May 22, 2025
Life Membership Award Recipient
Anne Lindsay, Thompson Teachers’ Association
1922 Award Recipient
John Bock, Interlake Teachers’ Association
Hon. Tracy Schmidt, Minister of Education and Early Childhood sent greetings from the Manitoba government and voiced her support for public education.
Other speakers included Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, Heidi Yetman, President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
May 23, 2025
It was resolved that the policy on the provision of legal services for members be clarified that:
Provision of Legal Services to Members
The Society will offer provide its Members with legal services in the form of a lawyer chosen, retained and funded by the Society in the following circumstances:
(a) a child abuse complaint has been filed against the Member, including civil action, if evidence exists that the child abuse complaint was made maliciously is directly related to the Member’s employment as a teacher; (b) defamatory statements have been made about a Member, if the defamatory statements are directly related to the Member’s employment as a teacher; (c) representation in arbitration proceedings under section 92 of The Public Schools Act when a Member’s employment has been terminated; (d) a Member has been charged with offences under federal or provincial legislation when if those offences are directly related to the Member’s professional duties employment as a teacher; and (e) representation in proceedings respecting teacher certification and classification in Manitoba.
Circumstances (a) – (e) are limited to a Member’s employment in Manitoba by a school division or district, or First Nation or First Nation Education Authority where the Society is the bargaining agent for teachers.
Ongoing provision and funding of legal services by the Society will be informed by the following: (a) a staff officer of the Society will be assigned to the Member’s case and be involved in such communications as between legal counsel and the Member as counsel determines appropriate; (b) legal counsel’s assessment of the Member’s case will be provided to the Society on an ongoing basis; (c) having regard to legal counsel’s professional obligations and the stage of proceedings, the legal counsel chosen will no longer be able to represent the Member if the Society decides, in its sole discretion, that it will no longer continue to provide legal representation; and A Member is free to decide to retain their own legal counsel, at their expense, at any time.
Amendment to the Society’s Mission Statement
Delegates voted to amend that the Mission of the Society be changed to include equity and social justice to state as follows:
The Society, as a union and professional organization, is dedicated to advancing and safeguarding the welfare of teachers, the status of the teaching profession, and the cause of public education in Manitoba, and equity and social justice within the education system.
May 24, 2025
Indigenous Position on the PX and Representatives at Provincial Council
A unanimous decision was passed that one Indigenous Member-at-Large position be created on the Provincial Executive. This position will be an addition to President, Vice-President, and 10 Members-at-Large. It was also resolved that four representatives from the Circle of Indigenous Educators, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers are invited to attend Provincial Council Meetings.
Temperature Guidelines
It was resolved that The Manitoba Teachers’ Society lobby the Manitoba government to include indoor workplace minimum and maximum temperature guidelines in the Manitoba Safety and Health Act.
Training on The Framework for Learning
It was resolved that the Society lobby the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Learning for adequate training on the implementation of The Framework for Learning
which meets the diverse needs of Members. This strategy should include adequate
funding for release time, required resources for effective implementation, and continued
support as teachers roll out the framework.
2025-2026 Member Fees
The new MTS member fee for 2025-2026 will be $1288.