Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit (OTBU)

Secondary daily occasional and long term occasional teachers, please sign up for important news and communications from our bargaining unit.

September 2025 - Member Update

The new  daily occasional rate for the 2025-2026 school year is $286.28 per day. A copy of the Collective Agreement (the rules we agree to work by) should be available in your school's mailboxes - under OT mailbox. 

Contact Karen.Vandewint@d25.osstf.ca (President) or at 613 729 7211, for more information.

Most executive officers are volunteer positions that give members the opportunity to learn about Union work, collectively make decisions and support all OTBU colleagues in their school roles.

Who are the members of the Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit?

Occasional Teachers are a diverse group comprised of Daily and Long-Term Occasional Teachers. We include newly licenced grads, folks who have been doing occasional work for decades, part-time permanent teachers also doing OT work, and recent retirees.  For many Occasional teachers, this is a stage in their teaching careers, while for others, this is a way of life.  

Regardless of the demographic make-up, these OSSTF teacher members have issues and concerns that are unique to their precarious and always changing work. Locally, the roster averages approximately 900 Occasional Teachers.  Our 'full-time equivalency' is approximately 375 members.

Local services and representation for this group of OSSTF Occasional Teachers are provided by an elected Bargaining Unit executive of their peers. The areas of service include but are not limited to collective bargaining, contract maintenance, political action, and professional development.

Karen Vandewint, the Bargaining Unit President and Grievance Officer, can be contacted by telephone at 613-729-7211 ext. 209 or by e-mail: karen.vandewint@d25.osstf.ca

Health & Safety Documents
Occupational Health and Safety Concern Form, Employee Violent Incident Report (EVIR), and Safe Schools Incident Report (SSIR) are reported electronically in eBASE — click for INSTRUCTIONS.

Sick Leave Package, Accident Report Form, and WSIB Worker's Exposure Incident Form (asbestos) are available by clicking FORMS.

Health & Safety Reporting Guide

Scholarships and Bursaries

OSSTF/FEESO provides many opportunities for members to receive help paying for various PD as outlined under each opportunity in this PDF.

Professional Development Funds

The Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation Occasional Teachers’ Bargaining Unit District 25 (OSSTF/OTBU/D25) is pleased to offer members a one-time-per-year payment of up to $300 for eligible opportunities successfully completed in the current school year (July 1st- June 30th). The member must possess the required documentation prior to applying for a funding approval. The terms and conditions for this offer are:

1. Eligibility

   1. Professional development (PD) certificates

   2. Education conferences (e.g. OAME, STAO, ONABSE, Love of Reading, Literacy Learning Conference)

   3. Additional Qualification (AQ) courses

   4. Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQ) courses

   5. First Aid, mental health, equity, or coaching training

   6. Travel expenses (mileage, accommodation, air or train tickets)

   7. Other, special requests send to occasionald25@gmail.com

1. Not-Eligible

   1. Professional Development (PD) offered by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB)

   2. Principal Qualifications Program (PQP) courses

   3. Release time

   4. Payment in excess of funds from other sources exceeding the expense incurred

1. Documents for Application

   1. Current member of the D25 OTBU

   2. Confirmation of successful completion

   3. Receipt of payment from the institution

   4. Affirmation: The member has/will not receive funding exceeding expenses incurred

   5. Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF) Membership Number

   6. Personal non-board email, that can receive E-Transfers

Click HERE to apply!

Limits for the current school year: applied on or before June 30; for up to the first twenty-five (25) members. A waiting list will be kept in case all money applied for is not claimed.