Minutes of the VCSTA Representative Meeting
November 15, 2010 at St. Jude's Elementary
Executive in Attendance: Robert Kirkham (president) (OLPH), Peggy Ament (vice-president) (Holy Cross Regional), Teresa Sorace (treasurer) (Holy Cross Elementary), Tanya Ripoli (secretary) (SFX), Lorelei Lortie (rep to board) (Corpus Cristi)
Schools in Attendance: Maureen Sutherland (OLA), Mary Ellen Hanlon (SFX), Michelle Chapman (St. Helen's), Teresa Sullivan (OLS), Geraldine Olaybal (Cloverdale Catholic), Marta Furness (St. Joseph's Vancouver), Steve Knight (St. Anthony WV), Linda Knappett (SFA), Peter Horner (Holy Trinity Elementary), Josie Spagnuolo (OLGC), Teresa Ribeiro (OLF), Carol Bradshaw (St. Michael's), Peter Nation (STA), Margaret Goyarzu (SFdS), Monica Low (St. Andrew's), Corrina Ialungo (St. Patrick's Maple Ridge), Nancy Ebert (St. Joseph's the Worker), Maria Stokovac (St. Mary's Vancouver), Zoli Szlivka (ABC Regional), Doug Gial (QAS), Danielle Kozak (St. Augustine's), Liz Neville (St. Jude's), Tina Tinaburri (St. Patrick's Regional)
Meeting called to order at 4:10 p.m.
1.1 Prayer ~ led by Peggy
1.2 VCSTA Thank You to Danielle Kozak
• Thank you for your years of dedication
• Danielle was a caring and passionate member of the VCSTA
• She was presented with a card and gift by the executive
1.3 Reports
• President
• Zoli Szlivka from ABC Regional (3rd teacher rep to forum) is present with us today. Welcome.
• Townhall meetings were a disappointing turn out (28 people total at Holy Cross Regional in Surrey meeting, with 12 of these being teachers; and 52 people total at St. Helen’s in Burnaby meeting, with 40 of these being teachers)
• Old vcsta.com website is no longer because we could not get it redirected, therefore vcsta.org is only current website
• Thank you to Peggy Ament for her work getting this new website up and running in a cost effective way
• If you have time (and are technologically savvy) maybe do a PowerPoint presentation to show features of the new website to your staff
• A reminder to all reps to keep names out of your notes. People should be able to speak freely at our rep meetings, without having concerns about their comments being brought up to the 'powers that be' and dealing with the repercussions of this. Thank you for your diligent note taking and reporting to your staff.
• Vice-President
• Nothing new to report at this time
• Interested to hear response to compensation package today
• Representative to Board
• Nothing major to report because short meeting
• Highschool religion curriculum being looked at
• Lay-off procedures discussed
• George Abbot new director of FISA
• Next meeting in December
• Representative to the Forum
• We heard that teachers are not happy with term and percentage increase in salary in the proposed compensation package
• We fought hard to keep discussions going; we got 1% in final (3rd year) up from 0.5%
• Treasurer
• 215 cheques deposited recently, which brings our revenue (membership fees) total to date to approximately $11,000
• Approved budget was handed out to reps
• Treasurer's report handed out to reps in paper copy
• Memberships are double this year from last year at this time
• Still can hand in more memberships, so continue to encourage your staff to join
• Thank you for your work collecting memberships this year
1.4 Discussion of Forum changes to Compensation Package
• Question from floor: do other members of the forum only think with their own stakeholders in mind, or do other stakeholders look at each other's perspectives as well?
• It seems most stakeholder groups represent their own group; then it was suggested from the floor that this might have been different in years past
• It depends on which side of the budget you are on (people who pay/create budget or if you are an expense), it is really hard to jump out of these roles
• Socially we are like the PEC parents (we are parents too), professionally we are like the principals because we want more money for school programs etc.; therefore, we can share perspectives
• Sustainability of our schools in the future is a problem --> we need to have a feeling of the long term view of our system from downtown
• Question from floor: is wellness program well accepted?
• Some staffs think it is not useful or it is like dangling a carrot to sweeten the deal (maybe to sweeten the deal they should offer something like banking sick days, like it was mentioned at the Burnaby townhall meeting)
• Wellness program not well received at all; sick days is a better incentive.
• Wellness program will not be used so money wasted (we’re all in, $2.80 employer pay and employee pay).
• Drug card is good because people will use it and get money back; premiums will not go up right now because money is being saved on paperwork, but in future premiums might go up because more people will be getting their money back
• Wellness program a tool for principals to assist their staff
• We do not have a choice if wellness program is added it seems, they did not provide information before townhall meeting
• Some schools have not seen the original compensation package draft (principals should have put it in your box)
• New memo out today (principal should put in your box)
• Why was archbishop not at townhall meetings (he’s the chief officer, so he should not have to be invited) --> he has a vision to put a school for every parish
• It was reported that the cost of living for 2009-2010 was 1.9% in Canada and in BC 1.6% (according to Stats Canada)
• 4.5% salary increase in 11 year pay scale --> so for younger teachers this covers cost of living, but experienced teachers do not get this.
• One year or two year term brought up --> forum shot down this idea. Public schools might get 0, then we would be up on them; therefore, locking in with a three year term might be the best for teachers right now because we do not know what is going to happen with the public schools.
• Public school salary grid is harmonized now
• We are within 95.7% of public school salary
• $1500 for public school union dues, so with this factored in, there is a $1200 difference in our pay from public schools gross per year
• Forum teacher reps held up wording of final proposed package because they wanted to discuss with VCSTA reps, because we get an attendance of about 30 each meeting (27 reps present at meeting)
• We can see some wording of the proposed package by November 30
• A word of caution was brought up because last time the letter sent out by the VCSTA executive was inappropriate because it said controversial things and came right in the middle of the voting
• Working conditions are not covered in this contract (even though it might be something that would sweeten the deal, it is not covered in this package)
• Discussions on the forum about working conditions (class composition and size, etc.) will resume after the compensation package is completed.
1.5 Development of VCSTA Response to Latest Package Proposal
• Some suggestions were put forth:
• 1.6% salary increase based on cost of living in BC last year
• Removal of wellness program (or if principals like it, then schools should pay full portion)
• It was proposed to go with what the forum is proposing (0.5% for first 2 years and 1% for 3rd year)
• 0.5% in first year, 1% in second year, 1.5% in third year (discussion followed about it being a good idea to have 1.5% in third year because, if we have only a two year term, then in the third year we’ll start over again with new contract proposal that might start at 0.5%)
• 1.6% in first year, 1.6% in second year, and 1.6% in third year (discussion followed about this being a good idea because it shows we are being realistic and asking for nothing more than the cost of living)
• Pension could be much better. Discussion followed about having some expert give advice to staff members about their investments.
• Pension to go to 7.5% after the 11 year scale ends (so in your 12th year you would get 7.5%) (but if it is this or salary increase, then get the salary increase)
• Summary of vote: 1.6% for as many terms as they’ll give, take out wellness program, drug card is good, and pension to 7.5% after the 11 year scale ends (out of 27 teacher reps present, 26 in favour, one abstained)
1.6 A.O.B.
• Try to find out how many people on your staff are retiring this year, so we can invite the archbishop to the retirement dinner.
• Starbucks gift card give-a-way awarded to Marta Furness (St. Joseph Vancouver), MaryEllen Hanlon (SFX), Maria Stokovac (St. Mary’s Vancouver), and Lorelei Lortie (Corpus Cristi)
Meeting Adjourned at 5:50pm