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2023 Education Week

April 27, 2023/in Did you know?, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

To: Presidents and All Members

From: Domenic Bellissimo, Interim Associate General Secretary – Professional Services

For Action

May 1 – 5, 2023 is Education Week in Ontario. This year, OSSTF/FEESO is celebrating Education Week and our theme is “Public Education Works”.

Education Week highlights how our members (as individuals or as a whole) have gone beyond the normal expectations of their work to provide a welcoming environment to students of every culture, ethnicity, gender, ability and learning style. This could be by introducing students to a new experience or place; it could be by helping a differently-abled student overcome an obstacle so they could participate in a program, or it could be by providing a safe and inclusive learning environment where all students can succeed.

Education Week was originally developed by OSSTF/FEESO in 1930 to combat the public’s apparent indifference towards public education. It is important that we continue to defend and enhance public education. We encourage Districts and Bargaining Units to take advantage of this important part of OSSTF/FEESO history as your own opportunity to promote public education and our role in it.

This year, we have created five graphics for Districts and Bargaining Units to post, each day, during Education Week. These graphics highlight the work of our members, and the many services that students receive within the public school system.

The graphics were created in both English and French and are available via Dropbox using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/h6f9y6q5t4kmypmhsjgra/h?dl=0&rlkey=omyrf1vaep4ocz8fy3s10cvnw
We encourage members to post the graphics their own social media channels and share them with colleagues.
Members can also acknowledge Education Week and celebrate the work of teachers and education workers by writing a letter to the administration, to a board of governors, to trustees, or to the editor of a local media outlet.
For more information, please contact Tracey Marshall via email at (tracey.marshall@osstf.ca).

You’re Invited: Unwinding Anxiety with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness

April 27, 2023/in OSSTF, Wellness/by Tracy Cochrane

We are delighted to announce the return of Starling Minds’ most popular initiative, the 6-Week Mental Fitness Course, “Unwinding Anxiety with CBT and Mindfulness,” hosted by our partners at Starling Minds.

https://osstfupdate.ca/2023/04/20/youre-invited-unwinding-anxiety-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt-and-mindfulness/

Equity Advisory Work Group Vacancies (2023-2024)

April 27, 2023/in OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

The Provincial Executive is seeking to fill four vacancies on the Equity Advisory Work Group (EAWG) for the 2023-2024 Federation year. The EAWG is a permanent advisory body to the Provincial Executive.

https://osstfupdate.ca/2023/04/20/equity-advisory-work-group-vacancies-2023-2024/

Ford Government Education Legislation Does Little to Support Students

April 27, 2023/in Did you know?, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 17, 2023

Ford Government Education Legislation Does Little to Support Students

TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) is responding to the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act tabled today by the Ford government.

“The legislation announced today has very little in terms of supports or resources for students, despite its misleading title,” said OSSTF/FEESO President Karen Littlewood. “This legislation seems primarily focused on how school boards operate, and not on how we can better support students and make up for the learning loss experienced during the pandemic.”

“This government likes to put the blame on others and say schools are underperforming, when in reality these schools are being purposely underfunded by the Ford government,” stated President Littlewood. “The province has been shortchanging public education since 2018, delivering underfunded budgets and then underspending against their own subpar budgets. Nothing in yesterday’s announcements or in today’s legislation addresses this government’s years of cuts.”

On Sunday, the Minister of Education announced over $170 million in funding for early reading and math supports, with a focus on schools deemed to be in the bottom 20 per cent in terms of student performance. Instead of properly funding public education in Ontario, this government continues to play the blame-game, refusing to take responsibility for the fallout from their ongoing underfunding of the system. This legislation focuses on streamlining and “maximizing school capital assets” instead of streamlining access to the supports that students need.

“Yesterday, the Minister said they had been working on their plans for improving literacy and math skills for over a year, yet the Ford government chose not to consult with any education union that represents the teachers and education workers who deliver education every day to Ontario’s two million students. Ministry overreach into the autonomy of education workers, teachers, and school boards continues to be a tactic of this government to undermine the excellent work being done in the public education system. This type of legislation ignores the uniqueness of our learners and our communities,” added President Littlewood.

“Once again, the Ford government is bypassing frontline educators and moving ahead with their own with surprise legislation,” said Littlewood. “Delivering quality education is too important to cut corners when it comes to planning and implementation. There is no reason for this government to not work with the people who will be delivering the updated math and literacy programs in September. We are literally sitting across the table from them right now in bargaining, but they refuse to work with us to help improve student learning and wellbeing.”

Since the 2018-2019 school year, nearly 2000 teachers have been cut from Ontario’s public education system, based on school board estimates. These job cuts would be even higher without the temporary federal funding from the COVID-19 learning recovery fund, which is set to expire at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. The government has not shared whether that funding will be extended.

School boards across the province have already warned that further staffing cuts are imminent if the COVID-19 funding is cut. This is an all-too-common approach of this government – cut an important service, offer a temporary and much smaller funding reprieve, and then cut again, all in the name of accountability and streamlining.

“The Financial Accountability Office has already shown that the education budget is underfunded by at least 1.4 billion dollars, and we can expect that shortfall to continue over the coming years under this government. This government has refused to invest federal government funding earmarked for helping students recover from COVID-19 setbacks. Students don’t need one-off investments that leave out over 80% of the province’s schools, they don’t need false promises of supports. They need reliable, permanent investments in the public education system,” concluded President Littlewood.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has over 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.

Contact:

Caitlin Reid

Media and Communications Advisor

Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation

Caitlin.Reid@osstf.ca

416-576-8346

PSAC Strike

April 19, 2023/in Did you know?, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

If you want to support the PSAC strike, they are picketing today in Kitchener

Start: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 • 9:00 AM

End: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 • 5:00 PM

Federal Gov’t Building• 166 Frederick St, Kitchener, ON N2H 2N2 CA

Contact Info: (519) 659-1124 // Toll-free 1-800-366-0539

Day Of Mourning 2023

April 10, 2023/in WRLC/by Tracy Cochrane

April 28, 2023 at
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

On April 28, our National Day of Mourning for workers injured, killed or made ill because of hazardous workplace exposures — we remember AND we recommit to the work of seeking justice for all.

https://waterloolabour.ca/events/day-of-mourning-2023/

Announcing the WRLC Scholarship!

April 10, 2023/in Did you know?, WRLC/by Tracy Cochrane

Are you, or do you know someone attending post-secondary education in September 2023? Are they a union member, or the child/ward of a union member based in the Waterloo Region? The Waterloo Regional Labour Council is proud to announce that applications for our annual WRLC Scholarships are open!

https://waterloolabour.ca/2023-wrlc-scholarship/?link_id=2&can_id=421920a8bb72e89bf500e64256eaa29c&source=email-announcing-the-wrlc-post-secondary-scholarship&email_referrer=email_1868710&email_subject=announcing-the-wrlc-post-secondary-scholarship

Car theft is a huge industry. Is your vehicle a target?

April 10, 2023/in OTIP/by Tracy Cochrane

Did you know Canada’s auto theft industry is a $1 billion business? According to the Insurance
Bureau of Canada, a vehicle is stolen every six minutes in Canada. Knowing whether your
vehicle has landed on Canada’s top 10 stolen cars can help you assess your risk level and
determine preventative measures.
Read more at www.otip.com/article163.

Golf For A Cause

March 30, 2023/in Did you know?, Social/by Tracy Cochrane

United Way Waterloo Region Communities is relaunching a local golf tournament, in support of the critical needs that uplift and connect our community. We fill critical gaps through our network of supported local agencies working with volunteers, donors, and corporate sponsors to help the most vulnerable people and families in our region. Please join us for this enjoyable day with a purpose!Golf for a Cause is a great opportunity to invite friends, colleagues, or clients to be part of our United efforts. Registration is open, and limited to 36 teams, so register today to guarantee your space. If you are not a golf enthusiast, and would like to support the event, we welcome you to join us at 4pm for our 19th Hole Reception.

https://ecommunity.uwaywrc.ca/comm/SinglePageRegEvent.jsp?EventKeyHex=33303837

EQUAL PAY DAY 2023

March 30, 2023/in OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

To: Presidents and All Members

From: Karen Littlewood, President

For Information

On average, women must work 15.5 months to earn what a man does in 12 months. That is why Tuesday, April 4, 2023, is commemorated as Equal Pay Day in Ontario. This date symbolizes the number of extra days women must work to make the same average wage as men. Although pay equity is the law in Ontario, women continue to earn almost 30% less than men on average. This pay gap affects women of all ages and education levels. Black and racialized women, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+ women, and women living with disabilities face the greatest wage disparity.
The Equal Pay Coalition (EPC) is comprised of dozens of unions, women’s groups, and community organizations seeking to end gender pay discrimination and close the gender pay gap through legislation, collective bargaining, and social initiatives. OSSTF/FEESO is a member of the Equal Pay Coalition, and as part of this coalition, we continue to urge the Ontario government to make meaningful changes to pay equity legislation and to remove other systemic gender barriers that lead to the wage gap.
In 2023, the EPC is focused on the impact of privatization on women’s lives with the theme: Profits Don’t Care. Privatization hurts. Privatization hurts women who work in the “care economy”: healthcare workers, PSWs, child-care workers, and Education Workers. All OSSTF/FESSO members who utilize care services for their families are impacted.
On Equal Pay Day, take some time to amplify the message of the Equal Pay Coalition.
Visit the Equal Pay Coalition website. Share the videos made by women in the care economy; add the Equal Pay Day logo to your social media accounts. Visit the OSSTF website to read about the impacts of privatization on public education.
If you require additional information, please contact Alison Wallace, alison.wallace@osstf.ca
at the provincial office.