Our History...
This Association was founded December 15, 1986 at a Constitutional inaugural meeting. At that time there were 100 members and 68 of those members voted for Unionization.
The Association was certified as the Dufferin Peel Teacher Assistants Association with the Labour Board on January 9, 1987.
Our first President was Teri Dallimore who served from 1986 to 2005. Celia Webster was elected President at the May 25th, 2005 Annual General Meeting and at the May 24, 2006 AGMM Sharron Sulston was elected President. In May 2008, Diane Kossel was elected to the position and will remain as President until the next round of elections in 2011.
In the beginning, T.A.'s were assigned to kindergarten to assist with large classes and others were assigned to work with children with special needs. In June of 1993 kindergarten T.A.’s were eliminated and all members were assigned to work with children with special needs in the Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board's elementary and secondary schools.
In the early years, Association documents were housed in the home of one of the Executive members, but as the membership grew it became apparent that we would be requiring larger premises. A shared premise was rented with two CUPE locals on Meyerside Drive in Mississauga. The President and Secretary were seconded to the office ½ days. In December of 1995, we moved to our present larger location on Whittle Road in Mississauga. The building complex went condominium and a vote was held at the May 2006 AGMM in favour of purchasing the unit, on our own, as sole occupants. The purchase was finalized on December 1, 2006. The Association became incorporated on December 18, 2007.
At our Annual General Membership Meeting in June of 2001, it was agreed to increase the release time for the President and Secretary to full time. In February of 2004, due to the increased workload and the amount of Health and Safety issues that the Secretary was handling it was decided that the Vice President should also be seconded to the office in order to adequately meet the needs of the 550 members. At present the same three positions are full-time secondments and the Treasurer, for a single day, on a bi-weekly basis.
The Association Executive is elected at our Annual General Membership Meeting that is held in the spring. At the May 2009 AGMM a motion was passed to change the term of office from a period of one year to two years. The Executive runs the day to day business of the Association, negotiates collective agreements, working conditions and sits on numerous committees, acting as the liaison between the members and the School Board. The Executive also has regular communication with the Ministry of Education and has representation on the Support Worker Advisory Group.
The goals of the Executive of the DPERWA are to continue to:
- Negotiate the members' Collective Agreement with the School Board and the Minisry of Education.
- Dialogue with the Board about the needs of our membership.
- Represent our membership on Board level committees.
- Advise and represent our members in Grievance issues, Coaching and Counselling and Health & Wellness concerns.
- Educate the Board, the public and our membership on our roles.
- Meet with other Educational Assistants and Teaching Assistants in the Province to lobby for improved recognition within the Ministry of Education, including working conditions and awareness of the Health and Safety issues facing our members.
In 1990, a contest was held to design a logo and in 1991 the ‘umbrella’, designed by member, Kathleen Nash, was adopted. In September of 1993 the logo was amended to reflect the name change to the Dufferin Peel Educational Resource Workers’ Association. The name was changed to better reflect our positions. We were no longer ‘assisting teachers', we were resources to the children with special needs in our care. The name change was officially recognized by the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board in 1999.
Our members are professionals with certificates or degrees from recognized Colleges or Universities. Most are continuing to further their training by attending Professional Development opportunities. This Association encourages its members to upgrade their expertise by use of a Conference Fund that members can access to help defray the costs of Workshops.
In 2005, the Association established our own website, www.dperwa.com. In 2009, the website was revamped and expanded to accomodate the growning needs of the Association.We also have a well equipped library that is facilitated by our Librarian. Members may request a book or article from the Library, using the website, by e-mail or phone and it is couriered to them at their workplace.
We are proud of the fabulous work done by our members both in and out of the classroom. ERWs are a vital part of the school community. They coach sports teams, organize clubs, sing in choirs and raise money for charities among other activities. All this is accomplished while remaining focused on their primary role, advocating for the children with special needs of Dufferin Peel and encouraging them on their journey to become all that they can be!
On July 2, 2009, the Association received Certification from the Ontario Labour Board, recognizing the DPERWA as the official bargaining agent for all Supply ERWs employed with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. Today, the current combined membership stands at close to 700 members.
Diane Kossel
President
DPERWA
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