Message from your 2024-2025 Chief Negotiator / Vice-President Sophie Kroesen

On September 19, your local Executive met and elected your 2024-2025 Collective Bargaining Committee:

Sophie Kroesen – Chief Negotiator, Vice-President
Marisa Gallippi – President,, Committee Member
Laura Barrett – First Vice-President, Committee Member
Gabrielle Blais-Jones – Vice-President, Committee Member
Jeishan Rajakulasingam – Health and Safety Representative, Committee Member

On October 2, your local Collective Bargaining Committee and our ETFO Provincial Staff Officer met with representatives from the Toronto District School Board. Bargaining was conducted with the assistance of a conciliation officer appointed by the Ministry of Labour. Incremental progress was made.

Additional Local bargaining meeting dates have been set:

• November 4 and 26
• December 9

Your Local will continue to update members in a timely manner following these bargaining meetings.

Should you have any questions related to Collective Bargaining, please do not hesitate to reach out tor to your Chief Negotiator at 416-201-2267 or skroesen@etfo-torots.org or President, Marisa Gallippi at 416436-3119 or mgallippi@etfo-torots.org

In solidarity,

Your Collective Bargaining Committee

What is Conciliation?

It is like mediation. It is a voluntary process by both parties in which a facilitator assigned by the Ministry of Labour (under Ontario Labour Relations Act) assists employers and employees to resolve disputes when their own efforts have not succeeded. The goal is to reach a common understanding on how to resolve the outstanding issues at the table.

What happens in conciliation?

Once the conciliator is appointed by the Minister of Labour, they will meet with the parties in an effort to help discussions progress. The parties to bargaining must confer at least once with the conciliator. The conciliator can make suggestions, but they have no authority to impose a settlement on the parties.

What happens if conciliation is successful?

If conciliation is successful, an Occasional Teacher tentative agreement will be reached and will be submitted to the appropriate section of the membership for ratification. If the majority of members vote in favor of the tentative agreement, it becomes their new Local agreement.

What happens if conciliation fails?

The Local’s goal is to reach fair Local agreements for its members, so we are optimistic that the conciliation process will be successful. As such, the local is putting its total focus right now on conciliation. We are hopeful that as a neutral third party, the conciliation officer can help us make progress in bargaining.

However, if the conciliation fails to produce a positive result:

-the parties can continue to bargain without the presence of a conciliator.

Or

-either party can ask the conciliator to file a “no board” report stating that they may be at impasse

Is binding arbitration the same as conciliation?

No- Binding arbitration is a process whereby and arbitrator would look at the outstanding issues and decide which, if any, proposals would be included in the collective agreement.

It is unlikely that the key issues we have brought forward, which are critical to learning and working conditions in our schools, would be addressed. It will impact the opportunity for meaningful Local bargaining on key Local issues. The Local respects our right to free a fair Collective Bargaining and we come to the bargaining table prepared to engage in meaningful discussions about critical issues facing our Occasional Teachers.

What is expected of Occasional Teachers during conciliation?

During conciliation Occasional Teachers will engage in their professional responsibilities as they normally would. Your leadership team will continue to make your voice heard at the bargaining table.

Not receiving Constant Contact to update you on Collective Bargaining?

We may not have a current email address on file for you. You can email your Local Released Officer Team. Current Released Officer information will be updated soon on our Local’s website. It is imperative that you remain involved and vigilant during this process, your Local and Collective Bargaining Team is here to serve you.

We are looking forward to reaching a fair collective agreement for all Occasional Teachers.