themselves working in the most challenging classrooms in Simcoe County.
In solidarity,
Good Morning all,
Below is my response to “Conservative” MPP Rod Jackson’s article (link) in the Examiner. I am not so sure it will be printed, as we appear to still see one sided reporting. I also sent a similar response to Minister Laural Broten.
The attached Letter to the Editor did make several community papers, but I don’t believe the Barrie paper.
I would like workers that have been in situations where they have endured aggressive incidences, to take some time in the next few days and email your thoughts and photos of injuries. We are compiling a book for the Trustees to get first hand information, not the unfounded allegations that have been printed in newspapers.
I will again reiterate that as a Board employee, the safest way to get your story to the employer is through your union.
http://m.thebarrieexaminer.com/articleDisplay.aspx?e=3535223
In solidarity,I must take the time to respond to Rod Jackson's Open Letter to Minister Laurel Broten.
My concern lies with Mr. Jackson's lack of facts. I am dismayed at his assertions that the rights of children are being violated, and that Educational Assistants are restraining students.
These allegations are unfounded and he is taking a one sided position regarding the concerns brought forward by the Special Education Advisory Committeeand and other organizations.
I am astounded that an elected official would make public such uninformed claims regarding a complex issue that involves the safety of both the students AND the staff in our public schools.
I urge Rod Jackson to become further educated on the issue before becoming so vocal on the topic again in the future. I would be more than willing to elucidate some alternative perspectives so that Mr. Jackson may understand the complexities of the blockers debate more clearly, and invite him to contact me for some more information.
Good afternoon,
Please support your colleagues at the Board meeting on April 25. I will send out the time closer to the meeting.
Below is an OPEN letter to the Minister of Education from the Liberal MPP... Wow, imagine OPSEU condones safe work places, “works for me"...
http://m.thebarrieexaminer.com/articleDisplay.aspx?e=3535223
In solidarity,Good Afternoon OPSEU members,
I am not sure how many had the opportunity to listen to the Budget, so with help from my CUPE friends we have an analysis for you to get your head around how this will impact the educators and the education system as we know it. The prospects look grim, I was on a conference call last night with President of OSPEU Smokey Thomas, and he said quite clearly that in this round of bargaining “the government is going to give us an opportunity to agree with them, and if we don’t they’ll legislate it” Does not sound like bargaining to me.
Analysis of the 2012 Ontario Budget for OPSEU School Board Members
The 2012 Ontario budget, if passed in the legislature, will have a severe impact on the public school system and the employees who make that system one of best in the world. Though big-ticket—and high profile—initiatives like class size caps and full day kindergarten (FDK) would be protected, a slate of smaller cuts chips away at the integrity of the system. And a series of measures singling out school board employees for compensation freezes, benefit cuts and pension changes ensures that the people who make our school system world class will receive less in the future for their efforts, thus making it harder for school boards to recruit and retain the staff that a top notch education system requires.
Overall the budget proposes a 1.7% increase for education—better than expected after Drummond set the stage for more dramatic cuts. However, 1.7% is less than the expected rate of inflation for the next year—perhaps by half—and so the projected increase is actually a cut in funding. When one considers that the ramp up in implementation of the FDK program will consume nearly all of the expected $1.2B increase in funding by 2014-15, this budget requires cuts and freezes from the education system for years to come.
Labour Framework
The budget claims that FDK and class size caps and can be maintained—and job cuts avoided— only if employees are willing to make significant sacrifices. The sacrifices demanded are by now familiar to anyone who has been following Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) bargaining in the education sector this year: the same concessions sought by the government at the bargaining table are listed in the budget document:
Achieving these concessions, according to the government, is the price workers must pay to avoid program and staff cuts. These concessions “would allow full-day kindergarten to continue to roll out as scheduled, keep class sizes at current levels and continue the focus on students and classrooms. This will help protect nearly 10,000 teaching positions, including 3,800 for full-day kindergarten, and 9,700 non-teaching positions while sustaining and improving educational achievements.”
Failure to reach agreement on this labour framework will only lead to a legislated resolution, states the budget. This threat also seems to encompass job action (such as, perhaps, that being taken currently by teachers in British Columbia, who are also facing an "austerity" program): “Where agreements cannot be reached that are consistent with the government’s plan to eliminate the deficit and protect priority public services, or in the face of significant disruption, the government is prepared to propose necessary administrative and legislative measures.”
As I mentioned at the General Membership meeting, I suspected the government was prepared to legislate a settlement in our sector, and the budget makes clear these suspicions were well founded!
Pensions
OPSEU members will note that the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is referenced above but not OMERS, the retirement plan that covers OPSEU school board workers. Though OMERS is not mentioned by name in the Budget, there is a section on “jointly sponsored” pension plans (JSPP), of which OMERS is one. It is clear that the government is looking to contain its costs in the same way it wants to contain its contributions to the teacher pension plan.
The government plans to hold consultations designed to “develop a legislative framework” that will cap employer contributions. In case of a deficit, plans would be required to reduce future benefits. Only in “exceptional circumstances” would increased employer contributions be allowed to reduce pension deficits. This arrangement would be reviewed only after the provincial budget is balanced.
These are alarming changes proposed to public pension plans, and one can expect to see plenty of commentary on them in the next few days, However, for the remainder of this analysis we will move on to other changes proposed to the education system in the budget.
Amalgamation
One measure that will catch many off-guard is the proposal to amalgamate school boards “in areas of the province with low population growth and declining enrolment.” This is meant to achieve economies of scale, administrative savings, etc. Amalgamations are expected to save $16.7M by 2014-15. The budget made clear amalgamating Catholic and public boards is not being considered—but didn’t say the same about amalgamating Francophone and English boards, curiously.
School Closures
The budget claims that “the way school board funding works makes it easier for some boards in urban areas to keep small and underused schools open than to deliver services more efficiently.” It is a preposterous statement: school boards struggle to provide schools to the communities they serve. There is nothing easy about the sacrifices boards make to keep open schools in remote communities. But this government will hear none of that. We will look for details in the impending GSN announcement, but the budget signals that the government is looking for significant savings via school closures: $43.7M in 2013-14 and $72.5M the following year.
More Cuts Drummond Will Like
Beginning in September 2013 the number of secondary credits will be capped at 34, saving $22M a year. Many of the curriculum and teaching specialists hired under the McGuinty government will be cut, achieving savings of $91M over the next three years. The Program Enhancement Grant, which “provides school boards with flexible funding to enrich existing programs or offer new programs”, will be cut, resulting in savings of $66M over three years. The cuts to classroom computers and staff professional development that were announced in previous budgets will be continued, saving the government $121M over 3 years. The school bus procurement plan, which Ontario operators claim is devastating their industry, will be revived, and is expected to generate $34M over 3 years. Mercifully, the budget did not implement school bus user fees as the former banker had suggested.
One Measure to Increase Revenues
Offsetting all these cuts, to a tiny degree, is a measure to not implement planned reductions to the Business Education Tax (BET), which will improve revenues by $300M.
It is notable that the budget did heed Drummond’s recommendation in foregoing planned BET reductions. Drummond suggested an additional $1 billion could be raised through the BET but this government isn’t going nearly that far. In fact, the budget explicitly says the $300M in planned BET reductions will be resumed once the budget is balanced.
Conclusion
These cuts are couched in language that says that students won’t be affected, educators, students, teachers and support staff all know that a page is being turned with this budget. Four years ago the government was determined to achieve labour peace in its negotiations with school board employees. Those days are long gone, replaced with threats, bargaining via bankruptcy lawyers, Jim Farley, and other disturbing developments.
Many commentators will be comparing this budget to those of the Mike Harris government in the 1990s: whoever thought we’d see something like this from a man who portrays himself as “the education premier?”
In solidarity,Good Morning OPSEU members,
This is the news release that will go out today, a reminder; I would appreciate as many OPSEU members at tonight's Board meeting at the Education Centre. The meeting starts at 6pm with a closed session, I would hope they will be out by 6:15, or so. I know that SEAC will have their supporters, pushing for the removal of the blockers, but our employer needs to ensure that we are kept safe at work, and that is the message they have to deliver. That being said, the decision comes down to the Trustees, and I believe a full house of Education Support Workers/constituents will make them more accountable of their decision.
In solidarity,Education Assistants are committed to quality education
March 27, 2012 OPSEU has been advised that on March 28, 2012, the Board of Directors of the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) will consider a motion regarding the use of soft foam protective equipment in the schools. OPSEU represents Education Assistants (EAs) who work with special needs students in the SCDSB. They are concerned that the Board will not fully consider employee health and safety when they discuss this important issue.
"Our members deserve to be safe at all times in the workplace," said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "Unfortunately these workers have experienced incidents where they are bitten, kicked, and beaten while they are at work. The use of foam protective equipment protects both the Educational Assistants and the students."
"We are highly trained professionals who care deeply about the students we support," said Silvanna Petersen, President of OPSEU Local 330. "We want what is best for these young people, and work to ensure their safety and well-being is protected. We also want our workplace to be safe for the people who support them."
"Foam equipment provides soft protection allowing a worker to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of the student. They are only used in cases where the worker feels that health and safety is at risk," said Petersen.
Under Section 32 of the Health and Safety Act, Directors and Officers of the Board have specific responsibilities. Petersen said "we are asking that the employer not respond to this issue until they properly understand the full implications of their decision."
Lack of funding is endemic to Ontario's special needs services. "The government needs to ensure that appropriate funding is in place to provide for suitable workspaces, equipment, resources and staffing that will more fully address the very specific high needs of these young people. Improvement to the funding formula would go a long way to improving health and safety issues in these schools," said Petersen.
EAs provide educational support to students to achieve success in academic, behaviour, social, life skills and co-op situations. They contribute to the learning development and integration of all students by creating a safe and supportive environment.
Good Morning OPSEU members,
As I am sure many of you are aware this has been a stressful week for all EAs, and especially those who work with students that have some significant behavioural needs. The one sided journalism of the Examiner is infuriating.
I have called the Examiner to have a discussion on the article, but as of yet have not received a reply. I am working with OPSEU today to come up with a strategy to get our message out to the public.
Please, if approached by any media your safest comment is, NO Comment.
The SEAC motion, to do away with the blockers is going to be tabled at the Board Meeting on Wednesday evening, remember, these meetings are open to the public, and the Trustees are voted in by the public, it might be interesting to hear the debate, and who supports what.
I will be there representing the membership, and hope to see many of you with me.
In solidarity,If you'd like to know who your school's contact person is, please refer to this list.
© 2009 OPSEU Local 330. All rights reserved. Site by Ty Walkland.
