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TCDSB Song + Dance Over Missing Budget Deficit Details Continues!
I'm glad to independently share this joint letter with my readers for your erudition. The TCDSB is notorious for its lack of openness, transparency and accountability despite it's funding on the public dime. "Consultation" is not really a word in their vocabulary, as the letter below amply points out. In addition, the TCDSB's attitude towards its teachers and staff are anything but Catholic, as seen by it's blatant disregard for it's community of concerned workers. The public should be aware of the real situation faced below by our TCDSB colleagues in the union movement, in light of the TCDSB's "budget deficit" which you will be reading a lot about in the mainstream news during the week[s] ahead. Here's the letter:
TCDSB Song + Dance Over Missing Budget Deficit Details Continues!
I'm glad to independently share this joint letter with my readers for your erudition. The TCDSB is notorious for its lack of openness, transparency and accountability despite it's funding on the public dime. "Consultation" is not really a word in their vocabulary, as the letter below amply points out. In addition, the TCDSB's attitude towards its teachers and staff are anything but Catholic, as seen by it's blatant disregard for it's community of concerned workers. The public should be aware of the real situation faced below by our TCDSB colleagues in the union movement, in light of the TCDSB's "budget deficit" which you will be reading a lot about in the mainstream news during the week[s] ahead. Here's the letter:
March 23, 2015
Dear Colleague,
Amidst these very difficult and trying financial times in
our Board, we hope that you were able to find time to rest and replenish over
the March break.
This letter is signed by the leaders of the 7 union locals
of the TCDSB representing over 10,000 unionized education workers and is being
sent to all the members of each respective local.
By now you are aware of the fact that the TCDSB is in a
deficit budget position and has been debating how to deal with the challenges
this presents.
Your executive and executive members of each of the
respective union locals, have attended regular Board meetings, several Board
Committee meetings and several “consultation” meetings with senior staff and
trustees. Throughout, we have tried to seek answers and resolutions to
deal with both the Board’s in-year structural deficit and the Board’s
accumulated debt on a go-forward basis. Regretfully these sessions have
not been as productive as we would have wished. While having been given
some information, we have not been provided with the necessary and requested
information in a timely manner that would allow us to fully and effectively
engage in informed consultation.
At the March 12 Corporate Affairs meeting, the report to be
discussed, suggesting prioritization for cuts, was only posted on-line 2 hours
before the start of the meeting - hardly enough time for any of the
stakeholders to prepare an adequate response or to present feedback at that
committee meeting.
Later in the meeting on March 12, the Board of Trustees
voted to limit the opportunity for educational workers unions and parent groups
from addressing the Board and Committees. We object strongly to this silencing!
All the unionized worker groups have been working together
with Board staff and the trustees in good faith to find the least destructive
course of action and to remove timeline barriers to allow for a more fulsome
discussion on how best to deal with the Board’s financial shortfall. As
major stakeholders, our hope throughout has been to provide input and solutions
that would have the least impact on student learning and student
outcomes. Regrettably, the majority of the voting members of the Board of
Trustees has decided they no longer need to hear from those who are closest to
the needs and most affected by any budget cuts.
Senior management intends to visit all worksites to message
to the members directly. We have asked to have a schedule of the senior
management visits to worksites in order that we may attend and observe.
The Board has denied our request.
Therefore, since we cannot speak to our members with senior
staff present, and since we cannot speak directly to the Trustees any further,
we need to express our concerns directly. The next decision-making meeting
by the Board is Thursday March 26 at the CEC, 80 Sheppard Ave. East. We
encourage all members to attend to express your concern visibly if we cannot
express it verbally. Please be there by 6:30 p.m. to meet with your union
representatives.
At the same time, we would take this opportunity to remind
everyone to contact their MPP to express your concern over potential education
cuts. Let your MPP know that as a constituent in their riding, you are
upset. Find a map for your riding here:
As well, you may wish to contact the Toronto trustee for the
ward in which you live to express your concerns as a Catholic ratepayer in the
city. Trustees can be found at: https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/aboutus/Pages/default.aspx
In solidarity;
Mario Bernardo
President, OECTA-TECT
Maria Teresa Luiz
Treasurer, CUPE 3155
Julian Farinha
President, CUPE 1280
Julie Mazzuca-Peter
President, APSSP
Lina Naccarato
President, CUPE 1328
Felix Salazar
President, OECTA-TOTL
Dave Szollosy
President, OECTA-TSU
FURTHER READING
The TCDSB's Heavy Handed Consultation Process Leaves Much To Be Desired!
My monthly Teacher Free Speech News and Views blogs document and provide news links for the TCDSB budget deficit story, the mystery of the GSN's and OECTA TSU/ TECT'S attempts to get their concerns properly addressed, under TEACHER + UNION @ [Jan] [Feb] [March]
Here's a handy guide to Bill 122, the new 2014 Collective Bargaining Act. It looks at it's possible impact on the Catholic boards @ CBA
Is it a co-incidence that the TCDSB's "mystery deficit" is announced without accounting details just as the board is entering contract negotiations with the teachers and staff? See the Catholic trustees' "MOU Part 2" initial contract offer to the OECTA teachers @ [OCSTA]
In God we trust? TCDSB previous hanky panky with the terms of the OECTA MOU Sick Day Plan resulted in teachers being left stuck on unpaid medical leaves @ Sick Daze
OECTA's MOU clauses concerning the Catholic trustees' "Unfair Hire" practices [read nepotism] and complete disregard for "Teacher Professionalism" judgement resulted from OCSTA's past practice and heavy handed bargaining tactics and demands @ 2012 MOU!
FURTHER READING
The TCDSB's Heavy Handed Consultation Process Leaves Much To Be Desired!
My monthly Teacher Free Speech News and Views blogs document and provide news links for the TCDSB budget deficit story, the mystery of the GSN's and OECTA TSU/ TECT'S attempts to get their concerns properly addressed, under TEACHER + UNION @ [Jan] [Feb] [March]
Here's a handy guide to Bill 122, the new 2014 Collective Bargaining Act. It looks at it's possible impact on the Catholic boards @ CBA
Is it a co-incidence that the TCDSB's "mystery deficit" is announced without accounting details just as the board is entering contract negotiations with the teachers and staff? See the Catholic trustees' "MOU Part 2" initial contract offer to the OECTA teachers @ [OCSTA]
In God we trust? TCDSB previous hanky panky with the terms of the OECTA MOU Sick Day Plan resulted in teachers being left stuck on unpaid medical leaves @ Sick Daze
OECTA's MOU clauses concerning the Catholic trustees' "Unfair Hire" practices [read nepotism] and complete disregard for "Teacher Professionalism" judgement resulted from OCSTA's past practice and heavy handed bargaining tactics and demands @ 2012 MOU!
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