I am pleased to announce that a new collective agreement for the term September 1 2009 to August 31st 2012 was signed Friday March 30th. A number of items are now in effect. The new agreement will be posted to both the Prairie South and the CUPE websites. Here are some of the highlights:

* Return of Service (ROS) – is effective September 1 2011. The ability to earn up to 4 paid days in recognition of service outside of employees' regular working hours directly involving students (e.g. sports, drama, choir, yearbook). Previous maximum was 3 paid days after 180 hours of service. Employees can now access 3 paid days after 150 hours of service.

* Seniority – The accumulation, maintenance and loss are now all in one place in the agreement.

* Layoff process was made simpler and easier to administer

* Posting - the employer can use previous applicants to competitions rather than having to repost

* Project work – we now can participate in government programs.

* Discipline – new language on progressive discipline was agreed to.

* Workplace flexibility (e.g. job sharing, administrative assistant flex time)

* Boiler checks – we eliminated the need for boiler checks except those required by legislation.

* Overpayments – underpayments – language and time limits now in the agreement.

* Immediate Family definition – made crystal clear.

* Employees required to use their personal phone or cell phone for employer business will be reimbursed for long-distance charges (as is the current practice).

* Administrative Assistants in rural areas provided an additional $400 per year (up from $200) if required to travel using their own vehicle effective September 1st - 2011

* New provision providing a top-up for employees on maternity leave up to 95% of normal weekly earnings for a period of 12 weeks commencing the date of delivery.

* 10-month Administrative Assistants can earn up to three days off for voluntary administrative time worked outside of their assigned days in a school year. Days off can be taken in full or half days and a substitute employee provided, if required.

* New language allowing for job sharing of permanent positions.

* Flex-time can accumulate up to one full day at a time, an increase from one-half day and, in exceptional circumstances, a substitute may be provided for a minimum of one-half day.

* New provision allowing the employee to bump into another position within their classification with a similar work schedule when the employer proposes a significant change (more than two hours) in a shift of an employee's work schedule.

* New language allowing employees to retain union status for up to a 90-day trial period in an out-of-scope position provided they pay union dues.

If anyone has any questions please contact myself or the other bargaining committee members Ryan Boughen or Aline Kirk.

Rory Griffith, MHRM

Manager of Human Resources

Prairie South School Division

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Download the full agreement here: CUPE Agreement

In response to some requests, the Learning Department will facilitate a series of lunch hour webinars for teachers.  There are 100 spaces open for each session, which we expect will be plenty, and these are available to anyone who wishes to take part.  Each session is 30 minutes or less and may involve some time for questions.  If you wish to request a new topic, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

For each session, please log on a few minutes ahead of time and set up your audio (Tools--> Audio--> Audio Set Up Wizard) and make sure that your computer has loaded all the files needed for your participation.  There might be some technical glitches for the first two tries, but we'll get past them.  The following plans have been made so far...please click on the links to join each session

Here are the easy steps on How to Join a Webinar.

If you have trouble viewing an archived webinar, follow these steps:

• Verify these settings... before opening your browser. 
• Open your Control Panel
• Open the "Java" ("Java 32-bit") - May have to switch to View-> Small Icons (Top Right)
• Click "Advanced" tab
• Click + beside "JNLP File/MIME Association"
• Select "Always Allow"
• Sometimes the site will not load, so use Ctrl + F5 to force a reload

Educational Research is a company that contracts current  experts in a wide variety of topics.  Some of these include RTI, instructional coaching and strategies to improve Math, Reading and Writing.  Each webinar costs about $200.00 and can be viewed either live or after the fact through the CD that is provided.  For more information, please click this link.

Blind Spot: What Happened to Canada's Aboriginal Fathers? is a CBC documentary which airs on Saturday, January 14th during the 9:00 pm and midnight CBC news broadcasts.  There is a potential to use this video for a variety of lesson topics.  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.  View the trailer here.

Moose Jaw is hosting the National Early Years Conference May 9-11, 2012. You can check out the amazing line-up of Keynote Speakers at the following links:

Nobel Prize Recipient, Professor James J. Heckman:
Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago
Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, expert in the economics of human development

Dr. Clyde Hertzman:
Professor, School of Population and Public Health, UBC
Director, Human Early Learning Partnership, British Columbia

Dr. Stuart Shanker:
York University Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Philosophy
Member of the York Graduate Program

Mr. Jim Grieve, ADM Ontario Early Learning Division

Dr. Jean Clinton, McMaster University

For more information contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Registration opens January 10, 2012 at www.imagineourfuture.ca

Once again the McDowell Foundation is inviting teachers, administrators, and others involved in public education to apply for funding for teacher-led research projects that enhance publicly funded PreK-12 schools. You'll find more information at the McDowell website.