Occasional teachers seeking parity

Ken Johnston

Several members of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation braved the cold and wet weather Friday in Rainy River to provide an informational picket.
The OSSTF members are occasional teachers who are concerned by the fact that they are not treated equally to regular teachers even though they are just as qualified.
In their brochure handed out Friday they said, “Occasional Teachers must have the same academic and professional qualifications as Permanent Classroom Teachers.”
Occasional teachers in the Rainy River District School Board system has the 6th highest daily rate of pay of 31 bargaining units in 1999. Now they are 26th and receive less money than the lowest paid Permanent Classroom Teachers.
However, the Occasional Teachers say the issue is not money but would like to see the money offered to them converted into a percentage of Category One Minimum, the lowest paid position on the Permanent Teachers’ grid. “This would prevent us from falling further behind, provincially and locally, as has happened every year since the first Occasional Teachers’ Agreement in 1999.”
The Occ. Teachers say that would not cost the board any extra money over the term of the collective agreement and that the majority of school boards in the province have already done this.
Members of the union held pickets in Fort Frances the Friday before last and in Rainy River last week. They are hoping to raise awareness of their concerns and hope the school board will find favour with their position.