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Strike update
Nov. 27th, 2012 08:20 pmSo there's been some movement in our ongoing labour dispute. Some OSSTF branches reached tentative agreements with their boards, which were approved by Her Satanic Majesty Laurel Broten. Sounds good, except that the details of said agreements were not released to the public or the rank-and-file of other branches.
We figured this all meant that the agreements sucked. And yep! They suck. They're basically the same as the shitty deal accepted by the Catholic unions in a pathetic attempt to save their separate school system. Obviously if they were any good, Broten wouldn't have approved them.
The big issue is that if we reach any deal with any board under Bill 115, we've basically lost. Not just teachers lose, but all workers are potentially screwed over by this. It sets a precedent whereby the government can use legislation to take away collective bargaining rights. And rights, once stripped away, are very hard to gain back. As you know, Bob, when unionized workers suffer, all workers suffer in a race to the bottom. Hell, in our case, even management suffers, seeing as our administration get reamed under Bill 115 as well.
The OSSTF exec, I'm sorry to say, does not want to hear any criticism of its bargaining. A critical tweet sent by ETFO (the elementary teachers' union) was reposted to the OSSTF Facebook page and promptly removed as it "undermined negotiations."
We ended up getting wind of the deals anyway, and naturally they're identical to or worse than what Broten wanted. Ten sick days that aren't bankable, unpaid days off that amount to wage rollbacks, two-year wage freezes, and worst where I'm concerned, reductions to the benefit plans and an adjudication process for short-term disability that allows the employing boards access to personal details about teachers' medical information.
Some of the unions are voting on the agreements tonight and it looks like York and Niagara have rejected the deals. Which is a tremendous victory for the rank-and-file, as much as we're all tired and want this to end.
Under the cut is a longer analysis written by a friend of mine. It's worth reading if you are a worker in Ontario. We are the canaries in the coal mine; we're a powerful force in provincial politics and if they're able to screw us over, they're coming for the rest of you next.
Not to mention that it's a terrible deal for students too! Increased class sizes have never helped anyone, and EAs play a vital role in supporting special needs students. And, of course, sick teachers who can't take days off to recover mean sicker students.
( it's long though )
On a happier note, have a Ford countdown.
We figured this all meant that the agreements sucked. And yep! They suck. They're basically the same as the shitty deal accepted by the Catholic unions in a pathetic attempt to save their separate school system. Obviously if they were any good, Broten wouldn't have approved them.
The big issue is that if we reach any deal with any board under Bill 115, we've basically lost. Not just teachers lose, but all workers are potentially screwed over by this. It sets a precedent whereby the government can use legislation to take away collective bargaining rights. And rights, once stripped away, are very hard to gain back. As you know, Bob, when unionized workers suffer, all workers suffer in a race to the bottom. Hell, in our case, even management suffers, seeing as our administration get reamed under Bill 115 as well.
The OSSTF exec, I'm sorry to say, does not want to hear any criticism of its bargaining. A critical tweet sent by ETFO (the elementary teachers' union) was reposted to the OSSTF Facebook page and promptly removed as it "undermined negotiations."
We ended up getting wind of the deals anyway, and naturally they're identical to or worse than what Broten wanted. Ten sick days that aren't bankable, unpaid days off that amount to wage rollbacks, two-year wage freezes, and worst where I'm concerned, reductions to the benefit plans and an adjudication process for short-term disability that allows the employing boards access to personal details about teachers' medical information.
Some of the unions are voting on the agreements tonight and it looks like York and Niagara have rejected the deals. Which is a tremendous victory for the rank-and-file, as much as we're all tired and want this to end.
Under the cut is a longer analysis written by a friend of mine. It's worth reading if you are a worker in Ontario. We are the canaries in the coal mine; we're a powerful force in provincial politics and if they're able to screw us over, they're coming for the rest of you next.
Not to mention that it's a terrible deal for students too! Increased class sizes have never helped anyone, and EAs play a vital role in supporting special needs students. And, of course, sick teachers who can't take days off to recover mean sicker students.
( it's long though )
On a happier note, have a Ford countdown.
