OSSTF has launched an online registration system so that you can receive OSSTF publications through your email rather than in print form.  This is a green initiative from the Federation to help reduce paper usage, reduce costs, improve the speed of communication, and help the environment all at the same time.

Members and non-members can go to the provincial website at www.osstf.on.ca to register to have OSSTF publications sent to your email.  Publications will include "Update", "Forum" and "Staff Room Rap".  

By registering for this service, you will be entered into a draw to win a MacBook Pro (the greenest MacBook ever produced), or one of thirty-six iPod Nanos.  The contest portion closes on September 30, 2009.  Rules and details are available on the provincial website.  Members may still register for this service after the contest deadline, but will not be eligible for contest prizes.

The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario will be holding their Leadership Convention on Friday June 26th and Saturday, June 27th, 2009. This event will take place at the Hilton Suites, Markham Conference Centre, 8500 Warden Avenue, Markham.

On Friday, June 26th from 7 to 9 p.m., Party President, Ken Zeise will host a reception for party members to celebrate the leadership race. Starting at 10 a.m. on June 27th, the convention will officially commence with entertainment, live riding-by-riding ballot results, a tribute to John Tory, and guest speaker, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, and MP for Central Nova.

Funding up to $500 (with appropriate receipts) for delegates to this convention is available from provincial office.  A form must be filled out with your request for funding and it is available through the District Office.  This form must include an approval through a district motion along with the signature of the appropriate district authorization and the signature of Craig Brockwell, the Executive Assistant in attendance at the conference. A copy of your registration is required as well.

Any questions regarding this funding can be addressed by calling the provincial office 1-800-267-7867 (toll free) or 416-751-8300 and asking for Craig Brockwell.

To support the initiative of Differentiated Instruction from Grades 7 through 10, the Ministry of Education is planning to develop examples of Differentiated Instruction in a variety of subject areas in the summer of 2009.  The Provincial Office received a request from the Ministry of Education’s Student Success/Learning to 18 - Implementation, Training, and Evaluation Branch on May 12, 2009, to identify up to two educators (classroom teachers and coordinators/consultants/instructional leaders) with the relevant experience and expertise to participate in the Differentiated Instruction writing project. The deadline from the Ministry for the Federation’s response is June 1, 2009.

The development and writing of the Differentiated Instruction resources are scheduled for July 13 to July 24, 2009, with teams working Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each week. Individuals selected as Lead Writers will be responsible for coordinating a team within a specific subject area and may be required to work additional days within the week of July 27 - 31, 2009. All writing will be done at 900 Bay Street in Toronto. Writing team participants will receive a per diem rate of $300.00 plus expenses for meals, accommodations, and transportation. Lead Writers will receive a per diem rate of $350.00.

OSSTF has released a document called Credit Integrity:  An OSSTF/FEESO Perspective, which is a summary of how the Federation began its work on Credit Integrity issues and what the Federation has done and will continue doing in order to deal with ongoing and emerging issues related to Credit Integrity.

The lobbying conducted by OSSTF/FESSO has been very influential in ensuring that the position of OSSTF/FEESO has been heard and incorporated into the Ministry's Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting (AE&R) policy consultations.  Lobbying efforts will continue as the final Ministry AE&R Policies are released in Fall 2009 with a slated implementation date of September 2010.

To view a copy of the Credit Integrity:  An OSSTF/FEESO Perspective document, go to the DOCUMENTS tab, and then to the UPDATE / OTHER DOCUMENTS section.  

OSSTF has been advised by Canadian Labour Congress President, Ken Georgetti, that the CLC has endorsed a National Consumer Boycott (excluding the province of Quebec) against Old Dutch Snack Foods Ltd. The boycott is at the request of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and is in support of 170 locked out members of UFCW Canada, Local 401 waiting for Old Dutch Snack Foods Ltd. to negotiate a fair and equitable collective agreement.

The products that are under the boycott are all "Old Dutch Products" and the following labels:

Presidents Choice - Western Grocers
No Name - Western Grocers
Great Value - Wal-Mart
Compliments Value - Sobeys
Safeway Blue Bags - Safeway
Co-op Krunchie - Co-op
Cyclone - Overwaite

The Green Party of Ontario will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th, 2009. This meeting will be held in Toronto at Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Toronto.  Registration opens at 8:00 am on the Saturday. The meeting starts at 10:00 am.

As with every major provincial party in Ontario, OSSTF/FEESO provides a subsidy, for attending delegates, through account #4140. This subsidy is in the amount up to $500 in accrued costs. The acceptable submissions for the subsidy include: accommodations, travel expenses and meals.

Those members who are delegates must have the approval of their district. The form required for this approval (which includes a motion and signature) is available at District 14 Office.

There is a requirement that the form also be signed by a designated OSSTF/FEESO representative in attendance. Glen Hodgson has been assigned this task. A copy of your registration is required as well.  Any questions regarding this subsidy can be addressed by calling the provincial office at 1-800-267-7867 or 416-751-8300 and asking for Craig Brockwell.

The Provincial Executive of OSSTF is seeking the services of an individual to serve as a Bilingual Executive Assistant. This advertised vacancy is to fill the position of a member on an approved leave of absence under Article 9.04 of the Staff Association Collective Agreement which reads: “When a member’s absence, creates a vacant position [eg. death, retirement, termination of employment or leave for ten months or more], the Provincial Executive shall consider hiring a probationary Staff Association member to fill the position.”

In this situation, members applying for this position should know that since the budget approved at AMPA 2009 did not include an increase in Executive Assistant positions [as required under Bylaw 21.1.1] the successful candidate may find him/herself in a redundancy situation under the Collective Agreement if and when the incumbent returns.  Duties will commence on September 1, 2009.

The OFL is calling for applications for its annual Labour Honour Roll Scholarship. The OFL will award two scholarships worth $2,000 each to the selected member or the selected child of a member of a local union affiliated with the OFL. The scholarships are awarded in honour of distinguished trade union activists selected by representatives of the OFL Executive Board.

The scholarship recipients must be entering, in September 2009, the first year of a full-time course of study leading to a diploma, certificate or degree from any public Ontario college or university.

The deadline for receipt of applications is June 30, 2009.  The winners will be announced by August 31, 2009.

A copy of the Application Form is available from District 14 Office - email Marc Silnicki at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .