I was a member of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) for 33 years. Recent reports have revealed that the Ontario government has been reimbursing OSSTF for costs incurred during recent negotiating sessions: OSSTF received $1,000,000, French teachers garnered $500,000, and English Catholic Teachers scooped $1,000,000, according to The Globe and Mail. The government felt that the new procedure for contract negotiations lasted longer than anticipated, and, as a result, the unions should be compensated for their extra costs. The optics are terrible, as OSSTF actively supports the government during elections. A cynic might say that the expense reimbursements are a payback for the assistance given by OSSTF.
I find this embarrassing, and I would go so far as to suggest that the OSSTF say: ¨Thanks very much, but we have decided to return the expense money. Please spend the money on items that will benefit students.¨ Let´s put the kids first and put this bad practice out to pasture. ,
