Collecting this data is crucial for a number of reasons. By filling out the survey, you will:

• assist OSSTF/FEESO to gain an improved understanding of the demographic composition of the membership;
• strengthen the Federation’s ability to represent and support members;
• provide context for bargaining and pay equity;
• help the Federation understand how members are affected by changes in legislation that have an impact on particular demographic groups or job classes;
• better position provincial and local leaders to implement various strategies that will improve policies, procedures, and structures in a manner that will further democratize our union;
• improve institutional and political practices;
• prepare the Federation to be more responsive to the future needs of members.

All active OSSTF/FEESO members are being asked to complete this survey.

You are being asked to voluntarily complete a survey online or by mailing a paper version of the survey using the postage-paid envelope provided to you. The survey would take less than 5 minutes to complete. By mailing out the survey or by clicking “START SURVEY” on the online version, you are consenting to the collection and use of your partial and/or full responses. Any results will be aggregated so that individuals cannot be identified, and their anonymity preserved.

Despite how crucial this survey is for OSSTF/FEESO in understanding the demographic composition of its membership, the survey is completely voluntary. Additionally, every question on the survey is optional and you can skip any question that you do not want to answer.

The survey has questions on job information such as classification, contract status, length of time at job. It also asks several demographic questions including your gender, race, language and more.

While every individual who fills out the survey will not be compensated, there will be a prize draw for five winners. The selected five winners would win $100 if they completed a paper version of the survey or $200 if they completed the survey online.

The survey data file does not contain any identifiable information and will be housed with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator who will analyze the data. The results will be compiled into a report and will be presented at an aggregate level. This means that no results with fewer than 10 responses will be reported.

Sharing your demographic and job information with OSSTF/FEESO through this survey will not impact your job or your relationship with the Federation. There is no way for individuals to be linked to their survey responses once the survey closes, response rates for the survey are calculated and the five prize draw winners have been selected. The only two individuals who can link individuals to their responses for the purposes of calculating response rates or selecting prize draw winners are the OSSTF/FEESO Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and the OSSTF/FEESO Director - Information Technology Services. If you have any questions or concerns about the privacy of your data, please contact selfidsurvey@osstf.ca.

A survey is considered anonymous if the individual’s responses or results cannot be linked to their identity in any way. However, as mentioned in the section on privacy and confidentiality, up until the survey closes, response rates have been calculated and five prize draw winners have been selected, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and the Director – Information Technology Services may be able to link a response to an individual.

However, once the survey closes, prize draw winners have been selected and response rates have been calculated, the ability to link individuals to survey responses will no longer be possible. Therefore, the actual data file prepared for analysis will be anonymous and at this point individual responses cannot be linked to their identity.

If you have misplaced your paper copy of the survey, you can still fill out the survey online. To obtain the link to the survey as well as to receive your unique access code, please contact selfidsurvey@osstf.ca.