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1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
The Latest: Boyfriend of Oklahoma State suspect says she didn't use drugs, was careful driver-By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
STILLWATER, Okla. - The latest on the fatal crash at the Oklahoma State homecoming parade (all times local):2:15 p.m.-Relatives of a motorist accused killing four people at Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade say they don't know what may have led to the crash.The father, aunt and boyfriend of 25-year-old Adacia (uh-DAY-shuh) Chambers appeared outside the Payne County Courthouse on Monday shortly before Chambers' first appearance via video in court.She's being held on $1 million bond on four preliminary counts of second-degree murder in Saturday's fatal crash.Chambers' boyfriend, Jesse Gaylord, says nothing seemed unusual when Chambers left for work that morning. He says he never saw her take drugs and that they rarely drank alcohol. He also says Chambers is normally a careful driver who doesn't run yellow lights.Gaylord and Chambers' relatives say they haven't been able to speak with her since the crash.___1:55 p.m.-A judge has an ordered a psychological evaluation for an Oklahoma woman accused of driving her car into Oklahoma State's homecoming parade, killing four people and injuring dozens of others. Payne County Special District Judge Katherine Thomas also set bond at $1 million for Adacia (uh-DAY -shuh) Chambers, who is being held on four preliminary counts of second-degree murder as prosecutors consider formal charges.Chambers appeared at Monday's hearing via video. The only time she spoke was to say "yes" when the judge asked if she could hear her.Thomas said the hearing will resume Nov. 13 after prosecutors said they needed more time to interview the dozens of witnesses at the scene. Prosecutors also said one of the injured is in a "fragile" state, which could lead to more charges.12:30 p.m.- A professor says one of the victims in Saturday's Oklahoma State parade crash was studying to become a financial analyst.Twenty-three-year-old Nikita Nakal was struck by a car and killed as she attended the homecoming parade with friends. She was pursuing her master's of business administration at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.One of her professors, Donna Carlon, says Nakal had received her bachelor's of commerce degree from the University of Mumbai in India, where she was from.Carlon says Nakal "always had a smile on her face." She says the student wanted to be a financial analyst in the banking world and was "quite focused" on her goal.___10:10 a.m.-Authorities have identified the child killed in the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade crash as 2-year-old Nash Lucas, whose mother is a sophomore at the school.Oklahoma medical examiner's office chief investigator Timothy Dwyer released Nash's name Monday. Stillwater police identified the three adult victims Sunday as 23-year- old Nikita Nakal and a married couple, Bonnie Jean Stone and Marvin Lyle Stone, who were both 65. Dwyer says all four victims died of multiple blunt-force injuries.Oklahoma State says Nash's mother, 20- year-old Nicolette Strauch, is majoring in chemical engineering and also works at the school's parking and transit department.Police say Strauch was treated and released from the hospital for her injuries. An online fundraiser for her family had raised more than $35,000 by Monday morning.This story has been changed to correct the spelling of Nikita Nakal's name. The Stillwater police had erroneously referred to her as Nakita.___8:15 a.m.-An attorney representing a 25-year-old woman says his client had "no real response whatsoever" when he told her that four people were killed after she crashed her car into an Oklahoma State homecoming parade.Tony Coleman told NBC's "Today" show Monday that Adacia Chambers was hospitalized two years ago for an unspecified mental illness. He says he believes Chambers wasn't under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of Saturday's crash, but that she was mentally ill.But Stillwater Police Capt. Kyle Gibbs said authorities believe Chambers was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Gibbs told ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday that authorities haven't seen signs of mental illness in Chambers, though she has made no statements to investigators so far.Gibbs says 17 people remain hospitalized, including five in critical condition.___1 a.m.-The twenty-five-year old woman who authorities say drove a car into a crowd of people at an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade, killing four people and injuring dozens of others, is set to make her first court appearance.Adacia Chambers is scheduled to appear Monday in Payne County District Court. Chambers was jailed over the weekend and faces a charge of driving under the influence and four counts of second-degree murder.Tony Coleman, who is defending Chambers, said at a news conference Sunday that he believes his client suffers from a mental illness but doesn't think she was drinking before the crash.Police are awaiting blood tests to determine if she was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Canadian authorities: 5 dead, 21 rescued after whale watching boat sinks off British Columbia-By Jeremy Hainsworth, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
VANCOUVER - Five people died after a whale watching boat with 27 people on board sank off Vancouver Island, and one person remained missing, Canadian authorities said.The vessel made a mayday call late Sunday afternoon on a calm, clear and sunny day off the tourist community of Tofino, a popular destination for whale watchers, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said. The cause of the sinking remained a mystery.A search by the rescue agency staffed by Canadian military and Coast Guard personnel concluded late Sunday with five people dead, 21 rescued and one person missing, said Lt.-Cmdr Desmond James, a spokesman for rescue agency. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will take over the search for the person who remains missing.Boats from the nearby Ahoushat First Nation arrived first on the scene, said aboriginal Councilor Tom Campbell. He was on the waterfront and watched as rescuers brought several survivors ashore. He said his cousin pulled at least eight people from the water onto a boat."Their looks tell the whole story," he said by phone from Tofino. "You can't describe looks on people that are lost. They look totally lost — shocked and lost."The boat, the 20-meter (65-foot) Leviathan II, was partially submerged 8 nautical miles (12 nautical kilometres) west of Tofino.Sheila Simpson was strolling on the dock with her husband when rescue boats roared up carrying people from the whale watching vessel."One didn't make it," said Simpson about a man whose body was covered by a blanket.Simpson, who was in Tofino visiting a friend at the local hospital, said she tried to comfort some of the survivors as they stood on the dock awaiting transport to hospital or to their hotels."They were in absolute shock," said Simpson. "You could see it in their eyes."Tofino's mayor described the town's mood as tense but commended residents for their quick aid in the rescue effort."Everybody's heart is just breaking for what's going on here and wanting to be as helpful as possible," Josie Osborne said in a telephone interview late Sunday.John Forde, who runs The Whale Centre, another whale watching operation, responded to the call for help and was told the search was for four or five missing people.The ship that went down was operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, Forde said. He said he had no idea how it could've sunk."Over the course of a season and years we take out thousands and thousands of people on these trips in conditions similar today," Forde said. "I have no idea what the issue was or what actually happened."Forde said Jamie's Whaling Station was one of the first of its kind off Vancouver Island and had been around for many years.Tofino fishing guide Lance Desilets said at least 12 rescue boats were already out on the water when he arrived on the scene after responding to the call for help."I saw a lot of personal belongings, a long diesel slick and the top 10 feet of the Leviathan II sticking out of the water," Desilets said. "It's a sad day for our community."It wasn't the first fatal accident on the whale watching company's record. In 1998 one of its vessels capsized during an excursion, sending all four people on board into the water. The operator and a passenger died.Many of the survivors were taken to Tofino General Hospital and some were already discharged Sunday night, said Valerie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.Canada's Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the boat's sinking.Joe Martin, a member of the Tal-o-qui-aht tribe, was near the dock when rescue boats went out.The ship was on the far side of Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound, an area that Martin said can get really rough, but was not on Sunday."It wasn't even blowing hard," he said. "This is the largest boat in Tofino and I was really surprised that it went down."___Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.___This story has been corrected to fix the last name of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre to James instead of Craig. This story has also been corrected to attribute a comment to the mayor of Tofino, and not a rescue official.
Justin Trudeau and family to live in Rideau Cottage, not 24 Sussex-By Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau will not move into the traditional prime minister's residence at 24 Sussex Drive, at least until further notice.Instead, the prime minister-designate and his family will live at Rideau Cottage, a 19th century home located on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence.The cottage is actually a two-storey Georgian Revival brick home built in 1866-67 to serve as a home for the secretary to the governor general.Annabelle Cloutier, a spokeswoman for Rideau Hall, said this will be the first time a prime minister has lived on the grounds of the governor general's residence."It's a big estate, so there is enough space for him to be living here and have his own private space with his family," Cloutier said.The grounds cover 32 hectares.Rideau Cottage is located in an area not normally open to the public, but extra security will be provided on its perimeter.The other areas of Rideau Hall normally open to the public will remain so."The grounds are open to the public, yes, because it's the front of the residence of Rideau Hall that is open to the public and that remains the same," said Cloutier.The cottage was last renovated in 2013 by the National Capital Commission.Stephen Wallace, the current secretary to Gov. Gen. David Johnston, moved out on the weekend to allow the Trudeaus to move in.The residence at 24 Sussex has been in need of repairs for years.In 2008, the National Capital Commission estimated repairs would cost about $10 million and would require full access to the residence for a minimum of 12 to 15 months.A critical auditor general's report issued that year said putting off the rehabilitation of the residence could have a number of consequences including "the risk of fostering a negative image of Canada with visiting foreign dignitaries.""The most recent work of an extensive nature carried out at 24 Sussex Drive dates back to when it was purchased by the government, over fifty years ago," the report said. "It is therefore not surprising to note that a number of the residence's systems are reaching the end of their useful lives, are in poor condition, and will have to be replaced in the near future."Broadcaster Catherine Clark, the daughter of former prime minister Joe Clark, produced a documentary on the residence last year.She congratulated the Trudeaus on making the decision saying it is the right choice."I'm not surprised for a few reasons," Clark said. "There is a very clear need for either full updating and renovation or rebuilding of a residence at 24 Sussex. It is so well documented at this point that it is a matter of making the right decision at the right time."Clark said she has spoken to former residents who complained about the heat during the summer months and the chill in the winter."There's obviously an issue with technology and the house needs to be upgraded in a security sense as well," she said. "If they're going to rewire the house and make it a truly technology proficient place, that is going to be a big job in and of itself."Clark said she recalls her mother telling a story about an electrical problem they encountered in her father's den more than 30 years ago."When they turned on a light on one side of the room, it blew the light out on the other side of the room," Clark said. "Those are the kinds of things that happened in 1979, so you can imagine what kind of repairs are needed at this stage."The Liberals say Trudeau will make decisions regarding 24 Sussex once he has been fully briefed by officials.Trudeau has rented a home in Ottawa's upscale Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood since 2013.— With files from Bruce Cheadle
Union payouts an 'investment' in bargaining, education minister says-By Allison Jones, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
TORONTO - Ontario's Education Minister Liz Sandals is calling $2.5 million in payouts to teachers' unions this year a "rather large investment" to get them to the bargaining table.Sandals has defended the payments to the unions representing secondary teachers, English Catholic teachers and French teachers as being necessary because the transition to a new bargaining system made this round quite lengthy.In 2008 and 2012 — when $1.24 million was paid to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents support workers, and the French teachers' union — there were informal discussions as a precursor to the Liberal government enacting the new bargaining process.The ministry has said that because those discussions were voluntary it was appropriate to pay for the unions' participation — and this year it was necessary to help pay their costs to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.Sandals also said the purpose of cutting the unions a cheque is to "support the meetings taking place.""When you are going through a transformational process, if you want the transformation to work, the first thing to do is to get the people into the building and committed to making the process work by being there, and in this case that's been a rather large investment," she said after question period.Under the new bargaining legislation, trustee associations are the representatives for school boards in central negotiations. A government memo shows that starting this year the government is giving them funding for bargaining.Nearly $4.6 million will be provided to school boards this school year, the memo shows.The education minister has not been able to detail how the union payments were calculated, beyond saying the government knows how long the parties have been bargaining in hotel rooms because it has been there too, and it knows what food costs."You're asking me if I have receipts and invoices; no, I don't," she said last week. "You don't need to see every bill when you're doing an estimate of costs."But the memo shows the cost breakdown for each of the four trustee associations as:— $204,568.44 salary for one full-time director of labour relations-— $163,972.13 for one full-time assistant director of labour relations— For other staff, part-time equivalent, multiplied by the number of central tables and by $76,647— For operating expenses, $63,000 multiplied by the number of central tables— For transportation expenses, $41,000— For legal costs, $200,000— For meals and accommodation, 25 days at $240 per day multiplied by the number of staff, multiplied by the number of central tables.The school boards are funded by the ministry, but the government will "never ever have to fund the unions again," Sandals said.The ministry of education refused to say how much it spent on its own negotiating costs while bargaining with other unions is ongoing.
The Latest: Boyfriend of Oklahoma State suspect says she didn't use drugs, was careful driver-By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
STILLWATER, Okla. - The latest on the fatal crash at the Oklahoma State homecoming parade (all times local):2:15 p.m.-Relatives of a motorist accused killing four people at Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade say they don't know what may have led to the crash.The father, aunt and boyfriend of 25-year-old Adacia (uh-DAY-shuh) Chambers appeared outside the Payne County Courthouse on Monday shortly before Chambers' first appearance via video in court.She's being held on $1 million bond on four preliminary counts of second-degree murder in Saturday's fatal crash.Chambers' boyfriend, Jesse Gaylord, says nothing seemed unusual when Chambers left for work that morning. He says he never saw her take drugs and that they rarely drank alcohol. He also says Chambers is normally a careful driver who doesn't run yellow lights.Gaylord and Chambers' relatives say they haven't been able to speak with her since the crash.___1:55 p.m.-A judge has an ordered a psychological evaluation for an Oklahoma woman accused of driving her car into Oklahoma State's homecoming parade, killing four people and injuring dozens of others. Payne County Special District Judge Katherine Thomas also set bond at $1 million for Adacia (uh-DAY -shuh) Chambers, who is being held on four preliminary counts of second-degree murder as prosecutors consider formal charges.Chambers appeared at Monday's hearing via video. The only time she spoke was to say "yes" when the judge asked if she could hear her.Thomas said the hearing will resume Nov. 13 after prosecutors said they needed more time to interview the dozens of witnesses at the scene. Prosecutors also said one of the injured is in a "fragile" state, which could lead to more charges.12:30 p.m.- A professor says one of the victims in Saturday's Oklahoma State parade crash was studying to become a financial analyst.Twenty-three-year-old Nikita Nakal was struck by a car and killed as she attended the homecoming parade with friends. She was pursuing her master's of business administration at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.One of her professors, Donna Carlon, says Nakal had received her bachelor's of commerce degree from the University of Mumbai in India, where she was from.Carlon says Nakal "always had a smile on her face." She says the student wanted to be a financial analyst in the banking world and was "quite focused" on her goal.___10:10 a.m.-Authorities have identified the child killed in the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade crash as 2-year-old Nash Lucas, whose mother is a sophomore at the school.Oklahoma medical examiner's office chief investigator Timothy Dwyer released Nash's name Monday. Stillwater police identified the three adult victims Sunday as 23-year- old Nikita Nakal and a married couple, Bonnie Jean Stone and Marvin Lyle Stone, who were both 65. Dwyer says all four victims died of multiple blunt-force injuries.Oklahoma State says Nash's mother, 20- year-old Nicolette Strauch, is majoring in chemical engineering and also works at the school's parking and transit department.Police say Strauch was treated and released from the hospital for her injuries. An online fundraiser for her family had raised more than $35,000 by Monday morning.This story has been changed to correct the spelling of Nikita Nakal's name. The Stillwater police had erroneously referred to her as Nakita.___8:15 a.m.-An attorney representing a 25-year-old woman says his client had "no real response whatsoever" when he told her that four people were killed after she crashed her car into an Oklahoma State homecoming parade.Tony Coleman told NBC's "Today" show Monday that Adacia Chambers was hospitalized two years ago for an unspecified mental illness. He says he believes Chambers wasn't under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of Saturday's crash, but that she was mentally ill.But Stillwater Police Capt. Kyle Gibbs said authorities believe Chambers was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Gibbs told ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday that authorities haven't seen signs of mental illness in Chambers, though she has made no statements to investigators so far.Gibbs says 17 people remain hospitalized, including five in critical condition.___1 a.m.-The twenty-five-year old woman who authorities say drove a car into a crowd of people at an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade, killing four people and injuring dozens of others, is set to make her first court appearance.Adacia Chambers is scheduled to appear Monday in Payne County District Court. Chambers was jailed over the weekend and faces a charge of driving under the influence and four counts of second-degree murder.Tony Coleman, who is defending Chambers, said at a news conference Sunday that he believes his client suffers from a mental illness but doesn't think she was drinking before the crash.Police are awaiting blood tests to determine if she was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Canadian authorities: 5 dead, 21 rescued after whale watching boat sinks off British Columbia-By Jeremy Hainsworth, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
VANCOUVER - Five people died after a whale watching boat with 27 people on board sank off Vancouver Island, and one person remained missing, Canadian authorities said.The vessel made a mayday call late Sunday afternoon on a calm, clear and sunny day off the tourist community of Tofino, a popular destination for whale watchers, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said. The cause of the sinking remained a mystery.A search by the rescue agency staffed by Canadian military and Coast Guard personnel concluded late Sunday with five people dead, 21 rescued and one person missing, said Lt.-Cmdr Desmond James, a spokesman for rescue agency. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will take over the search for the person who remains missing.Boats from the nearby Ahoushat First Nation arrived first on the scene, said aboriginal Councilor Tom Campbell. He was on the waterfront and watched as rescuers brought several survivors ashore. He said his cousin pulled at least eight people from the water onto a boat."Their looks tell the whole story," he said by phone from Tofino. "You can't describe looks on people that are lost. They look totally lost — shocked and lost."The boat, the 20-meter (65-foot) Leviathan II, was partially submerged 8 nautical miles (12 nautical kilometres) west of Tofino.Sheila Simpson was strolling on the dock with her husband when rescue boats roared up carrying people from the whale watching vessel."One didn't make it," said Simpson about a man whose body was covered by a blanket.Simpson, who was in Tofino visiting a friend at the local hospital, said she tried to comfort some of the survivors as they stood on the dock awaiting transport to hospital or to their hotels."They were in absolute shock," said Simpson. "You could see it in their eyes."Tofino's mayor described the town's mood as tense but commended residents for their quick aid in the rescue effort."Everybody's heart is just breaking for what's going on here and wanting to be as helpful as possible," Josie Osborne said in a telephone interview late Sunday.John Forde, who runs The Whale Centre, another whale watching operation, responded to the call for help and was told the search was for four or five missing people.The ship that went down was operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, Forde said. He said he had no idea how it could've sunk."Over the course of a season and years we take out thousands and thousands of people on these trips in conditions similar today," Forde said. "I have no idea what the issue was or what actually happened."Forde said Jamie's Whaling Station was one of the first of its kind off Vancouver Island and had been around for many years.Tofino fishing guide Lance Desilets said at least 12 rescue boats were already out on the water when he arrived on the scene after responding to the call for help."I saw a lot of personal belongings, a long diesel slick and the top 10 feet of the Leviathan II sticking out of the water," Desilets said. "It's a sad day for our community."It wasn't the first fatal accident on the whale watching company's record. In 1998 one of its vessels capsized during an excursion, sending all four people on board into the water. The operator and a passenger died.Many of the survivors were taken to Tofino General Hospital and some were already discharged Sunday night, said Valerie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.Canada's Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the boat's sinking.Joe Martin, a member of the Tal-o-qui-aht tribe, was near the dock when rescue boats went out.The ship was on the far side of Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound, an area that Martin said can get really rough, but was not on Sunday."It wasn't even blowing hard," he said. "This is the largest boat in Tofino and I was really surprised that it went down."___Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.___This story has been corrected to fix the last name of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre to James instead of Craig. This story has also been corrected to attribute a comment to the mayor of Tofino, and not a rescue official.
Justin Trudeau and family to live in Rideau Cottage, not 24 Sussex-By Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau will not move into the traditional prime minister's residence at 24 Sussex Drive, at least until further notice.Instead, the prime minister-designate and his family will live at Rideau Cottage, a 19th century home located on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence.The cottage is actually a two-storey Georgian Revival brick home built in 1866-67 to serve as a home for the secretary to the governor general.Annabelle Cloutier, a spokeswoman for Rideau Hall, said this will be the first time a prime minister has lived on the grounds of the governor general's residence."It's a big estate, so there is enough space for him to be living here and have his own private space with his family," Cloutier said.The grounds cover 32 hectares.Rideau Cottage is located in an area not normally open to the public, but extra security will be provided on its perimeter.The other areas of Rideau Hall normally open to the public will remain so."The grounds are open to the public, yes, because it's the front of the residence of Rideau Hall that is open to the public and that remains the same," said Cloutier.The cottage was last renovated in 2013 by the National Capital Commission.Stephen Wallace, the current secretary to Gov. Gen. David Johnston, moved out on the weekend to allow the Trudeaus to move in.The residence at 24 Sussex has been in need of repairs for years.In 2008, the National Capital Commission estimated repairs would cost about $10 million and would require full access to the residence for a minimum of 12 to 15 months.A critical auditor general's report issued that year said putting off the rehabilitation of the residence could have a number of consequences including "the risk of fostering a negative image of Canada with visiting foreign dignitaries.""The most recent work of an extensive nature carried out at 24 Sussex Drive dates back to when it was purchased by the government, over fifty years ago," the report said. "It is therefore not surprising to note that a number of the residence's systems are reaching the end of their useful lives, are in poor condition, and will have to be replaced in the near future."Broadcaster Catherine Clark, the daughter of former prime minister Joe Clark, produced a documentary on the residence last year.She congratulated the Trudeaus on making the decision saying it is the right choice."I'm not surprised for a few reasons," Clark said. "There is a very clear need for either full updating and renovation or rebuilding of a residence at 24 Sussex. It is so well documented at this point that it is a matter of making the right decision at the right time."Clark said she has spoken to former residents who complained about the heat during the summer months and the chill in the winter."There's obviously an issue with technology and the house needs to be upgraded in a security sense as well," she said. "If they're going to rewire the house and make it a truly technology proficient place, that is going to be a big job in and of itself."Clark said she recalls her mother telling a story about an electrical problem they encountered in her father's den more than 30 years ago."When they turned on a light on one side of the room, it blew the light out on the other side of the room," Clark said. "Those are the kinds of things that happened in 1979, so you can imagine what kind of repairs are needed at this stage."The Liberals say Trudeau will make decisions regarding 24 Sussex once he has been fully briefed by officials.Trudeau has rented a home in Ottawa's upscale Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood since 2013.— With files from Bruce Cheadle
Union payouts an 'investment' in bargaining, education minister says-By Allison Jones, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 26,15-YAHOONEWS
TORONTO - Ontario's Education Minister Liz Sandals is calling $2.5 million in payouts to teachers' unions this year a "rather large investment" to get them to the bargaining table.Sandals has defended the payments to the unions representing secondary teachers, English Catholic teachers and French teachers as being necessary because the transition to a new bargaining system made this round quite lengthy.In 2008 and 2012 — when $1.24 million was paid to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents support workers, and the French teachers' union — there were informal discussions as a precursor to the Liberal government enacting the new bargaining process.The ministry has said that because those discussions were voluntary it was appropriate to pay for the unions' participation — and this year it was necessary to help pay their costs to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.Sandals also said the purpose of cutting the unions a cheque is to "support the meetings taking place.""When you are going through a transformational process, if you want the transformation to work, the first thing to do is to get the people into the building and committed to making the process work by being there, and in this case that's been a rather large investment," she said after question period.Under the new bargaining legislation, trustee associations are the representatives for school boards in central negotiations. A government memo shows that starting this year the government is giving them funding for bargaining.Nearly $4.6 million will be provided to school boards this school year, the memo shows.The education minister has not been able to detail how the union payments were calculated, beyond saying the government knows how long the parties have been bargaining in hotel rooms because it has been there too, and it knows what food costs."You're asking me if I have receipts and invoices; no, I don't," she said last week. "You don't need to see every bill when you're doing an estimate of costs."But the memo shows the cost breakdown for each of the four trustee associations as:— $204,568.44 salary for one full-time director of labour relations-— $163,972.13 for one full-time assistant director of labour relations— For other staff, part-time equivalent, multiplied by the number of central tables and by $76,647— For operating expenses, $63,000 multiplied by the number of central tables— For transportation expenses, $41,000— For legal costs, $200,000— For meals and accommodation, 25 days at $240 per day multiplied by the number of staff, multiplied by the number of central tables.The school boards are funded by the ministry, but the government will "never ever have to fund the unions again," Sandals said.The ministry of education refused to say how much it spent on its own negotiating costs while bargaining with other unions is ongoing.
