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Around OECTAHamilton-Wentworth

Black History Monthwww.oectahw.com

February 2010Black history refers to the stories, experiences, andaccomplishments of people of African origin. Blackhistory did not begin in recent times in Canada,but in ancient times in Africa. People connected bytheir common African history and ancestry havecreated Black history here. The African-Canadianpopulation is made up of individuals from a range ofplaces across the globe including the United States,South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, andCanada.We encourage everyone to celebrate our diversity and help raiseawareness especially during the month of February, as well asthroughout the entire year.

OECTA: A FirstClass ActA sincere thank you to our Director of Education,Mrs. Patricia Amos, for supporting our efforts to further en-hance our commitment to “Service and Communication”. You willnow find an OECTA icon on your FirstClass desktop. Clickon the icon regularly for important information about upcomingevents and links to OECTA updates. The modelof trust and transparency has proven to be ex-tremely effective: we look forward to our ongo-ing dialogue. OECTA Information

AGM DelegatesCongratulations to the following members who havebeen chosen to represent OECTA: Hamilton-Wentworth at the Annual General Meeting 2010:Diana Battilana, Joel Begin, Sinead Byrne, LyndaCifani, Paul Cunningham, Nick de Koning, Maria Di

Points of Interest...

√ AGM Delegates√ Family Day√ Occasional Teacher Info√ General Meeting√ Memorandum of Agreement√ LTD Rates√ PD Money√ OECTA Job Posting√ Transfer Process√ Political Action√ Join a Committee√ Accurate Information√ Calender√ Contest

OECTAHamilton-Wentworth

98 Bigwin Rd, Unit 3, Box 29Hamilton, ON L8W 3R4

Ph. 905.574.6483Fax 905.574.4787

Release Officers

Brian Harrington Presidentpresidenthw@quickclic.net

Placido, Carrie Farrauto, Darren Giavedoni, MichaelGolden, Steve Hume, Clare Rose Mascarenhas,Jaime Mota, Guy Schiavo, Margherita Susi,Liz Tomac, Mary Tomasevic, John Vasapolli,Lisa Marconato and Brian Harrington.These dedicated people will represent the membershipfrom March 12 to March 15, 2010 in Toronto. We thank

them for giving up their time to be part of the parliamentaryprocess which governs OECTA.

Lisa Marconato Chief Negotiator/Contract Management Officer

lcbchw@quickclic.net

Health and Safety

Dan Sebbenhealthandsafetyhw@quickclic.net

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Occasional Teacher InformationWHMIS training is available online and can only be accessed from a Board computer. All new hiresmust complete the training including Daily Occasional Teachers and Long Term Occasionals. YourPrincipal is responsible for directing you to the site and for noting that you have completed the training.Information on Violence Prevention in the Workplace training was published in the November issue ofAround OECTA. If you need to revisit this information, go to www.oectahw.com and click ‘newsletters’for all archived issues.

In the current Occasional Teacher Collective Agreement, there is a typing error in Article XIII: DailyRate of Pay. The Collective Agreement states that there is a pay increase effective February 1, 2010;however, it should state September 1, 2010.

The OECTA office receives hundreds of emails regarding Long Term Occasional Postings. Wecontinue to record each posting and application submitted to this office. All applications are e-filed for

monitoring purposes. In the past, when an Occasional Teacher submitted an application to a position(s),they received email confirmation from OECTA. As there is an automated delivery-failure notice builtinto email systems, it is redundant for each applicant to receive email confirmation. As required by theCollective Agreement, please continue to forward notice of your application(s), identifying the postingnumber(s) and the position(s) applied for to Brian Harrington at presidenthw@quickclic.net.We wish you every success with your applications.

It is a good idea to check the Occasional Teacher conference on FirstClass on a regular basis as wepost helpful information specific to Occasional Teachers as it becomes available. Items currently posted inthe conference include: EI codes, General Meeting information

We have had questions about who oversees the Occasional Teacher group: as of August 1st, 2009,OECTA Hamilton-Wentworth represents not only regular Elementary Teachers, but also all of our Oc-casional Teachers - both Elementary and Secondary. If you have ANY questions, please call us at905.574.6483 or email us at one of our email addresses noted on page one of this newsletter.

Lastly, we hope to see you at our General Meetings and Social Functions - if you plan to attend anyevent, follow the registration process outlined for all Teachers. We look forward to meeting you!

General Meeting #3Date: Thursday, February 18, 2010Time: 4:30p.m. dinner; 5:00p.m. meetingLocation: St. Naum Church Hall, 1150 Stone Church Road East

Come out and meet Kevin O’Dwyer, OECTA Provincial 1st Vice-President,Victoria Hunt, Government Relations Department, and Reno Melatti, OTF President. They will bediscussing the “Full Day of Learning” and its impact on Teachers. OECTA staff reps are asked to call inthe number of Teachers who plan to attend no later than Friday, February 12. Daily Occasional Teachersare asked to call the OECTA office to register their attendance. 905.574.6483

Family DayMonday, February 15, 2010 is Family day: a Provincial Holiday. We encourageyou to spend this day doing fun things with your family. Here are some fun ideas:paintball, skydiving, basejumping, recycling, swimming, or spelunking.One thing you should not do is, (according to the Collective Agreement) take apersonal day on Friday, February 12 or Tuesday, February 16.

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February 2010 Page 3

Memorandum of AgreementIn the January edition of Around OECTA, we published the Memorandum of Agreement between OECTAand the Board that was signed on December 18, 2009 and came into full implementa-tion on January 4, 2010.Under this Agreement, FSL, MI and PPT Teachers are reassigned to pay back agreedto missed planning time and then to give Classroom Teachers support in the form of su-pervision. This allows the Classroom Teacher to conduct assessment-based activitiesin their classroom while the FSL, MI or PPT supervises. Realize that the FSL, MI andPPT Teacher are in your classroom for supervision purposes only. They shall notbe assigned duties other than those specified in the Memorandum of Agreement.If you have any questions about this, call Brian Harrington or Lisa Marconato at theOECTA office immediately.

Long Term Disability RatesEach year, OTIP examines the rates that we pay for our Long Term Disability plan and theninforms us of any changes. We are pleased to tell you that, based on our usage during thepast year, there will be no increase to the rate that you are charged for LTD coverage forthe year commencing March 1, 2010. Remember to call the OECTA office if you are withinsix months of either of the benchmarks where you can stop paying into the LTD plan: age70 or a 62% unreduced service pension.

Health and SafetyOn the heels of the recent retirement planning workshop hosted by OECTA the following study gives thoselucky members something to think about. The October issue of the Journalof Occupational Health Psychology concludes that retirees who continueeven part-time work after their retirement have an easier time medically intheir golden years. Using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study,researchers compared those who quit working entirely to those who retiredbut continued some part-time work and found that those who were still activein the workforce had lower incidents of high blood pressure, diabetes, can-cer, lung disease, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and psychiatric problems.It doesn’t say if you had to continue your part-time work in the same fieldas your career work…that may be good news for teachers…but it does saythat working provides a daily structure, physical activity, social contexts, op-portunities to learn new things and interact with others and of course addedfinancial resources. Best wishes to all our members who will be retiring thisyear. Remember, staying active and continuing to be a life-long learner seems to be good for your health.Submitted by: Dan Sebben

Accessing Professional Development MoneyThe OECTA office has been flooded by calls and emails regarding the ProfessionalDevelopment money that was secured by OECTA for our Regular Elementary Teachers. Afew things to remember: this money is for regular Teachers only (Occasional Teachers are noteligible as this is something flowing out of the Regular Teachers’ Collective Agreement); thecourse/workshop must start between January 4 and June 30, 2010; you must fully completethe OECTA form found at www.oectahw.com - click “forms”, click “PD ReimbursementApplication (Updated 2010). Fill out the form, send it to the OECTA office, and onceapproved, you will be notified. You will receive reimbursement for the PD once it is completedand you send your receipts to the OECTA office. We encourage you to take full advantage ofthis opportunity.

JOB POSTINGFOR

UNIT HEALTH AND SAFETYOFFICER

(Fulltime release position)

Unit Healthand Safety

Officer

Closing date forapplication isMarch 10, 20104 p.m.

Interested candidates arerequired to submit aresume to:Brian Harrington,PresidentOECTA: Hamilton-Wentworth98 Bigwin Rd. Unit #3Hamilton, ON L8W 3R4

Fax: 905-574-4787E-mail:oectahw@quickclic.net

The Hamilton-Wentworth Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’Association invites application for the position of Health and SafetyOfficer.

The position will be for a one year period starting July 1, 2010.

The Health and Safety Officer is responsible for the following:

• to advise the unit Executive in matters pertaining to occupationalhealth and safety and workplace environmental issues;

• to present health and safety seminars, conferences and workshopsas needed and directed by the unit Executive;

• to perform the duties of the designated worker and co-chair of theJoint Health and Safety Committee and if applicable as defined bythe Occupational Health and Safety Act;

• to provide training on Health and Safety issues to OECTA Hamil-ton-Wentworth members and to OECTA Health and Safety Reps.as directed by the unit Executive;

• to be the Workers’ Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) contactperson for the local Unit;

• to be on Board Committees as the OECTA Rep. that pertain to is-sues of workplace safety, harassment in the workplace, safeschools or violence in the workplace;

• to assist the Health and Safety Representative at each worksite per-form monthly Health and Safety inspections;

• and other duties as outlined in the Unit By-Laws

Preference will be given to those with the following:

• member in good standing with OECTA: Hamilton-Wentworth;• a minimum 10 years of combined teaching experience and/or

related Health and Safety Experience;• a valid Driver’s Licence and his/her own vehicle;• excellent communication, organizational and presentation skills;• knowledge of WHMIS, the Occupational Health and Safety Act

and WSIB legislation;• willing to be or already certified in Health and Safety and WSIB.

The successful applicant must be a self-motivated leader able to workcooperatively and collaboratively with others. As well, the successfulcandidate is expected to assist the President with her/his duties whenrequested and to perform such duties as may be specified by a motion ofthe executive or at a General Meeting.

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Announcements

OECTA’s newest members:

Christine, nee Forsyth (St. Paul) and Joe Bering, a daughter named ClaireNadia (St. Joseph) and Giovanni (Sacred Heart) DiMartino, a daughter named Cinzia LauraMaria (St. Brigid) and Tyler Marcuzzi, a daughter named JessicaTina (St. Michael) and Mark Martino, a son named AnthonyDiane McKenna (St. Francis) and Eric Fagundes, a son names Ethan MichaelRosemarie (St. Mark) and Richard Vrataric, a son named John Steven

Union unions:

Please call MaryLou Ruddy at St. Paul 905.578.2117

Faithfully departed:

Fred Bell, father of Sherry de Wilde (St. Michael)Michael Peter Bradica, father in law of Susan Bradica (Immaculate Heart of Mary)Secondo (Nino) Cerruti, father in law of Rocco DiSabatino (St. Agnes)Camillo Mattina, father of Maryanne Van der Zalm (St. John) and Sally Settimi (St. John)William Ormond, father of Anita Ormond-Gough (Holy Name of Mary)Joao Soares Sousa, father in law of Lil Sordo-Soares (NMC)Katie Tittarelli, cousin of Anthony Tittarelli (Occasional Teacher)

The “Big Win” ChallengeOn this date in history: February 14... most of this is true...which statement is false?

a) 1952 6th Olympic winter games open at Oslo, Norwayb) 1883 1st state labor union legislation; New Jersey legalizes unionsc) 1921 Canadian 5 cent nickel coin is authorizedd) 1927 Conn Smythe takes over the Toronto St. Patricks team and renames

them the Maple Leafse) 1992 OECTA purchases the office at 98 Bigwin Road for $57 464.83f) 1956 Oshawa Ontario - 17,000 General Motors employees end 148-day

strike.

Email your answer to presidenthw@quickclic.net.Contest closes Friday, February 12, 2010. Enter for your chance to win.

Congratulations to Lynda Cifani, Teacher at St. John School,for winning the January “Big Win!” Challenge!

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Transfer ProcessThe Teacher Transfer Process has been posted on FirstClass. Anyone who is interested in learning moreabout the process is encouraged to attend the in-service on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at the NicholasMancini Centre, Room 1A from 4:00 - 5:30pm.

Would you like to join a PDT Committee?The Unit Professional Development Steering Committee (UPDSC) and theUnit Staffing Steering Committee (USSC) are currently seeking new mem-bers. Regular Teachers are encouraged to become part of the process. We arelooking for some new faces, new ideas, and new commitments. These com-mittees meet approximately once every six weeks at the OECTA office and area great way to get an introductory sense of OECTA/Board relationships. EmailBrian or Lisa at the OECTA office to put your names forward. Last date forconsideration is February 19, 2010.

Political Action: Ontario NDPDelegates to the ONDP convention in March 2009 passed a resolution mandating the partyto establish a Task Force on Education Funding in Ontario. It will consult with partymembers on the issue of education funding based in a broad sense. The party’s task forcewill be accepting submissions from interested NDP party members. Submissions may dealwith legal, consitutional, political, fiscal, equity, taxation and governance issuses. OECTAmembers or parents who support the Catholic system and are members of the NDPare encouraged to write a submission. Submissions need not be lengthy or involvecomplicated legal and historical arguments. The importance of continued Catholic schoolsupport and the detrimental impact of a change in the funding of Ontario’s school systemsshould be emphasized.Submissions will be accepted by mail, email or video. All submissions must includename, address, phone and email information. Subsmissions will be accepted until March19, 2010 and must be sent to: Valorie Block, Executive Assistant to the Provincial Sec-retary, Ontario NDP, 101 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1N9phone: 416.591.8637 ext 244 fax: 416.599.4820 email: vblock@on.ndp.caIf you require any assistance, do not hesitate to call the OECTA: Hamilton-Wentworth Unit office.

Final Thoughts...The value of accurate infoIf you seek advice about your working conditions, or Collective Agreement from any-one other than OECTA: Hamilton-Wentworth, you are putting yourself at risk. Althoughothers you work with may mean well and try to give you accurate advice about thingslike access to sick days, leaves of absence, planning time allocation, etc., the only trulyaccurate advice comes from your onsite OECTA Representatives and your OECTA Re-lease Officers. Unfortunately, people often give advice that is misinformed, outdated orinaccurate, and this can cause problems. To avoid problems, talk to those who know;we are here help.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call: we are committed to“Service and Communication” to each of our members.

Brian Harrington Lisa Marconato Dan SebbenPresident Chief Negotiator/Contract Management Health & Safety

Officer