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  • Members hear details of provincial offer In January and February ETFO President David Clegg met with locals to provide information on bargaining. Attempts to reach a provincial agree- ment failed in early December because ETFO refused to sign a deal that included contract strips. Members of  the Niagara Local (above)  heard that the December offer included increased supervision time for teachers, among other things. In mid-February ETFO agreed to a revised proposal that did not contain strips. Details are provided in the president’s and general secretary’s columns on pages 4 and 5, as well as in the collective bargaining column on page. 12.
  • ETFO’s Financial ManagemenConferencfor women in December attracted 100 participants who heard from financial guru and television host Gail Vaz-Oxlade, and attended workshops on a variety of topics including budgeting, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and estate planning.
  • Allison Lupton and her husband, Geoff somers, both ETFO members and accomplished musicians,  provided  a  musical  interlude  at  the FebruarRepresentativCouncil meeting. In 2008, Lupton and her band were nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for their CD “Fly Like Swallows.” The pair are members of the Waterloo Teacher Local.
  • Violence is not part of any job description
    On December 6 – the Nationa Day of Remembranc and Action on Violence Againstwomen– the Ontario Federation of Labour launched a campaign to raise awareness about the impact of violence against women both  in the workplace and domestically and the need for legislative reforms to support women. For example, the OFL argues that the definition  for  compassionate  leave  in  the Employment  Standards Act should  be expanded  so  that  abused  women  can access  the  10  weeks  of  leave  the  act provides. This would give them time to address legal  issues, find housing and child care, and to heal. As part of  the campaign, postcards were  widely  distributed.  They  will  be presented  to  the  government  to  coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8. More information is available at ofl.ca.
  • Becoming a more skilled workshop presenter was the goal of 25 participants  in  ETFO’s  Presenters’   Palette The  two-day  training sessions provided aspiring presenters with an opportunity to improve their skills in planning and preparation, facilitation, and collaborating with colleagues with similar leadership interests.
  • Building Capacity Building Bridges, a   provincial   equity   conference, provided  leadership  training  for women   members   interested   in learning   how   to   become   local resource   people   and   promote social justice, antiracist/anti-oppression education in their schools and communities.  Forty-seven  members attended.
  • Workshop  leader  Dolana  Mogadime  spoke  with  participants  attend- ing the second Professional learnin Community for women Members. Through personal reflection, discussion of current research issues, and exploring the  stories of  immigrant educators, participants enhanced their understanding of  equity issues  and their skills in delivering an equity-based curriculum. Participants learned from each other by sharing  their own immigration experiences and their teaching practices in culturally diverse Ontario schools.