Dear Branch President

Thanks for being at Council last night. There will be a Bargaining Update memo issued next week. There’s lots of news to share with your members and we thank you for passing this along.

Strike Rules Clarification

Please note that teachers will continue to distribute report cards to students.  Teachers will not distribute any other board materials.

OSSTF Winter Holiday Party

Bring your family and join our ETT and CUPE 4400 colleagues on Sunday, November 26 between noon to 4 pm for FREE FUN!  Kid-friendly movies, midway rides, skating and more!  Visit our website for details and to RSVP.

Human Rights Committee Lifeline Syria Information Meeting: Sponsorship of Refugees

The OSSTF Toronto’s Human Rights Committee is hosting Lifeline Syria at an information meeting for members interested in learning about sponsoring Syrian refugees.

The meeting will be held on December 8, 2015, from 4:30 to 6:00PM, on the 4th floor of the union office at 1482 Bathurst St.

Action: reaction Student Forum – Human Rights Committee Call for Workshop Proposals

The Human Rights Committee of OSSTF Toronto will host its 3rd annual student forum: Action: reaction.  This event offers an exciting and unique opportunity to draw a large number of students together with community activists so they can share and learn from one another.

OSSTF Toronto invites proposals for dynamic, participatory workshops from activist individuals and groups. All workshops need to accommodate 20-30 students, and should be either 60 or 120 minutes long. The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, December 11, 2015.

Status of Women Committee Annual Kathryn Maxwell Cook for the Cure & December 6 Memorial Fundraiser

Held in memory of OSSTF Toronto Executive Officer Kathryn Maxwell, this annual event hosted by the Status of Women Committee is a warm, meaningful and fun way for members to come together, raise funds for two great causes – breast cancer cure research and protection of women from violence.  Join us on December 3 at the OSSTF office, 4th floor for a pot luck dinner and raffle.  Great food!  Great prizes!  Great people! Great cause!  Don’t cook?  No worries!  Instead of bringing food, pay what you can at the door (suggested donation $20).  RSVP today! Can’t attend?  No worries!  you can donate on line!

Status of Women Committee Flyer Action in Support of the $15 and Fair Wage Now Campaign

OSSTF Toronto Status of Women Committee is organizing a leafleting event for Saturday December 12 in support of this important campaign in support of a living wage for all workers.  Save the date and watch for further information coming soon!

Operation Christmas Cheer

Since 2004, Operation Christmas Cheer has been helping families of workers on strike or locked-out by supporting them with donations of food, unwrapped toys and gift cards. OSSTF Toronto Teachers’ generosity over the past few years has made a big difference to the lives of the families of striking/locked out workers and we will support Operation Christmas Cheer again this holiday season. To participate, organize a food and/or toy drive at your branch. Gift cards for unionized grocery stores are very welcome. Contributions can be dropped off at the OSSTF Toronto office until 4:30pm on December 10.   Volunteers from Operation Christmas Cheer will pick up your contributions from our office and deliver them to those families in need. Check out the poster that was distributed at Toronto Teachers’ Council, or speak with your Branch President about organizing your worksite’s drive.  

Tales from the front line

A principal apologizes to the union…

At the school where, on the first day of our strike, the principal tried to entice members to a staff meeting by calling it a ‘staff assembly’, a teacher was told by that same principal that a partial day absence of a teacher is an emergency.  That same principal also told his department heads prior to the start of the strike that “they will absolutely be doing coverage during the strike”.   The TTBU Executive contacted the Board and made it clear we will not tolerate interference in our strike.  That principal was spoken to by their superiors, and subsequently called the Union and apologized profusely for their behaviour.  The Principal is also in receipt of a letter from our lawyer counseling and warning against any further similar behavior.

A principal is told…

At another school, the Branch President reported the principal tried to prohibit OSSTF use of staff mailboxes for the purpose of communicating about strike-related issues.  Upon complaint to the Board by this Executive of interference in the strike, the Board corrected this principal’s behavior.

Collective agreement upheld…

Quick contact with the union Exec by the Branch President revealed that the unilateral change of the class code of a teacher who refused to breach the Collective Agreement by allowing more students into their class than is allowed under either the Class Size Caps or the Flex Factor to allow the school to stack the class.  Upon complaint to the Board by the Executive about breach of our Collective Agreement, the original ESL code and associated class size cap was restored.

Toronto Teachers’ Buzz

Interested in more OSSTF Toronto news? Check out The Buzz!