 Last month the provincial government announced sweeping changes to education funding that will have a huge impact on every public school teacher in the province.
So far, the government has said it will: • Essentially cut K-12 funding by keeping direct financing of education to less than the rate of inflation and limit the amounts school boards can raise through taxation. • Freeze salaries of school staff, including teachers, for two years and limit increases for another two years after that. • Institute a system of provincial bargaining whereby most, if not all, collective bargaining is done at a central table. • Implement a full review of the education system that the province says will lead to the most profound changes in a generation. While details of some of the changes are still unclear, it is apparent that the immediate changes will come at a cost to teachers and students. UP-TO-DATE information on critical issues:MTS President’s letter to members March story on issues from The Teacher BE HEARD ON brochures:Bill 28 Bureau de l’education française (BEF) Literacy, Numeracy and the PISA Debate Section 43 Speak out! Guide for Writing Letters to Politicians  MTS President Norm Gould has issued the following statement for MTS members:
Colleagues, Today the Progressive Conservative government introduced Bill 28, The Public Services Sustainability Act. The Manitoba Teachers’ Society is extremely disappointed to see the government introduce heavy-handed legislation that would bypass the bargaining table and impose 4 years of wage freezes and wage caps for public sector workers – including teachers – well below the cost of living. This will apply to the thousands of public sector workers, many who already have shown their willingness to be part of the solution, by agreeing – at the bargaining table – to two years of frozen wages. We know that bargaining is the proven way to find solutions that work for both employers and workers. We’d much rather try to work things out together, by talking and negotiating at the bargaining table. We have a strong and long history of bargaining fair negotiated settlements with our respective employer groups and this transgression that disrupts this well-established and successful process is shameful. Bill 28 is further evidence that this government is fixated on balancing the budget at the expense of the public services so many families count on and the people who provide them. This appalling legislation follows on the government’s uninformed dismantling of the cap on K-3 classroom size which was providing better learning outcomes for our schools and students. The K-3 Smaller Class Size Initiative resulted in the hiring of 454 new teachers, so its dismantling means that fewer teachers will be working on the front lines in Manitoba classrooms. Bill 28 At A Glance: • Bill 28 does not appear to open up existing collective agreements as the four year schedule is not fixed. Therefore Manitoba’s teachers wage freeze and cap will take effect July 1st, 2018; • Bill 28 imposes a four-year wage scale that includes freezes and caps: YEAR 1: 0 YEAR 2: 0 YEAR 3: 0.75 percent YEAR 4: 1 percent We are reviewing this legislation closely and we will provide you with information as it is received. – Norman R. Gould, President, The Manitoba Teachers’ Society See summary of Bill 28 by the law firm Myers Weinberg at: http://www.myersfirm.com/files/Public_Services_Sustainability_Act_-_Bill_28.pdf  Have a great first day back with your students! Your hard work and dedication is of immeasurable value!On Thursday, December 3rd, Education Minister James Allum announced that the Province of
Manitoba will be repatriating The Manitoba Teachers’ Society Act. This is a significant announcement for the Manitoba Teachers’ Society because it empowers us to amend the MTS constitution independently thereby enabling us to modernize its language and enhance the image of the teaching profession in the province and the role of The Manitoba Teachers’ Society. Why is this important? The Manitoba Teachers’ Society is an incorporated entity that is governed by provincial legislation. Our organization’s constitution, the supreme governing document, is also an act of the legislature called The Manitoba Teachers’ Society Act. Legislation is drafted to reflect the needs of the day. In 1942, when the Manitoba rTeachers’ Society Act was assented, the Act’s objectives reflected the priorities of teachers of the day and protected the profession. As time passed, the profession evolved and irregularities and inconsistencies in the Act began to emerge, so amendments to the Act were needed. However, the necessary amendments had to be done through legislative amendments which, as is the case with all legislation, can be a tedious process. Over the years, The Manitoba Teachers’ Society has repeatedly asked government to amend our constitution (The Act) so that we can make these changes, but these requests did not succeed. Consequently, today many of the terms contained in the Act remain outdated and do not apply to Manitoba’s current educational climate. For example, in 2001 the Province announced the amalgamation of school divisions, so in 2003, 2004 and 2006 The MTS Provincial Council passed resolutions calling on the government to give MTS the ability to make changes to the constitution’s language to reflect these amalgamations, but to no avail. As a result, a recent review of the MTS Handbook exposed many areas of confusion that were difficult to reconcile given the antiquated language in our constitution. This announcement is the culmination of years of hard work to give MTS the authority to control our constitution so we are able to evolve at the same pace as the education profession. Ultimately it enables us to grow so that we will be stronger tomorrow than we are today. Courtesy of MTS Manitoba teachers’ leaves now on equal footing with Canadian counterparts
Teachers in Manitoba will no longer take a hit in both pay and pension benefits to have children. The Manitoba government announced a change to the Education Administration Act today that will see teachers who take maternity and parental leaves get full credit for seniority and salary. “The elimination of the “mommy gap” or parent gap is welcome news for our teachers,” says Norm Gould, President of The Manitoba Teachers’ Society. “It puts our female members on equal footing with male members in Manitoba, and with their colleagues in the rest of Canada. The same holds true for women and men teachers who access parental leave. And it’s another example of how much this government values Manitoba teachers and listens to their concerns.” Until now, Manitoba has recognized only 85 days of credit for teachers accessing maternity and parental leave, rather than the full school year common in most other Canadian provinces. That has put Manitoba teachers who have children at a distinct disadvantage because of delayed pay increments early in their careers and smaller pensions later in life. The effort to change the status quo was set in motion at AGM 2009 when a resolution was passed to amend a regulation in the Education Administration Act to include “maternity leave or parental leave granted in accordance with the Employment Standards Code, to a maximum in any school year of 200 teaching days for a full-time member.” Today’s change means that members of the Society on parental or maternity leave will no longer be disadvantaged by choosing to have children. They will be eligible, at the same time as their colleagues and counterparts, for their annual salary increments—just as they would had they not chosen to have a family. “No woman should ever feel that she is being penalized for having a baby,” says MTS staff officer Nancy Kerr. “As a society, we have agreed on the importance of women having time at home with their babies in that critical first year of life, both through provincial legislation that grants a full year of leave, and federal legislation that grants Employment Insurance benefits for 50 weeks of that leave. Giving teachers full credit of service for that year of leave just makes sense.” The amendment will also have positive long-term effects on pensionable earnings and years of service towards pension. Information provided by the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF) shows that, until now, male teachers generally have had greater career earnings and more years of service than their female counterparts. Much of this inequity can be attributed to women staying home with their newborns. Today’s announcement will help to correct this. “It means young teachers will no longer have their increments delayed, significantly reducing the impact of having a baby on both lifetime earnings and pensions,” says Kerr. “And teachers who are at maximum earnings will see a positive impact on their pensions.” MTS staff officer Arlyn Filewich says, “This is a huge achievement for our youngest members and their growing families. It’s proof that when teachers raise issues of equity and voice their concerns, we have teacher advocates who take action of their behalf. We are so thankful that MTS President Norm Gould and our Provincial Executive have made these changes both a priority and a reality.” Gould says teachers appreciate the effort the Manitoba government has taken to consult with the Society on an issue that’s so important to teachers and their families. He says the change operates on three levels. “First, it eliminates a legislative injustice and discrimination that been in place for years. Second, it will relieve some of the pressure on our younger members who take maternity or parental leave. And finally, it will give anyone who accesses these leaves more security in retirement.” Article courtesy of MTS For some of us it may have been some time since we first signed our teacher general contracts and for some of our colleagues just entering the teaching profession it may have been just months ago. In either case, we must be aware that the employment contract we signed with our employer brings with it certain rights and obligations. The obligation I am going to highlight today relates to our obligation to serve notice of contract termination in an appropriate manner.
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Over the past 11 weeks, the federal parties have told their vision for Canada. Now it’s your chance to have your voice heard. You will not get another opportunity to vote federally for four years – take a few minutes today to vote for your Canada, your students and your profession. Still not sure who deserves your support? Check out how the party platforms align with issues important to teachers at vox.ctf-fce.ca. Once you’ve voted, take to social media encouraging others to do the same. |
Information and on COVID 19 and EducationMembers are encouraged to check the following references for information regarding COVID 19 and Education in Manitoba
Manitoba Teachers Society www.mbteach.org/mtscms/ Manitoba Education COVID 19 Education News www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/covid/index.html MVTA BlogFrom time to time we will be posting information here that may be of interest to our membership. Archives
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