Article By: Bill Doucet The Waterloo County sports season is scheduled to get back underway next week, but don’t expect too many Cambridge public secondary schools to be returning.
According to the athletic directors at Glenview Park, Southwood and Jacob Hespeler, teachers will not be returning to coach next week. Preston High School coaches and volunteer staff were going to meet for a second time Wednesday to decide which direction to go – though none of their teams are practicing – and a message for Galt Collegiate principal Jane Currie wasn’t returned.
“We don’t want to end it, but right now we’re in a holding pattern until Feb. 1,” said Jacob Hespeler athletic director Greg White, who said winter teams at the school didn’t start practicing, despite a Jan. 14 start up date set by WCSSAA.
Feb. 1 comes into play as the provincial Liberal leadership convention runs at the end of this month. A new Liberal Party leader will take over for Premier Dalton McGuinty, who stepped down in mid-October and prorogued parliament.
Public elementary and secondary school teachers had been asked by their unions to stop participating in extra-curricular activities to oppose the Putting Students First Act (Bill 115), imposed by the Liberal government to cut spending and prevent strike action by teachers.
Bill 115 came into effect Jan. 2 and though the unions aren’t legally able to tell teachers what to do – saying the choice is theirs – a “directive” was sent to the teachers in two e-mails reminding them about what they agreed to do prior to Bill 115 becoming a law.
The first e-mail, obtained by the Times, was sent by Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) local president Rob Gascho on Jan. 7, and stated that “returning to extra-curricular activities at this time would be telling the government that we accept imposed conditions, and would undermine our bargaining position”.
The e-mail also said that teachers must show solidarity to show the government that “over-riding democratic collective bargaining rights is not acceptable” and that “we will NOT return to 'business as usual' until they have been restored”.
The other e-mail, sent to teachers by OSSTF president Ken Coran, had excerpts taken from Bargaining Bulletin 23, and stated, “while we are resuming our imposed contractual obligations, and all of our duties in accordance with the Education Act, it has always been the position of OSSTF that the performance of extra-curricular activities is voluntary. However, phase two of OSSTF’s Strategic Action Plan shared with members on Dec. 3, made it clear that if the Minister through Bill 115 orders that the contractual or Education Act requirements be fulfilled (i.e. legal strike is ended), voluntary or extracurricular activities WILL NOT resume”.
The e-mail also stated that the local bargaining union presidents would meet Wednesday to discuss “recent developments and future actions”.
WCSSAA president Darcy Mintz said he is waiting to hear from all Waterloo County schools before new schedules can be drawn up for Monday’s start date. School principals were in charge of gauging what their winter coaches were going to do and report back to WCSSAA later this week.
Mintz said until the 16 schools got back to him, there was little he could do. A minimum number of teams for a sport to run wasn’t set either.
“We haven’t had that discussion at this point,” Mintz said.
“We’re being respectful, as coaches are making decisions and gathering information, so that’s where we’re sitting right now.”
While Mintz was hopeful, White, when asked about the e-mails, said the decision not to start Jacob’s teams up again wasn’t easy.
“I know that every coach wants to coach, but I think they want to see what this new leadership brings and definitely a strong directive has been given by our union not to (participate in extra-curricular activities),” White said.
“I would hate to see us practice and say we’re going ahead and then decide again we’re not. The kids have been through enough already. It wasn’t a fun meeting.”
Laurie Baulcomb, athletic director at Preston, said their school teams also haven’t been practicing, but their extra-curricular volunteers met on Monday. She admitted they didn’t have all the information yet and will meet for a final time before deciding what to do.
“We’re going to be listening to what the union says and talking it out,” she said.
Paul Clemminson, athletic director at Glenview, was matter-of-fact about the school not having teams for the Jan. 14 start up date.
“No, not unless something changes,” he said.
“We will not be following that. Who knows, things could change, but we had a meeting (Monday) night after school and it was pretty unanimous.”
Southwood athletic director Scott Tupling also said the school will no longer have any teams in the WCSSAA winter season.
“I would say it’s probably a pretty definite no. We had a meeting and everyone said no then, but I don’t want to speak for someone who wanted to do it without saying anything, but it was a resounding no.”
Retrieved From: http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/sports/article/1563278--city-schools-bowing-out-of-wcssaa-season
