Algoma Occasional Teachers' Local

Welcome to the new website for the Algoma Occasional Teachers' Local! The Algoma Occasional Teachers' Local is a part of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), a unionized organization that represents over 70,000 teachers across the province.

As one of 31 Occasional Teacher Locals in Ontario, the Algoma Occasional Teachers' Local represents over 260 qualified and certified Elementary Occasional Teachers employed by the Algoma District School Board.

As the bargaining unit for the Elementary Occasional Teachers of Algoma, we are committed to securing and maintaining the best possible working conditions for our members, protecting the rights of all members, and making certain that the conditions of our Collective Agreement are honoured.

On this website you will find a wide variety of useful information, including our Collective Agreement and Local Constitution, recent issues of our Local newsletter, discussions of relevant issues, upcoming Professional Development opportunities, and much much more!

Professional Development Opportunity for Occasional Teachers

The Algoma Occasional Teacher Local is very pleased to announce that the Algoma District School Board will be hosting a workshop for Elementary Occasional Teachers as part of its Professional Activity Day on Friday, January 29th. This is the first time that the ADSB has included specific programming for Elementary Occasional Teachers on a Professional Activity Day, and we encourage our members to take advantage of this opportunity.

The workshop offered by the ADSB is entitled "Utilizing Technology in the Classroom" and is open to all Elementary Occasional Teachers in Sault Area Schools. This session will focus on utilizing classroom laptops, data projectors and document cameras, and will also explore various software and web applications available. The workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the morning of January 29th at Korah Collegiate and Vocational School at 636 Goulais Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie, in Room 220 (the Computer Lab).

Occasional Teachers interested in attending this workshop are encouraged to register with Donna Martin (945-7235) by Wednesday, January 27th, 2010. Although the morning workshop is limited to 27 participants, if there is sufficient interest, a second workshop may be offered in the afternoon.

ATTENTION! The ADSB is Looking to Add Members to the LTO Pool

The ADSB will be adding Algoma OT members to the LTO Pool in the very near future. These members will be chosen from the LTO List of applicants that was generated last October when the ADSB first established its LTO Pool. Those members whose names are added to the LTO Pool will be notified by the ADSB.

If you are a member of the LTO Pool, it is your responsibility to check the ADSB website regularly in order to be aware of LTO positions as they become available and to apply for LTO positions in a timely manner. If more than 3 members of the LTO Pool apply for any LTO position, interviews must be held to determine the successful applicant.

WHMIS Training MUST BE COMPLETED by December 31st, 2009

All teachers with the Algoma District School Board - both Contract Teachers and Occasional Teachers - must complete WHMIS Training by December 31st, 2009, as a condition of employment with the ADSB [as mandated by the Ministry of Labour]. Several Occasional Teachers have not yet completed this training and they will be receiving a letter from the ADSB advising them of the importnce of this training and the procedures to follow in order to meet compliance.

WHMIS Training can be done online at any school as long as you make arrangements with the Principal to use a school computer. The ADSB will also be offering a workshop at which you can complete your WHMIS Training in the near future. More details will follow when they are available.

The ADSB will be forwarding information regarding WHMIS Training that will be posted on our website as soon as it is available. In the meantime, if you wish to commence with your WHMIS Training immediately, please contact Aldo Iacoe at the Education Centre (phone 705-945-7111).

Your OT Executive is only a Phone Call or an Email away!

If you have any questions or concerns about issues, feel free to contact members of your Algoma OT Executive:

Peter Mead, President - 705-942-3413 OR meadp@yahoo.com

Elsa Shelswell, Vice-President - 705-782-6923 OR d.shelswell@sympatico.ca

Jeannette Cowen, Treasurer - 705-541-9730 OR nettyc@inbox.com

Don Laity, Member-at-Large - drlaity@shaw.ca

Kim Turner, Member-at-Large - 705-254-3276 OR kjkdturner@shaw.ca

Keep in touch!

All OTs should now have their Personal Copy of our New Collective Agreement - All members of the Algoma OT Local should now have received their personal copies of our new Collective Agreement as this was sent out by mail with our most recent newsletter. If you have not received your copy, please contact Peter Mead, President, at 705-257-0556 or by email at meadp@yahoo.com