On another note, further to Pat Kennedy’s comments at the recent GMM and earlier correspondence sent out to you via COMMs, I have attached the “College Faculty 2018-2019 Year in Review” handout that was discussed at the CAAT-A Caucus Meeting. I urge you to review this document, especially the sections regarding Premier Ford’s attacks on the education sector as they will most likely have an impact on the next round of academic bargaining.
David Haley, 1st VP
OPSEU Local 415
Communications Officer
Posted in General May 31st, 2019 by Diane | Comments Off on OPSEU Convention 2019 – Leah Casselman Award and CAAT-A Year in Review Handout
‘Diversity is our strength’: OPSEU endorses Charter of Inclusive Workplaces and Communities
At OPSEU, we know that diversity is our strength; in our union, our communities and in every single workplace. We know that diversity enriches our society and that meaningful inclusion depends on the eradication of discrimination in all its forms. It’s why I’m proud to announce that OPSEU has endorsed the Charter of Inclusive Workplaces and Communities, which affirms our commitment to stand up for the rights and dignity of everyone. In a world where racism, far-right ideology and white nationalism are on the rise – where Jews, Muslims, immigrants and other equity-seeking groups are threatened with discrimination and increasing violence – we must take a stand against division and fear, and embrace unity and hope. We must encourage all OPSEU members, locals, area councils, equity committees and caucuses to continue to organize against racism, xenophobia, bigotry and discrimination of all kinds. By sharing this Charter with members and allies and posting it in our workplaces we will continue to nurture inclusive workplaces and strengthen our shared commitment to equality, respect, justice and dignity for all. In Solidarity Always, Warren (Smokey) Thomas OPSEU President Charter of Inclusive Workplaces and Communities Discrimination in all its forms, including racism and Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Semitism, and all other forms of racism, xenophobia and bigotry threatens our country’s rich social fabric, including the workplaces of OPSEU members and other workers, and the communities in which we live. Dividing people because of race, religion, ancestry or any other difference that undermines human rights serves only to weaken our unions and our society. By endorsing this Charter, we commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of everyone in order to promote inclusive, just and respectful workplaces and communities; That is why we affirm that: Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Semitism, and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, and bigotry have no place in our workplaces or communities. Discrimination and acts of hate against OPSEU members and others in our communities marginalizes individuals and groups and excludes them from participating fully in our unions, workplaces and communities. The dignity of every member is essential to a healthy and vibrant union and workplace. As a union, we will work with the labour movement, all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, civil society, and communities to develop policies, programs and initiatives to reduce and eliminate racism, hate and bigotry in all its forms. By working together, we can nurture inclusive workplaces and strengthen our shared commitment to OPSEU’s values of equality, respect, justice, and dignity for all. To download a PDF version of the Charter that can be printed and posted in your workplace, please click here. To view Resolution EB1 – the resolution that was carried at OPSEU Convention 2018 to endorse the Charter of Inclusive Workplaces and Communities – click here.
Posted in General May 18th, 2019 by Diane | Comments Off on OPSEU Charter of Inclusive Workplaces and Communities
Following a recent WMG decision, the management WMG Co-Chair issued a memo
to all Academic Managers with full-time Faculty advising them that any
full-time Faculty who have not completed the mandatory training and who have a
SWF until June 16th must have their SWF revised to reflect one complementary
hour in a one week period for the SA 16- Sexual Assault/Sexual Violence
training module.
As such, if you have not already completed the mandatory training and have a
SWF until June 16th, then I recommend that you contact your manager for a
revised SWF if you have not already received one that reflects this mandatory
training.
David
Haley, WMG Co-Chair
OPSEU
Local 415
Posted in General May 13th, 2019 by Diane | Comments Off on WMG Update – Completing the SA 16- Sexual Assault/Sexual Violence training module.
In order to attend the
faculty General Membership Meeting on May 14, faculty must be OPSEU members in
good standing.
To validate this requirement, the local will be using our most current
membership list, however, in the event of a discrepancy on the list it is
advisable for you to bring a current pay statement (obtained through Workday)
with you to the meeting as proof of Partial Load status. OPSEU membership forms
will also be available at the meeting.
Please note that the
college has advised the local that non full time faculty will continue to have
access to various college systems until September 8, 2019. As such, if you
find yourself currently cut off from college systems, you should advise the
local.
In
solidarity
Tracy
Henderson
Steward,
Local 415
1st
Alternate, Divisional Executive
Posted in General May 13th, 2019 by Diane | Comments Off on General Membership Meeting – Partial Load Membership Validation
Here
is more information regarding how unions representing a wide range of Ontario’s
public sector workers – from teachers to nurses to hospital janitors – fear
that legislation to freeze or limit their wages is on the way.
The
Ford government is meeting with the unions for what it describes as
“consultation sessions” on reining in public sector pay. One of
the proposals floated by the province: capping future wage increases
through legislation.
An
interesting point in this CBC news article is that it’s far from clear that
negotiated pay hikes with public sector unions are to blame for Ontario’s
deficit. As the government’s own statistics reveal, the average
wage settlements in the public sector have actually been lower than those in
the private sector for five years running as illustrated in the Annual Average
Wage Increases in Ontario Collective Bargaining table in the article.
As a member of the Algonquin College Taskforce for Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace, I wanted to invite you to register to attend the keynote address at this year’s Kaleidoscope conference on Wednesday May 15th from 9-10 am at our Woodroffe Campus (livestream available). Our speaker is Dr. Bill Howatt, Chief of Research, for The Conference Board of Canada who has over 25 years’ experience in mental health and addictions, and leadership. Dr. Howatt will be speaking on Mastering Mental Health Through Resiliency and Coping Skills.
As you may have heard, the government has announced a consultation
through the Treasury Board on how to “manage Ontario public sector
compensation growth.” On Friday, April 26 there was a consultation
specifically for OPSEU, which included Executive Board Members and Sector
Chairs, and on May 3 there was another just for the post-secondary
sector.
The first session began with a government lecture about debt and “unsustainable” wage growth. We believe they are engaging in this consultation to try to insulate themselves against future Charter challenges, although any interference with free and collective bargaining will likely result in labour Charter cases. The entire consultation took 55 minutes.
The consultations should wind up by late May. Overall, for now, I cannot say they will try to open up collective agreements and interfere with current wages or defined wage increases because this would be the clearest kind of Charter violation. It is more likely that they will impose restrictions on future collective agreements or with regulations. I assume some type of direction from the government will be forthcoming prior to the start of bargaining this fall in the provincial school systems. I will keep you updated as additional information becomes available.
On top of the outsourcing of both faculty and counsellors’ work, this is clearly a sign the collective agreement is being scrutinized and provides us with a wakeup call that we need to focus on building strong and engaged locals so we can fight back against further cutbacks that are undoubtedly coming our way.
Finally, CBC News has learned more details about how the Ford government will measure the performance of Ontario’s colleges and universities to determine the total funding they receive. Please see the link below:
