Halton board is set to meet with union tomorrow continued from p.1 be provided to boards before any labour action is taken. A follow-up letter posted on the board's website May 5 states, in part, "... The Halton District School Board is scheduled to have a meeting with the Halton local ETFO union on Thursday, May 7 to seek clarification regarding details of the job action. The Halton District School Board will keep parents informed of the details as they become known to us...." Teachers could either hit the picket lines or continue teaching but withhold certain duties or services as part of a job action. ETFO requested a provincial conciliator attend the April 17 contract talks meeting, where the union asked for the issuance of a No-Board Report. On April 24, ETFO received its No-Board Report. A No-Board Report allows negotiations to continue but permits job sanctions by the union, or a lockout by management, 17 days after the issuance of the report -- hence the May 10 possible strike/lockout date, with May 11 being the first school day for such possible action. "The board remains committed to continuing to talk and bargain in good faith at the local level with its elementary teachers in order to reach a local agreement," states one of the Halton board's labour talks update letters. The president of ETFO Halton said they have had a good working relationship with the board historically, and continue to do so, but noted many of her members are not happy with what is being asked of them at the provincial level of negotiations. "What I'm hearing from my members are (concerns about) their working conditions and concessions that are on the table," said Marg Macfarlane. She said it is the concessions sought by the province that are the most upsetting to teachers because she says it took years to achieve their gains. Macfarlane wouldn't discuss specifics. She said the two sides have only met three times for what she considers actual bargaining sessions, including April 29. Their next meeting was supposed to be May 5. The Oakville Beaver has been unable to reach the board or Macfarlane for comment on the latest round of talks. Meanwhile, Halton's public high school teachers have been in a legal strike/lockout position since April 17. Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) District 20 Halton represents 1,300 permanent full- and part-time high school teachers at the HDSB. OSSTF Halton Local President Brad Fisher told the Beaver they met with the board's negotiators April 30 with more meetings planned. He provided no details about the latest talks. The board is also bargaining separately with Halton's occasional high school and occasional elementary teachers' unions. Durham Region and Rainbow district public high school teachers are already on strike with Peel Region secondary teachers walked out on Monday (May 4). The Halton public board says if there is a high school teachers strike here, programs for Grades 7 and 8 students who attend Burlington's Aldershot High School and Burlington Central H.S. will continue. More detailed information will be provided directly to the parents of those Grade 7 and 8 students, says the board. Daycare centres located in Lester B. Pearson H.S., Robert Bateman H.S., Oakville Trafalgar H.S. and Iroquois Ridge H.S. would remain open. In such a scenario, the board is advising parents to expect delays at drop-off and pick-up times due to potential picketing. The local level of contract talks are centered on non-monetary issues. Monetary contract items are being bargained provincially at a central table. It is the first time a two-tiered bargaining process has been used in Ontario. The provincial government has said there is no money in its budget for raises in the public sector without savings being found elsewhere in the province's budget. 3 | Thursday, May 7, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com inside today's Spotlight Beaver trails Health Beaver www.insideHALTON.com 6 41 42 Arts Sports Classified 44 44 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, Gino's Pizza, M&M Meats, Mississauga Flooring Solutions, Rabba, Kitchen & Bath Inc., Loblaws, Outdoor Living, Bath Depot, Rona, Corbeil, Nature's Source, Henry's Camera, Real Canadian Superstore, Merinos Carpet Inc., No Frills, Lowes, Michael Angelo's, Food Basics, Palma Pasta, Cogeco, Mathnasium, New LIfe Fertility Centre, AAA Halton Taxi, Drivers Academy, Custom Direct Windows, JYSK Bed & Bath, 2001 Audio Video, Hudson's Bay Co., Smart Source, Leon's Furniture, National Sports, Home Outfitters, Fortinos, Connect Hearing, Bouclair, TruGreen, Walking On A Cloud, Sport Chek, Mastermind Toys, Linen Chest, Rexall, Shoppers Drug Mart, Reliance, Pharma Plus, Walmart, The Source, Sears, Pet Valu, Golf Town, Kohl & Frisch, Atmosphere, Best Buy, Beddington's Bed & Bath, Drug Trading, The Brick, Home Depot, Ashley Furniture, Longo's, Freshco, The Source, Centennial Windows, Canadian Tire, Sobeys, B&H Magazine *All flyers not necessarily delivered to all homes Preparing young minds to be leaders of tomorrow. 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