OTBU

Chat n Snack Information Night

October 5, 2021, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Join us virtually or at our OSSTF District 13 Office, 601 Palace St., Whitby

😊Each year we hold an informal get together where you can meet and chat with your OTBU Executive.  Bring questions, suggestions, and your fellow OTs to an evening of socially distanced socializing and networking while enjoying music and individually packaged refreshments! 🍓🍪☕                    

👍We will provide all of the information that any OT should have or be aware of. As of today, the maximum number of people permitted in the District Office is 25 due to the pandemic protocols.

😷  Masks and sanitizer will be provided.      

🙋♀️Let us know if you'd like to attend virtually; the Zoom link will be sent on the day prior to the event to the personal (not Board) email address that you provide. 

👋Hope to see you there!

Classroom Management for Occasional Teachers

October 21, 2021, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. This workshop is available online only.

Effective classroom management skills are essential in providing a positive and secure learning environment where students can achieve their potential. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating a positive learning environment and will have opportunities to address some of the behaviours teachers face.

This workshop will address the unique challenges that Occasional Teachers face in dealing with classroom management on a day to day basis.

This is just one of the many excellent workshops offered by OSSTF's Educational Services Department. All of our workshops are led by knowledgeable OSSTF/FEESO members who are trained to present their particular topic.

To register please visit the following link: https://forms.gle/8ZyY7ArFmdJTdXPX8

Please let us know right away if you are no longer able to attend
- Send an email to avril.burns@d13.osstf.ca or
- Call the D13 office at 905-668-7100
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

👋We look forward to seeing you!

Join us for these upcoming events!
D13 District and OTBU Events 2021 – 2022*
DATE*	EVENT	*All dates subject to change – Dates will be confirmed and updated here. Members who subscribe to our Member Contact List will be notified by email. Most in-person events will be held at the District 13 office, 601 Palace St., Whitby Links for members who would prefer to attend virtually will be made available no later than the day before the event to those who register in advance. Parking is available behind the office or on the east (northbound) side of Palace St. Meetings will start at 5:30 pm, unless otherwise stated. For the foreseeable future, the number of people who can attend in person will be limited to 25. Receive the latest information by subscribing to our Member Contact List. Send an email from your personal (not Board) email account to avril.burns@d13.osstf.ca.
Tuesday, 5 Oct 2021	Chat ‘n’ Snack Information Night
Thursday, 21 October 2021	PD Workshop – Classroom Management for OTs
November 2021	Bowling Night
Tuesday, 2 November 2021	General Meeting
Friday, 12 November 2021	Joint OSSTF/DDSB PD Day
Thursday, 9 December 2021	Holiday Extravaganza
January 2022	PD Workshop – Move On
February 2022	D13 Family Day Free Skate
February 2022	Mini-Putt – Glow in the Dark
Tuesday, 1 March 2022	General Meeting
April 2022	PD Workshop – Equity in Practice
Thursday, 21 April 2022	Paternal Leave Workshop
Sunday, 1 May 2022	Steps for Life 5km Walk
Thursday, 12 May 2022	D13 District Annual Meeting and Dinner
Thursday, 26 May 2022	2022 OTBU Annual Meeting and Dinner
Tuesday, 7 June 2022	PD Workshop – Resumes and Interviews
Friday, 10 June 2022	D13 Annual Golf Fundraiser
Sunday, 26 June 2022	Walk with D13 in the Toronto Pride Parade

Frequently Asked Questions

• $233.26: This year’s total daily rate – that’s $222.07 + 4% vacation pay.

• 5 full days: Teachers who wish to remain on the Secondary Occasional Teachers List are now required to work a minimum of five days in the secondary panel in addition to maintaining their OCT membership and completing the annual Supply Renewal and Offence Declaration forms each June.

• 30 days: The minimum length of an LTO. Board is now required to post and interview for positions where it is known that the absent teacher will be away for 30 days or more.

• Day 10: Teachers on extended daily assignments will now be put on the grid on the 10th day of an assignment.

• Simplication: All hiring is being done through ApplytoEducation’s new Simplication website. Please see your Board email for a message from Recruiting on April 23, 2021 which contains instructions and the link. Your username and password will remain the same and all of your information will still be there.

• DDSB Hiring Guidelines: Since the provincial government repealed Regulation 274, each Board has had to create their own hiring policies, in keeping with Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 165, available at www.ontario.ca. The DDSB Hiring Guidelines can be found in Spark, at spark.ddsb.ca, or on the OTBU FAQ page at www.d13.osstf.ca.

• Related Trade Experience: As of February 23, 2021, Tech teachers are now able to request recognition of any related trade experience above what they had used to apply to their Faculty of Education. Contact the District 13 office or hr.services@ddsb.ca for more information about applications and deadlines.

Member Contact List

Receive up to the minute information by adding your name to our Member Contact List.

Send a message from your personal email to avril.burns@d13.osstf.ca, and put "Subscribe" in the subject line.

Benefits Plan Options

OTBU Members within an LTO or Extended Occasional assignment of 90 calendar days or more:

The recent Central agreement added a provision allowing OTBU members within an Extended or Long Term assignment of 90 calendar days to join the OSSTF benefits plan.  

Daily OTs:

If you do not qualify under the conditions above, Occasional Teachers who have worked at least 90 days in the secondary panel in the prior school year will be given the opportunity to participate in the Benefits for Daily Occasional Teachers reimbursement plan for the subsequent year.  

For information on both of these options, click here.

Benefits questions can be directed to District 13 Benefits Officer, Nicole Bléau at nicole.bleau@d13.osstf.ca.

2021 District Annual Meeting

The District Annual Meeting took place on May 6, 2021. Information about this years' District Annual Meeting can be found on the home page.

Benevolent Council

Benevolent Council exists for the purpose of providing assistance to active members who find themselves in extreme financial need due to: (a) prolonged illness; (b) accident; or (c) extreme emergency.

More details can be found on the Benevolent Council page under the useful information menu on the District 13 OSSTF website. 

Pay Schedule

The Pay Schedule for Secondary Occasional Teachers can be found at this link.

Contact Us

Email: avril.burns@d13.osstf.ca
Phone: 905-668-7100
Board Courier: D13 OTBU, 601 Palace St., Whitby, ON

Employment Insurance for Occasional Teachers 

The number of hours required to qualify for employment insurance varies according to the unemployment rate in a region. Similarly, the number of hours accumulated determines the eligible number of weeks of EI Benefits.  We reached an agreement with the Board during the last round of bargaining that the Board will continue to report each teaching day as 8 hours, whether day to day, extended, or LTO.  Click here to use the EI postal code search tool to confirm the number of hours required in each area.

Reference codes are not being issued this year. Please complete your application without using a reference code. More information can be found by clicking here.

School Boards send ROEs (Record of Employment) directly to EI for all teachers. Teachers can see them by logging onto their Service Canada account. They will be transferred after the last OT pay of the year, the third week in July.  They are all transferred at the same time regardless of when your last day worked was.

Click here to review the information on Service Canada's EI main page before beginning an EI application.  For help and information, visit your local Service Canada office, or contact them at 1-800-206-7218.

Click here to go to the online EI Application site.

How to maintain your position on the Secondary Occasional Teacher Roster

Towards the end of each school year, the Board reviews the Roster to ensure that teachers are eligible to remain in the coming year. In addition to remaining a member in good standing of the OCT, there are three conditions that each teacher must meet in order to maintain their position on the DDSB Secondary Occasional Teacher Roster.

Minimum Number of Days Worked

The minimum number of days worked in a secondary school is five days per year. The names of all teachers who fail to meet the minimum required number of days will be removed from the Roster in July. 

     Supply Renewal Forms

The Supply Status form can be found on the DDSB Employee Self Serve Portal and is usually active as of May 30th.  Failure to return the form by the June 30th deadline will result in removal from the Roster.

     Offence Declaration

The Offence Declaration will also be available on the Employee Self Serve Portal, usually by May 30th. Failure to complete the declaration by the September 15th deadline will result in removal from the Roster.

 

NTIP

Occasional teachers working their first two LTO contracts of 97 consecutive days are eligible to participate in the New Teacher Induction Program.  This program offers access to professional development opportunities as well as a mentor. Information on the NTIP program can be found on DDSB Spark using the following pages:

• NTIP
• Getting on Board

In particular, look for the document titled NTIP Resource Handbook. Page 5 of this document includes a flowchart showing eligibility for NTIP. To access pages posted on the Portal you will need to login using your computer username and password.

Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit

The Occasional Teachers' Constitution can be found here.

The Occasional Teachers' Collective Agreement documents can be found here.