"Enough ! This Working Condition Has to Change." (Collective Bargaining)
As ETFO educators, we want to make a difference in the lives of our students. We expect challenging and rewarding careers. What we don’t expect are working conditions that push stress levels toward burnout. Of course, we deal with normal stress every day. Normal stress is part of the energy we bring to mastering a new assignment, planning curriculum, and attending a case conference. We recognize the signs of normal stress in quicker breathing, tensed muscles, or a knot in the stomach. When the stress is over, we can relax.
In contrast, toxic stress is beyond our control. It does not stop. We simply cannot relax. We may experience anxiety, irritability, and depression. We become more susceptible to infection because the immune system weakens. Physical symptoms such as stomach problems and heart palpitations emerge. Muscle tension in the back, shoulders, and neck becomes painful.
ETFO educators are reporting unprecedented levels of stress caused by working conditions that seem beyond individual control. Often longstanding, these working conditions are both hazards and stressors. Powerful examples include the risk of physical assault; mould that aggravates asthma; and overwork that weakens the immune system. Stress becomes toxic when hazards such as these remain in the workplace: the new safety plan fails to prevent another assault; the mould problem isn’t solved; work overload continues.
Accept or shift?
Each of us has a choice to make when we are faced with a working condition that is both a hazard and stressor. We can accept the burden or we can shift the burden. To be sure, neither choice is easy. Shifting the burden starts when the educator says, “Enough! This working condition has to change.” Here are six stories that reflect the experiences of educators who have either accepted or shifted their working conditions. How do these stories relate to your own experiences?
Workplace violence
ACCEPT
Next week, I’ll be starting a long-term occasional contract in a special education classroom. The classroom teacher was assaulted by one of the students and took a leave of absence from work. The student has been suspended. I know that this student has a history of violent behaviour and I’m worried that I will be assaulted too. The principal has explained the new behaviour plan to me and an educational assistant has been assigned to the class until things settle down. I know I can call for help if I can’t manage. But I’m not sure help will get here fast enough.
SHIFT
Before I start this contract, I know that certain things have to be in place. The principal has already informed me about the risks of working with the student who assaulted the teacher. The behaviour plan explains how to reduce challeng- ing behaviour. It’s helpful, but I also know that we need a safety plan for crisis management. The safety plan must outline exactly how everyone who comes into contact with this student will be protected from the risk of violence. I’ve asked my union president and my steward for help to make sure the safety plan is in place before I start working in the classroom.
Indoor air quality
ACCEPT
I’m teaching in a portable this year, and my asthma has never been this bad. I use my puffer almost every day. I had a sinus infection in October. The portable is very old. It smells mouldy. During March break, the school board replaced some insulation in the wall and some tiles in the floor and the ceiling. I’ve been told to keep the window partly open with the heat turned up until the weather improves. I’m still using a puffer and the sinus infection is flaring up again. There is no alternate classroom in the school. I could ask to teach my students in the library, but that would be disruptive to everyone’s schedule.
SHIFT
When I walked into the portable at the end of the summer, I knew something was wrong. It smelled bad. Floor tiles were lifting. There was mould in a corner of the ceiling. I wrote “Health and Safety Hazard” at the top of a piece of paper and reported my concerns to the principal with a copy to both my steward and local president. I told the principal. I was worried about my health and that I didn’t want to work in the portable until the mould problem was fixed. To cut a long story short, I started the school year teaching in the library. It turned out that the mould problem was too severe to fix. The portable had to be replaced. It took more than a month before the new portable was set up. Was it worth the hassle? Sure. I’m healthy.
Workload
ACCEPT
I teach a grade 3/4 split this year and the job is overwhelming me. Five of my students have individual education plans. I’ve just finished conducting the second round of literacy assessments. After the first round, the principal asked me to add small guided-reading groups for every student, twice a week during the literacy block. I’m on evaluation this year, so I said yes. I feel like most of my prep time has been spent compiling assessment results or planning for the literacy block. I don’t have time to get to the staff room. I had bronchitis over the Christmas holiday. It’s cleared up but the fatigue remains. I am so very tired. Track and field coaching starts soon.
SHIFT
This split grade has its own set of challenges. When my rincipal first mentioned adding an intensive guided- read ing schedule to the literacy block, I resisted even though m on evaluation. It just seemed like too much. I talked to my local’s president about my concerns and she gave me the confidence to show the principal how the literacy block already supported individual student progress. Some days I do feel overwhelmed, but I’ve made a point of taking the time to get to the staff room for my lunch. Just relaxing ith my colleagues means a lot. We support each other. As for coaching track and field, it’s my choice and I haven’t decided yet.
Choosing to shift the burden of a working condition takes enormous courage. The action itself can add more frustration and stress before change takes hold. When an ETFO member gets help and support from colleagues and federation, the action is primed for success. The next time you have a conversation about a difficult working condition, consider identifying the hazards and stressors. How will you shift the burden?
