PRESIDENT'S JOURNAL

Questions Persist
Bill 16 and the Public Service Restraint Act

CPCO members still have many questions regarding the Restraint Act and its implications for them next year. Bill 16, Creating the Foundation for Jobs and Growth Act, 2010 which includes the public restraint act on wage freezes recently passed 3rd reading without any amendments to the original bill.

The position of CPCO remains that school boards should be exempting principals/vice-principals from the wage freeze. This position is in part based on Section 10 of the Act and the existence of the Ministry's PPM 152 Terms and Conditions of Employment of Principals and Vice-principals which came into effect early this year and was outlined in a previous journal. Members are encouraged to speak to their local principal/vice-principal association leaders for information about their progress on discussions at the board level regarding this matter.

The Act contains an appeal process for members from local associations for boards that choose not to exempt principals/vice-principals.

An adjudicative tribunal, the Public Sector Compensation Re-straint Board, is established by section 18. Under section 14,employers, employees, office holders and the Minister may apply to the Board for an order declaring whether the Act applies to an employer, employee or office holder.

Local association leaders are encouraged to continue/begin discussions with their directors of education about the status of their members in this regard. CPCO remains committed to assisting any local associations who are told by their employers that principal/vice-principal salaries will be frozen in 2010-11.

Upcoming Events

June 7-8 - Meeting in Washington D.C. with presidents and executive directors from the:
i. National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
ii. National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
iii. National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

If you would like to comment or provide feedback on the President’s Journal, please contact Paul Lacalamita at president@cpco.on.ca.