What is the difference between the District and the Bargaining Unit?

An OSSTF District most often consists of the OSSTF Bargaining Units that negotiate with a common employer.  In District 12 for example there are three OSSTF Bargaining Units that represent TDSB employees:  The Secondary Teachers Bargaining Unit (STBU), the Occasional Teachers Bargaining Unit (OTBU) and the Professional Support Services Personnel Bargaining Unit (PSSP).  These three Bargaining Units combine to form District 12.

In some cases in OSSTF, Districts are made up of bargaining units based on commonalities other than employer, for example first language, geography and/or education sector.  

A Bargaining Unit is the organization responsible for negotiating and upholding a collective agreement on behalf of a specific group or groups of employees. 

This governance structure for OSSTF is created through the Provincial OSSTF Constitution.

The District and the Bargaining Unit each have constitutionally appointed duties that are often separate from each other, but mutually supportive.  For example certain committees are open to the membership of the entire District while other committees are specific to the members of a specific Bargaining Unit.

For more information about the organizational structure of District 12, check out the District Constitution, STBU Constitution, District Committees and STBU Committees.