Sector 3 Newsletter: Boards of Education and Cultural Institutions

Welcome

The Sector 3 Executive would like to welcome our new staff negotiator, Kathleen Flynn. Kathleen joins us with an extensive background in the education sector. We look forward to her contributions to our sector and collaborating with her.

Sector 3 Divisional Executive

Chair Sandra Cadeau Vice-Chair Bonnie Eddy Treasurer Donna Caissie Secretary Susan Richarz Member-at-Large Lise Orsini Member-at-Large Melody Hurtubise Member-at-Large Kelly MartinContact the Divisional Executive at [email protected]

Central Agreement

The Central Agreement was ratified in January 2023. The unions accepted a $1/hr raise per year, for all job classifications, for the 4-year contract (September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2026).

Local agreement negotiations

OPSEU/SEFPO locals are in bargaining with their respective employers and will provide updates to their members as they continue through negotiations. We encourage you to show your support for your local bargaining team by wearing your education t-shirts.Once all locals in OCEW have ratified their local agreements, the monetary terms of the settlement will be implemented and will be retroactive to September 1st, 2022.

Exciting news

Sector 3 Boards of Education and Cultural Institutions received the 2023 Leah Casselman Award. This award recognizes the contribution and commitment of the Sector 3 Executive, local presidents and members in mobilizing activities that exemplify the spirit and intent of “mobilizing to win.”  Congratulations to our members! Thank you to our nominators.

Sector dues

Highest ranking officers, please keep an eye out for the sector dues invoice. Your dues help to cover the costs of promoting the sector and the important work we do in our teaching and learning environments. The invoice/reminder will be sent to you from Sector 3 Treasurer Donna Caissie.

Save the date: 2023 OPSEU/SEFPO BPS Conference!

November 17-19, 2023 Sheraton Centre Toronto HotelThe BPS Conference planning committee is putting together a great program focusing on:

• organizing in our locals and sectors,
• coping with stress and burnout,
• standing up to the Ford government,
• building grassroots solidarity and a strong union foundation.

Health and safety

Health and safety is a vital part of your role in education. It is a mandatory requirement to have the workplace violence incident reporting page available to all employees. The employer must provide time to complete the report within the workday as well as debrief with the employee. If you are experiencing difficulty with the reporting tool or your employer, please contact your local executive, health and safety rep, or sector executive for support.You can also find valuable resources at https://opseu.org/health-and-safety/Our members face acts of violence in the workplace, and such incidents have persisted. There has been a collective attempt to highlight these concerns at both local and provincial levels.In collaboration with the members who shared their lived experiences, the Sector 3 Executive created a video to draw attention to the issue of violence that exists in our workplaces. The Sector remains committed to making this issue a top priority.We have also made mental health and safety a focus of our sector’s action planning. This will include consultation with our affiliate unions/federations, surveying our members and a focus of addressing concerns with WSIB and recognition for education workers.We are proud to share our video, “Written in the Scars.”  It is available on YouTube and currently has more than 5000 views.Please continue to monitor your emails for updates or visit the website and/or Facebook page for sector updates and news.In solidarity,Your Sector 3 Divisional Executive