Dear Members,
Early this morning OSSTF TTBU Staffing Officers were advised by the Toronto District School Board that the government could not provide enough assurance in relation to teacher employment for the coming school year to allow the board to decide against bumping.
The Board only uses the bumping procedure when senior staff feel they cannot guarantee there will be enough vacancies available to place all surplus teachers by the start of the coming school year. This year, despite the government’s much vaunted “attrition protection funding” the cuts are so deep that the board is concerned that some of our members will remain surplus as of June 30th. Bumping is used to ensure that the collective agreement parameters of the staffing process are fully adhered to in such circumstances. This may mean that even though you have not been declared surplus, that you are impacted by the bumping process.
While the staffing process itself remains in its “cone of silence” period and therefore no further information about how many people remain surplus, etc., is available at this time, I want to assure you that our Staffing Officers remain at the table and vigilant to ensure that all of the collectively bargained rules around staffing are adhered to.
If you have specific questions about the process itself, feel free to reach out to your Executive Officer who will be happy to answer your questions.
Members impacted by the staffing process, whether transfers, school surplus and placement, or bumping, will receive a letter on June 7 confirming your tentative employment status with the board. Staffing will continue and final employment status letters will be issued at the end of the school year.
The staffing process will continue throughout the summer, for as long as vacancies remain.
We know this is not the news anyone wanted to hear. We also know how infuriating and upsetting this especially given that we are in a time of enrolment growth and that the board should be in hiring position. In fact, it is unheard of for the board to invoke bumping when enrolment is on the rise. This situation is a direct result of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Government’s de-funding of our school system.
That doesn’t comfort those of you feeling anxious and unsure right now however. Please remember that if you need extra support in this difficult time, you have access to 24/7 confidential, professional counseling through either Posaction or Morneau Scheppell.
We will continue to keep you updated as information becomes available. Please watch for further information in our weekly publication, Informing & Engaging Members.