Bargaining FAQ You may have heard the terms “conciliation,” “conciliator,” and “no board report.” What does it all mean? Here’s a handy bargaining FAQ that describes what happens next. What is “conciliation”? At any point during negotiations, Ontario’s Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA) allows the union or the College Employer Council (CEC) to request neutral…
Remember to sign your Union Card! All Full-Time and Partial-Load Faculty are covered by a collective agreement, but OPSEU membership is not automatic. Signing your membership form makes you a Member in Good Standing and ensures your eligibility for benefits such as access to provincial meetings and OPSEU training, hardship funds, and strike pay in…
We understand that many of you have concerns about the recent press release about OPSEU launching a charter challenge of the back-to-work legislation passed by the Liberals to force an end to the college faculty strike. The Divisional Executive and Bargaining Team assure you that this is a necessary challenge and one that does not…
The Toronto Star reports that OPSEU is taking the provincial government to court after it scraped the College Task Force. The Task Force was a key part of the arbitrator’s decision last year, ending a bitter dispute between faculty members and Ontario’s 24 colleges that culminated in a record long five-week strike. “The government has…
Brief Update on Current Issues As the college increases international student enrolment, faculty are experiencing some challenges. Faculty are encouraged to discuss these issues with program coordinators and chairs. As well, faculty should contact members on the President’s Advisory Council to bring forward issues to assist in forming college policy. The college has committed additional…
A Message from the College Workload Monitoring Group (CWMG) Faculty must receive their SWF (Standard Workload Form) 6 weeks prior to the teaching period excluding vacation and holidays. In accordance with the collective agreement, SWFs can be altered at any time. If a member has an issue with an altered SWF, they must have a…
Return To Work Kaplan Award (Strike 2017) As a result of failed negotiations, faculty were ordered back to work by the provincial government after being on strike for 5 weeks. Terms of the return to work included an arbitration by William Kaplan. Pick the following link to read the award.
Academic Freedom During the last round of bargaining, the number one bargaining item was Academic Freedom. Faculty wanted to have the right to teach courses in the manner they felt best suited the learner, own the teaching materials and to have a voice to speak publicly on academic issues without repercussions from the employer. Unfortunately…
In the past, students have brought forward complaints against faculty members via the Student Complaint process. Although some complaints are course related, other types of complaints include how they are being treated or spoken to in class. The College has a Respectful Work and Educational Policy in place which is enforced with a zero tolerance…
