FEATURE
UNITed WE STAND OTBU Task Force Report and Resolutions By Tracey Pecarski
At this year’s Annual General Meeting, the report of the Occasional Teacher Bargaining Unit (OTBU) Task Force was presented, and a significant number of resolutions stemming from that report were debated. The report and resolutions were the culmination of a review of the structure and function of the occasional and teacher bargaining units. The resolutions passed after good debate. So, with the changes coming into effect, it is helpful to consider why the task force was struck in the first place, as well as to outline some of the key changes that will result from the task force’s recommendations. Why review OTBUs?
In 1997, the Progressive Conservative government under Mike Harris passed the Fewer School Boards Act and the Education Quality Improvement Act (also known as Bill 160), which resulted in massive structural changes to education in Ontario and impacted the number and structure of bargaining units across the province. As the legal bargaining agent for occasional teachers (OTs), the Association was required to address changes to occasional teacher representation that resulted from the legislation. To deal with these issues as seamlessly as possible, in 1999 the decision was made to replicate the structure and function of local bargaining units (as per the OECTA Handbook), and fold it into OTBUs. The idea was that each OTBU would handle matters related to collective bargaining and grievances, while the broader unit would provide services for occasional teachers on all other matters. This plan worked well in concept, but over time the reality has not kept pace. Twenty years after its implementation, structures have evolved such that there are 18 OTBUs that have amalgamated with their units, and 11 that have not amalgamated. This has several consequences. For instance, the success of Regulation 274, the fair hiring provisions, has allowed teachers to move from occasional to permanent status in a more equitable and prescribed manner. However, as a result, there has been growing concern about the succession of leadership within OTBUs. There has also been a lack of
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clarity surrounding the roles and responsibilities toward members of non-amalgamated OTBUs relative to the roles and responsibilities of units. As such, in 2017 the Provincial Executive approved the striking of an OTBU task force. The mandate of the task force was to review the Association’s current provision of services to occasional members, as well as the current governance representation methods for occasional members, and make recommendations for any changes. To ensure all voices would be heard, the task force operated on a consensus model, and was comprised of occasional teacher representatives, as well as members of the Council of Presidents and the Provincial Executive.