The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Public school board meets with high school teachers' union by Tim Whitnell Metroland West Media 3 | Thursday, April 23, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Public high school teachers are on strike in Durham Region, and those in Sudbury might walk off the job next week, but there are no such firm plans -- at least not yet -- for Halton public school board teachers. Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) District 20 Halton Local President Brad Fisher said Monday he was to meet the board's bargaining representatives, as planned, yesterday (Wednesday, April 22). Meeting dates have also been set into May. However, Fisher admitted that a six-hour meeting on April 15 saw nothing of note achieved. "There were no major changes in positions, no major agreements. We're still talking. It's a slow, steady process. We might have something to say by Thursday (April 23)," said Fisher. The Local president said the union has daily contact with the board on issues not related to bargaining. OSSTF Halton represents 1,300 permanent full- and part-time high school teachers at the Halton District School Board (HDSB). Halton Secondary Occasional teachers (HSOT) is an affiliate of OSSTF District 20. It represents about 600 occasional teachers who fill in for permanent teachers when they are absent due to illness or leaves of absence. Tom Beer is the president of HSOT. The HSOT has been negotiating separately with the Halton board. The two sides have met six times with four more sessions planned. The Halton public board also has had three bargaining sessions with its permanent elementary teachers union and two sessions with the elementary occasional teachers, with more talks planned with both employee groups. "So we are engaged with our local bargaining units and are having positive and productive discussions related to local issues," Jeff Blackwell, the board's acting executive officer of human resources, told the Oakville Beaver in an email. As Durham teachers walked out Monday, the Rainbow public school board in the Sudbury area has set a firm strike date for its high school teachers -- April 27. Peel public secondary teachers are looking at a May 4 date to strike. see Halton on p.8 inside today's Spotlight Health Arts Beaver www.insideHALTON.com 6 40 42 Beaver trails Sports Classified 44 45 50 For home delivery & customer service call 905-631-6095, 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington New subscriptions call 905-631-6095 or subscribe online at www.oakvillebeaver.com Pharmasave, Metro, M&M Meats, Barbecues Galore, Regional Municipality of Halton, Crate and Barrel, Salvation Army Recycling, Rabba, Ward Funeral Home, Dr. Green Services, Rona, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, Lowes, Canadian Patio Importers, Michael Angelo's, Food Basics, Elite Gold Group, New Life Fertility Centre, JYSK Bed & Bath, 2001 Audio Video, Home Hardware, Hudson's Bay Co., Leon's Furniture, National Sports, Home Outfitters, Fortinos, Bouclair, Shoppers Drug Mart, TruGreen, Atmosphere, Pharma Plus, Toys R Us, Sport Chek, Rexall, Make Yourself @ Home, Beddington's Bed & Bath, Longo's, Shoppers Drug Mart, Michael's, Home Depot, Sears, Canadian Tire, Staples, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Mastermind Toys, Best Buy, Drug Trading, Brick Mattress, The Source, Sobeys, Freshco, Reliance A STEP BEYOND IN CARE Salima Kassam Reg. Chiropodist · Foot/Arch Pain? · Ingrown Toenails? · Diabetes? · Swollen Ankles? · Corns, Calluses? Do you have: *All flyers not necessarily delivered to all homes Call for an appointment 905-632-1414 728 Burloak Drive www.footandhealthclinic.com Rediscover the lively SOUNDS OF SPRING! Nicole Clark Audiologist Winner of BEST Hearing C entre in Oakvil le - 7 years in a r ow What we offer: · Two Full-time experienced Audiologists · Hearing tests for all ages · Hearing aid fittings · A range of quality hearing aids to fit your needs and budget · Direct billing - ADP, DVA, WSIB & Greenshield · No referrals necessary *Offer expires May 15, 2015. See clinic for more details SPECIAL SPRING PRICING SAVE $500 on a pair of Alta2 Pro streamer for iPhone* plus FREE 1235 Trafalgar Rd. Suite 207 Oakville, ON T: 905.849.5894 www.oakvillehearing.com