Contract Negotiations UpdatesContract Negotiations UpdatesDecember 2008
General Information
The Lambton Kent District School Board has a Collective Agreement in Place with CUPE 1238 - Support Staff and CUPE 1238.1 - Tudor Escorts.
The Ontario Secondary School Teacher Federation (OSSFT) has signed Provincial Discussion Table Agreement (PDT) and local meetings are scheduled for December 16 and 17. The PDT agreement provides for completion of the disucssion and ratification by January 30, 2009. This includes the secondary occasional teachers.
It is regrettable that a Provincial Discussion Table agreement was not arrived at with the provincial Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO). The ministry of Education has made the consquences of not arriving at a provincial agreement clear since last May. Local discussions are scheduled for December 15, 2008 to continue in attempts to conclude negotiations. Unfortunately without the Provincial Discussion Table Agreement the enhanced funding has been reduced to 4% over two years. We will continue to bargin locally with our elementary teachers in good faith within compensation and staffing levels for which the government has provided funding. The interests of our students must continue to remain the first priority for all parties.
Meetings have yet to be scheduled between the Board and the elementary occasional teachers' group.
CUPE
CUPE 1238 - Support Staff and the Board have ratified their agreement for the next four years. The agreement implements the terms of the Provincial Discussion Table Agreement (PDT) plus a number of local issues. The agreement takes effect January 1, 2009. Details will be rolled out to the staff in the near future.
CUPE 1238.1 - Tutor Escorts and the Board have ratified a new four year agreement which implements the Provincial Discussion Table AGreement iwth an effective date of January 1, 2009. Details will be rolled out to staff in the near future.
Once the agreements are avilable in their final form they will be posted ont the Boards website.
OSSTF
We are pleased that OSSTF has recently signed a Provincial Discussion Table agreement which will pave the way for 4-year collective agreements that support improved student learning and safety. The provincial agreement offered by the Ministry is fair and reasonable. Given the changing and deteriorating economic times, the Provincial Discussion Table agreement has become a symbol of the government's commitment to teachers and investments in public education.
We will continue our local bargaining to achieve a local contract. Local meetings are schedules for December 16 and 17. The PDT agreement provides for completion of the discussion and ratification by January 30, 2009.
ETFO
Costing, ETFO Proposal to OPSBA, Dec 5 2008
It is regrettable that a Provincial Discussion Table agreement was not arrived at with the provincial elementary teachers union. Discussion to complete a Provincial Discussion Table Agreement failed in the last hours of the extended deadline Friday December 5, 2008 between the provincial ETFO representatives at the Ontario Public School Boards' Association. The Ministry of Education has made the consequences of not arriving at a provincial agrement clear since last May.
The Ontario Public School Boards' Assocation (OPSBA) held a press conference yesterday to explain why OPSBA could not accept the final offer presented by the Elemtnary Teacher's Federation of Ontario (ETFO). Information is available on the OPSBA webiste: www.opsba.org.
Local discussions are scheduled for December 15, 2008 to continue in attempts to conclude negotiations. Unfortunately with out the Provincial Discussion Table Agrement the enhanced funding has been reduced to 4% for two years.
We will continue to bargain locally with our elementary teachers in good faith within compensation and staffing levels for which the government has provided funding. The interests of our students must continue to remain the first priority for all parties
Elementary Occasional Teachers - ETFO
No meetings scheduled.
Fall 2008 – October 22, 2008
Tutor Escorts have submitted notice to Bargain and November 6th has been confirmed as the first meeting.
Board Representatives met with CUPE on October 1, 3 and 4 for full days. A number of things appear to be settled in principle and discussions focused on implementation issues in the PDT (Provincial Discussion Table) agreement.
Two additional dates have been confirmed for October 31 and November 3, 2008.
The Board Team concluded the second meeting with the Elementary Teachers representatives and additional meeting dates are scheduled for November 12 & 21.
Elementary Occasional representative met with the Board team for the first time on October 9 and exchanged briefs. The second meeting concluded on October 21, 2008 with no further meetings scheduled at this time.
The Board team held its fifth meeting with OSSTF on September 22, 2008. A number of local issues have been addressed. No further meetings are scheduled at this time.
August 2008
August 2008
CUPE negotiations – The first meeting occurred August 21, 2008 and future meetings will be scheduled for September 2008. Implementation of The Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) agreement is being discussed as well as other local issues.
Secondary Teachers and Secondary Occasional Teachers – Four productive meetings were held to discuss local issues during the spring. There is not a Provincial Discussion Table agreement. Additional meetings are anticipated when funding for local agreements is confirmed.
Elementary Teachers and Elementary Occasional Teachers – While there is no Provincial Discussion Table agreement in place meetings have been scheduled in September and October to begin discussions.
Spring 2008 – April
The collective agreements between the Board and its various Federations and Unions are currently in effect. All teaching agreements expire August 31 2008 which include Secondary, Elementary, and Elementary Occasional. The CUPE agreement expires December 31, 2008.
CUPE, representing all non-teaching unionized workers, notified the Board of their desire to commence collective bargaining for a new agreement on March 17, 2008 although the agreement does not expire until December 31, 2008.
The Secondary Teachers, including the Occasional Teachers, notified the Board of their desire to commence collective bargaining for a new contract on April 7, 2008. The first meeting is scheduled for May 5, 2008.
Discussion have been going on since the last week of January 2008 between OPSBA, the unions and the Ministry of Education exploring issues that may form local framework agreements.
Page Last Edited: 12/12/2008