Minutes
Beautiful Plains Teachers’ Association
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Carberry, Manitoba
In attendance: Michelle McMillan (CC)
Loretta Keller (HMK)
Kerry Turner (NACI)
Trish James (JMYoung)
Heather Brister (Willerton School)
Dale Swanton (NACI)
Claudette Christison (NACI)
Robyn Forsman (Fairway Colony)
Valerie Parayeski (NACI)
Sheena Taylor (HMK)
Alicia Gawaziuk (CC)
1. Call to Order – 4:35 p.m.
2. Approval of Agenda
Motion: moved by Kerry Turner and seconded by Robyn Forsman that the agenda be
approved as amended.
Carried
3. Approval of Minutes from October 2, 2013.
Motion: moved by Claudette Christison and seconded by Alicia Gawaziuk that the
minutes be approved as circulated.
Carried
4. Business Arising from Minutes
a) Policy handbook – copies of the approved Policy Handbook will be distributed
to schools.
Motion: Moved by Claudette Christison and seconded by Sheena Taylor that we adopt the
Beautiful Plains Teachers’ Association Policy Handbook as written.
carried
b) Board-BPTA supper
- February 4, 2014 is the proposed date of the supper from the
Superintendent. The association was in agreement that this date will be fine.
- Topics for the supper were discussed and tabled until the December
meeting.
5. Treasurer’s Report—Robyn Forsman
Motion: Moved by Robyn Forsman and seconded by Valerie Parayeski that the
Treasurer’s report for October be accepted as presented.
Carried
6. Correspondence circulated and included:
a) Provincial Executive meeting package – Oct.23-24 (MTS)
b) Sub Fees (MTS)
c) Bylaw Review document access (MTS)
d) Notes – Oct.23 7 24 Provincial Executive meeting (MTS)
e) Bylaw Review process (MTS)
f) Feedback on Bylaw Review Proposed Meeting Dates (MTS)
7. President’s Report— Michelle McMillan, CC
a) Michelle attended the Western Regional President’s Meeting in Brandon on
October 17th and President’s Council in Winnipeg on October 26th.
b) Michelle met with the new EAP counsellor Louise Lamont and visited a
number of the schools in our division on November 12th.
8. Vice-President’s Report—Claudette Christison, NACI
a) No report
9. Committee Reports:
a)
Public Relations — Claudette Christison, NACI
a) Claudette attended the Public Relations Seminar on November 2nd where she
received information on the Public Relations grant which has both internal and
external categories for those associations wishing to apply. Topics of
presentations at the seminars were Trap of Perfectionism and Responsibilities of
the Chair.
b) Various grant ideas were discussed.
b)
Professional Development — Val Parayeski and Trish James
a) The following divisional inservices have been planned.
-February 28, 2014 – BYTE, located at N.A.CI. -(open to other divisions)
-September 23, 2014 – Anthony Mohammad – “Building Community”
b) They attended the PD Fall Seminar in Winnipeg on November 1st and 2nd.
c) The PD Winter Workshop is on February 7th and 8th in Winnipeg.
c) Collective Bargaining — Heather Brister
a) Heather attended the Fall Bargaining Seminar where the chairs met with their
regions for discussions.
b) School reps for the Collective Bargaining Committee are in place.
c) Surveys will be created at the first meeting.
d) They will be opening bargaining in April.
d) Equity and Social Justice — Alicia Gawaziuk
a) The Fall Seminar is on November 22nd and 23rd and The Gifts of our Own
Conference is coming up. Alicia is unable to attend the events.
e) Liaison — Dale Swanton
a) There will be one BPTA/BPSD Liaison Meeting this year in February. A
request for topics will be going out to teachers after report card reporting is done.
f)
Workplace Health & Safety — Kerry Turner
a) Kerry attended the WHS Workshop in Brandon. The morning topic was led by
the Fire Commissioner who went over the safety issues to be aware of in
schools. The afternoon topic was on Policy Awareness and Incident Forms.
b) December 10th is the divisional meeting at the Division Office.
c) December 11th is the Regional Meeting in Brandon.
d) BPSD Freedom from Violence and Harassment policy and forms should be
posted in Staff room Bulletin boards, as well as WSH Bulletins.
g) Employee Benefits — Dale Swanton
Report Submitted by Dale –
Manitoba Public School Employees Dental and Extended Health Trust means a
pre-tax benefit of 40%. With that, it may be worthwhile to look at whether or not
we would like to add Dental to our benefits plan. There seems to be some talk
from MTS that Dental could be one plan provincially rather than each division
having a plan.
Last year and likely this year our premiums on extended health account will have
gone down due to many drug patents being able to go to generic and therefore
cheaper pharmaceutical drugs. That surplus last year has been added to increase
coverage on such things as massage therapy. This is fine but the change in drug
patents to generic by and large will stop in a year or two. As more people use the
increase amount in coverage where the surplus has been added, the end result will
mean an increase in our premiums. It is worth a discussion to look at if there is a
surplus this year, do we want that surplus to go to increase coverage or get that
surplus back.
BPTA will be meeting with Glen Anderson – MTS Employee Benefits to discuss
both dental and surplus at the March BPTA meeting.
Please send me an email dswanton@bpsd.mb.ca on your thoughts in regards to
the dental or surplus if you so wish.
h) Education Finance --- Bryce Koscielny (absent)
a) no report
10. New Business
a) Presentation from Norm re. anti-union agenda – the Association decided against a
presentation at this time, opting for Glen Anderson instead.
b) Glen Anderson will be invited to speak to BPTA about Employee Benefits/Surplus/Dental
c) CTF - AGM volunteers – The Canadian Teachers’ Federation will be hosted by the
Manitoba Teachers’s Society this year. It is held on July 10th – 12th. MTS is looking for
volunteers to help put on the event.
11. Board Meeting Coverage
Nov.19 Kerry Turner
Dec.3 Dale Swanton
Dec.17 Alicia Gawaziuk
12. Next Meeting date and location: Wednesday, December 4th, 2013 – Neepawa - NACI
13. Adjournment – 6:15 – Dale