Labour ruling “good news,” says school board gŏđŏ editionap.ca
creasingly hostile pressure placed on el- ementary teachers by representatives of ETFO to continue to withdraw services and their participation in a number of activities,” filed a complaint with the labour board in January. “The application focused on how recent actions by ETFO interfered with the normal activities of a school board, its schools, and school programs,” reads a statement from the board. David Thomas, UCDSB director of edu- cation, said the ruling “brings clarity for
teachers and principals” that teachers are permitted to “freely choose” to participate in co-curricular or extracurricular activities. “This precedent-setting decision confirms that when a union is in an illegal strike posi- tion, counseling to boycott activities is not permissible.” Board Chair Greg Pietersma said the rul- ing is “good news” for the English public school board’s students. “It’s also a message to all of Ontario that we must conduct col- lective bargaining in a different way that truly recognizes were in the 21 st century.” trict on County Road 17. “The businesses up top are not hurting us,” he says. In fact, since it is attracting new consumers, the 17 strip could gen- erate dividends for downtown retailers. “New businesses there will draw more people to town and to the downtown,” says Bogue. “Things are very positive,” continues Bogue, who remains president following the BIA Commission’s annual meeting last week. “The situation is not as bad as it was in the 1990s. We are not worried about the empty spaces on Main Street. They will fill up,” he comments, noting that in the last few years, the downtown has at- tracted some new businesses that have relocated from Vankleek Hill. “Hawkesbury has a lot to offer and Hawkesbury has the consumers,” points out Bogue. “We have a beautiful street.” The organization has agreed to a three-party agreement that will see it share the cost of hiring an event manag- er. The town and Le Chenail cultural cen- tre are joining the BIA to hire a person who will work for Le Chenail and orga- nize activities at La Place des pionniers. Bogue is confident that the downtown park will continue to be a popular spot. “This is just the beginning,” he says. Activities such as the car show, the sidewalk sale and river festival will draw people downtown, Bogue observes. BIA members will be pleased to learn that they will be charged the same membership fees as they were in 2012. At the same time, the commission had paid off its debt to the municipality.
GREG KIELEC greg.kielec@eap.on.ca
The Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled that the withdrawal of extra-curricu- lar activities by English elementary school teachers upset with new provincial legisla- tion constituted an illegal strike. “The withdrawal in combination or in concert of participation in voluntary co-in- structional (or extracurricular) activities as listed in Appendix A and B in paragraph 27 of this decision constitutes a “strike” within the meaning of the Education Act ,” read the decision posted by the OLRB. The decision is the result of a complaint by the Upper Canada District School Board and the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. The boards argued the withdrawal of services by elementary teachers upset with the provincial government’s Bill 115 was il- legal. While the UCDSB highlighted the board’s ruling on that withdrawal of services by teachers constituted an illegal strike, mem- bers of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario including its president -- took to Twitter to trumpet a section of the ruling re- asserting that extra-curricular activities by teachers are in fact voluntary. “OLRB confirms what we have said from day one – individual ETFO members make their own decisions and have the right and freedom to do so,” wrote ETFO President
“Things are positive”
RICHARD MAHONEY RICHARD.MAHONEY@EAP.ON.CA
Greg Pietersma
HAWKESBURY| The downtown Hawkes- bury business core remains solid, despite the challenges faced by retailers every- where. That is the message from Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) Commis- sion president Larry Bogue, who believes Main Street merchants have nothing to fear from the burgeoning commercial dis-
Sam Hammond on Twitter shortly after the decision was released. One of a number of embittered teachers taking to social media to vent about the de- cision, wrote “the OLRB’s decision has made me seriously consider not participating in additional duties for the rest of my career.” The UCDSB lauded the decision which states “the voluntary withdrawal of vol- untary co-instructional or extracurricular activities constitutes a ‘strike’ within the meaning of the Education Act.” Both school boards “troubled by the in-
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