As we enter the next round of bargaining, I pledge to continue my work as your Collective Bargaining Committee Chairperson, which includes participation at BUAC meetings with the Board and being a member of the local Negotiations Preparation Team and Table Team.  As Vice-President, I will perform these duties and any additional duties as needed to support the operations of the bargaining unit, including Federation PD day planning and political action.

It is vitally important that we hold onto our local bargaining rights, particularly in this era of school board deficits and Ministry takeovers.  Central bargaining, while beneficial in a lot of ways, often doesn't fully address the many working condition issues that we hear about locally from the membership.

For example, here are some of the current issues that need addressing:

• How are teachers being supported when filing school incident reports?  

• How are teachers being supported when dealing with vocal or aggressive parents?  

• How are teachers being treated during exceptional circumstances such as inclement weather days or during busy exam weeks?  

• Are class sizes reasonable based on the subject or course code and the available classroom space?

• Is the use of Artificial Intelligence being managed effectively?  

• Do occasional teachers have regular and reliable access to work?  

• Is the new Attendance Support Program fully transparent and equitable?

I believe in teacher professional judgement and insist it be upheld in the collective agreement and defended in the workplace.  I also believe we can continue to work collegially with the Board to solve problems as they arise.  We can strengthen our working conditions through negotiating collective agreement language as well as crafting mutual letters of understanding, even between formal rounds of bargaining.

As Vice-President, I will be vocal, tactical, and surgical in my approach to ensure we achieve positive gains for our members.

In quieter times, we might call it Member Engagement.

We don't yet know what lies ahead in this next round of bargaining, and a potential strike vote is still a few months away, according to the SBCBA timelines.

However, in October, we saw Alberta use the notwithstanding clause to send teachers back to work and violate their Charter rights -- including the right to strike.  While I remain guardedly optimistic that central bargaining will proceed smoothly, the reality is that we could be facing similar circumstances before we know it!  The centralization of Ministry power under the Ford government is presently unnerving.  The passing of Bill 33 may have been a small preview of the kind of chaos we might expect in the coming months, as this government is poised to write new legislation that will impact the foundation of public education as we know it.  Recently, we are seeing large layoffs in Boards that have been taken over by the Minister of Education that raises a huge level of concern, particularly for newer members entering or trying to gain traction in the profession.   [April 13 update: Today the Minister announced that the role of Director would change to CEO, and trustees would have less power:  see Bill 101 proposal.]

As Vice-President, I'll be ready to help Rally the Troops, if and when we need.  I've waved our flag in the past and I'll gladly do it again to ensure we are able to bargain a fair deal... now and in the future.

Let's get ready to rally together!

Public education -- including Teaching as a profession -- is worth protecting.  I value the efforts, hard work, and sacrifices of those who have come before us, and I equally bear the responsibility to help mentor those who will succeed us.

OSSTF has proudly supported public education since 1919 and I am committed to doing my part over the coming decade -- engaging with teachers and other education workers at meetings, at workshops, at public forums, and in daily interactions at schools and worksites.

As Vice-President, I will strive to determine and uphold the needs of both teachers and occasional teachers within our bargaining unit, and ensure we have the best resources available to help and support our students and each other.