Letter to Staff from our Board

Letter to staff from our board. For your review.

An Open Letter to All Dufferin-Peel Staff
On the Passage of Bill 115
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board 1
September 11, 2012
Dear Dufferin‐Peel Staff Member:
Let me begin by thanking all staff for a successful opening week to the 2012‐13 school year. This is
often a challenging time, as we all adjust to getting back to business after the summer break. Schools
are open, children are learning, and we are all doing our best to make the Dufferin‐Peel educational
experience a great one for our students and families.
Today, the Ontario legislature approved the passage of Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act. We
remain extremely disappointed and concerned with both the process through which this law was
created and the negative impact it will have on this Board in the future. The Board’s Contract
Negotiations Committee has approved a motion that the Board withdraw from the conciliation
process, effective immediately, and move to local bargaining on the remaining issues that were not
legislated, in accordance with the new law.
On September 7, the Board submitted a written brief to the Standing Committee on Social Policy at
Queen’s Park, registering its grave concerns with the manner in which the provincial Government
disregarded local school board governance in an effort to make political gains. Our concerns, in this
regard, are well documented and have been communicated to staff previously.
We recognize the economic realities in which we all must operate, but we are also gravely
disappointed in the government’s approach to collective bargaining, where it choose to circumvent
traditional collective bargaining processes and rights that had worked well in the past. At the very
least, it remains highly irregular that the province negotiated directly with the representatives of
employees; employees who are employed by school boards, not the province. We do not believe
that economic issues should be used as an excuse to trample on human rights, the long‐held rights
of workers to bargain and our Church’s social justice teachings on the dignity of labour. Other union
groups and associations have already indicated that they will launch a court challenge related to
charter rights on these points in the very near future.
An Open Letter to all staff on the Passage of Bill 115
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board 2
As trustees, we took an oath to defend Catholic education and to provide a strong, vibrant
educational system to our community. As a Board, we have always taken a principled stand on issues
we believe to be worth standing up for. We are proud of our record, in this regard. We remain
opposed to the legislation, which effectively puts Catholic boards and public boards on inequitable
footings and weakens the collective bargaining process for all employees.
Nevertheless, we will abide by the law and move forward, seeking to bargain on the remaining local
issues with our employee groups, as identified in the new legislation.
Sincerely,
Mario Pascucci
Chair of the Board
Copies:
Anna da Silva, Trustee ‐ Brampton Wards 1,3 & 4
Linda Zanella (Vice Chair), Trustee ‐ Brampton Wards 2, 5 & 6
Scott McLauchlan, Trustee ‐ Brampton Wards 7‐10
Frank Di Cosola, Trustee ‐ Caledon/Dufferin
Mario Pascucci (Chair), Trustee ‐ Mississauga Wards 1 & 3
Sharon Hobin, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Wards 2 & 8
Anna Abbruscato, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Ward 4
Thomas Thomas, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Ward 5
Peter Ferreira, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Wards 6 & 11
Bruno Iannicca, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Ward 7
Esther O'Toole, Trustee ‐ Mississauga Wards 9 & 10
John B. Kostoff, Director of Education
Ralph Borrelli, Associate Director‐Instructional Services
John Hrajnik, Associate Director‐Financial Services and Chief Financial Officer