Bargaining Update

March 28, 2003

Focus of Negotiations Narrows

The focus of negotiations was further narrowed after the March 26th bargaining session with the Board. A number of articles, including In-school Staffing Advisory Committee, Elementary Joint Staff Committee, and Health and Safety received tentative agreement by the parties. This, however, continues to leave the more contentious non-monetary issues of working conditions, transfer and surplus, and performance appraisals yet to be resolved.

A complete monetary package was tabled with the Board, which included a real salary increase, protection of benefits, improved S.E.B. payments for pregnancy leave, STPDL funding for all teachers, and improved leave language to support all families. The Board received the Local's position with little comment and did not counter with its own position.

In the Local's presentation to the Board, it was reiterated that the Board continues to use salary as a means of attracting new teachers to Peel. The Board's web page states, "we (the Peel Board) attract the very best and pay them accordingly." The Board was told it is the Local's expectation that based on the Board's own words that our relative position in the province in relation to salary must be improved or at the very least maintained.

Under the subheading of 'Excellent salary and benefits' on the Peel Board's Work in Peel website, our benefit package is described as "very comprehensive and generous'. The Local presented data gathered from a number of benefit providers including the Board's own provider, Sun Life, which shows that extended health and dental insurance is running at an inflationary rate of 12% currently. Barring any increase in claims, to maintain the current benefit protection that the Board is using to attract teachers to Peel, an increase in FTE funding is absolutely essential.

In the area of SEB payments, the Board was shown how the Local's proposal would provide immediate cost savings for the Board while supporting teachers and their families. An obvious win/win situation that many boards across the province have adopted in this round of negotiations.

Currently the Board is implementing a new initiative called 'The Future We Want'. This initiative seeks to address issues of discrimination and encourage a more open accepting community. The Local believes that this philosophy needs to be actively modeled by the Board by including a broader reference to family in the collective agreement including spouse as same-sex partner and common-law partner. This Board prides itself on its Human Rights policies; the Local wishes to demonstrate our support for this action by including specific references into the collective agreement

One of the contentious non-monetary issues that remains on the table concerns the transfer and surplus article. The Local is seeking to reinstate the Voluntary Excess provision, which was removed. The Local demonstrated very clearly that the voluntary transfer process is not working for elementary teachers. When the third posting came out on March 24, it was noted that 226 jobs, which had appeared on the second posting, were once again listed. Of these, 128 were full time positions. A further breakdown showed that of the 128 full time positions, 72 were straight classroom positions for teachers i.e. grade 1 or grade 4. Using a conservative estimate of 5 requests for interviews per position, this means that a minimum of 640 teachers was told that they are not good enough. These are the same teachers that the Board calls "the very best staff" on its own website. Obviously, there is a problem. If qualified, experienced teachers within the board can't achieve transfers then Voluntary Excess is essential. It is important that the Local can put faces to this issue; so if you have data, which supports this position (a job a teacher at your school applied for is still listed on the pink sheets), please forward it to the collective bargaining team immediately.

The Board was requested to respond to proposals by the Local concerning category changes, but stated it was still reviewing this matter. As presented at the Steward meeting on March 24th, the Local's proposal is a win/win position for teachers and the Board. It is not very often that the Board can save money and at the same time teachers can receive increased salary payments.

The next negotiation session is scheduled for April 3, 2003 at the H. J. A. Brown Education Centre.

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