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8 THE NEW TANNER Halton District School Board unlikely to have new contracts by Ministry deadline Board and teacher unions set negotiation dates for September and October At a Special Board Meeting on August 7, 2012, Halton District School Board trustees reviewed a Ministry of Education directive that boards conclude local bargaining before the start of the 2012-13 school year. The July 24 Ministry memo sets expectations that boards will bargain within the negotiated framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) and the government. In Halton, negotiations with local bargaining groups began in the spring, and are scheduled to continue in late August through to November. "Although negotiations respecting the Ontario government's financial constraints will be difficult, we believe a resolution can be found within our timelines," said Don Vrooman, Chair of the Halton District School Board. "To expect contracts to be settled locally by August 31 on issues the government was unable to resolve in five months at the Provincial Discussion Tables, is unreasonable." Should no settlement be reached by August 31, existing collective agreements remain in force. These contracts allow some staff to continue to earn increases based on experience and qualifications. These earned increases were not included in the funding parameters set out by the ministry's 2012-13 Grants for Student Needs used in the spring by school boards to develop their 2012-13 budgets. To make changes to current collective agreements, school boards have two options: to negotiate revised contracts with its employee groups reflecting the terms of the OECTA MOU by August 31, or to request conciliation and unilaterally change the terms of the existing agreements by August 31. At the Tuesday meeting, the Halton Board resolved to remain compliant with funding parameters set by the government in its 2012-13 Ontario Budget, while recognizing that under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, the Board is prohibited from altering rates of wages or any other term or condition of employment since notice to bargain has been given. The Halton District School Board intends to honour all collective agreement provisions as it is legally obligated to do. "We expect all of our schools will be fully operational on the first day of school in September," said Vrooman. "Moving aggressively and unilaterally to force deals on our unions may very likely lead to job actions such as strikes that would be detrimental to the government's goals and would not be in the best interests of our students and communities," he said. "Negotiating is a process between two parties to arrive at a resolution that ultimately sustains relationships for the greater good over the long term," said David Euale, Director of Education. "This process requires time and patience." THURSDAY,AUGUST 23, 2012 DANCING DAYS: Members of TDI Senior Competitive Team participated in a summer camp program held last week. Seen on the floor practicing their dance skills are: front row: Katherine Zwadzki, 17, Madison Hurrell, 16, back row: Amelia Torraville, 17, Kylie Mitchell, 15, and Brie Lirette, 15. - Marie Shadbolt photo Halton School Bus Safety Committee holding School Bus Orientation Day As the first day of school approaches, the Halton School Bus Safety Committee is moving into high gear to assist parents and first-time riders in understanding the importance of school bus safety. The committee, with representatives from Halton Student Transportation Services and all bus operators in Halton, is hosting its annual School Bus Orientation Day on Saturday, August 25, 2012, starting at 9 a.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to the free sessions, which will feature a classroom presentation on school bus safety, including a special Winnie-the-Pooh video and a demonstration on a school bus. School bus company safety officers and bus drivers will talk to the children about safely getting on and off of the bus, proper behaviour on a school bus, crossing the street to get to a waiting bus and overall school bus safety. In addition, a tip sheet on school bus safety entitled, "Think! Think! Think Safety!" will be distributed. The committee hopes the orientation sessions will help students and their parents feel more comfortable with the idea of riding a school bus. To register students for a preferred time slot at the Acton location, parents should call Tyler Transport Ltd. at 519-853-1550 REGISTRATION DATE OFFERING: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Acrobatics, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Boys Tumbling and Much More FA L L CLASSES S TA RT I N G SOON! Thursday, August 30 5:30 - 7:30 pm Belly Dancing · 10 wk Adult Sessions Free Trial Class Thursday, September 6th 7:45 - 8:45 Sharing Our Love of Dance Since 1998 www.totaldanceinnovations.com 17 Mill Street East, Acton 519-853-8628 email: info@totaldanceinnovations.com