Dear Colleagues,

With the return to most post-secondary classes scheduled for September 8, many are returning to work to prepare for the fall. We want to recognize the hard work of faculty who have been working throughout the Spring and Summer term, including the many who have participated in the Summer Pilot on our campuses.

It’s been a busy few months in our Local and here are a few highlights followed by some more detailed notes. Our Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees have been hard at work participating in on-campus inspections and ensuring adherence to safety protocols. Further, the Local has negotiated a new memorandum with the College on the definition of “regular” partial-load. Effective September 9, a contract faculty member who is assigned to teach more than six, and up to and including twelve hours per week for at least a 7-week consecutive period, will be considered partial-load. Additionally, we have seen many successes through the Workload Monitoring Group resolution process, and we welcomed several new full-time faculty hires across many areas of the college.

General Membership Meeting

Our General Membership Meeting is expected to take place in September by way of an online teleconference. We will share more detailed information on this once OPSEU provides more direction.

Accommodations

Please be sure to reach out with your questions about the college’s legal duty to accommodate, which extends beyond the provisions in our Collective Agreement:  Short-Term Disability Plan (STD, Article 17 for full-time members) and the Long-Term Disability Plan (LTD, Article 18 for full-time members). Accommodations can be arranged for many reasons, such as family status, including having an immunocompromised family member, having childcare obligations, or having health issues yourself. Remember, we have accommodations’ officers to help you, so please reach out to us for advice.

Workload

Several members have reached out with questions and concerns around workload as we have shifted to work under pandemic-related health and safety guidelines. It is important to remember that workload issues can be addressed at any point in the semester. That is, if your workload exceeds what the SWF captured when it was originally agreed to and signed, you are welcome and encouraged to raise your concerns. You can speak to your local steward, and/or contact the Local office and speak to someone on the Workload Monitoring Group.

Expansion of College Administration

The Local is disappointed to hear about the creation of additional college administration positions, as announced last week. At a time when the college is expressing concern about its budget, and asking employees to do more, the expansion of senior college administrator positions seems particularly misdirected. We have expressed our objection. The organizational focus, in our view, should be on continued growth in faculty and support positions, rather than the creation of additional layers of educational administration.

Steward Retirement/Union Elections

Last week the Local was informed by OPSEU that two stewards have retired: Pat Kennedy and Mark Stevens. We wish them well in their retirement and thank them for their service.

Pursuant to our Local Bylaws and the OPSEU Constitution, these vacancies must be filled through a by-election.  Beyond this, there are upcoming provincial meetings for which we will need to elect delegates. We recognize that you may be experiencing election fatigue with the number of recent elections in our Local.  Still, these positions need to be filled, and we are committed to implementing electronic voting as well as robust measures to ensure accurate voting lists. In order to participate in these upcoming votes, you will be required to provide the Local with your non-college e-mail address through a request that will come to your college account.

If you have any questions, please send them by email to COMMS@locallines.org or feel free to call us with your inquiries at (613) 727-4723 ext. 7716.

In solidarity,

Annette Bouzi, President
David Haley, First Vice-President
Enrico DeFrancesco, Second Vice-President
Shawn Pentecost, Treasurer
Judy Puritt, Secretary

With the annual leave period beginning for many faculty and a number of colleagues returning to work next week, we wanted to reach out to stay connected during this transition and highlight a few key points.

• Workload update: Over the last few weeks, several faculty members have seen positive results by bringing their SWFs to the Workload Monitoring Group (WMG). If at any point in the semester (Spring or Fall) your SWF is no longer a reflection of the work that you have been asked to do, you can request a revised SWF or exercise your right to bring it to the Workload Monitoring Group.
• Accommodations: The college is required to accommodate faculty around a variety of issues, including medical needs and family status. If you have concerns around your personal situation, for example the uncertainty of childcare or a health concern that places you at greater risk during the pandemic, please reach out to the local for confidential advice and support.

The local will host a series of virtual meetings in the fall. As we continue to navigate our way through the challenges of the pandemic, we must also begin to turn our minds to bargaining, as our collective agreement expires in 2021. For all of this, we will need your input, so that we can continue to be a strong voice for faculty. Details will follow in August.

Your local continues to be here to support you. While our physical union office on campus remains closed until further notice, stewards are available to members online (by email or virtual meetings) or over the phone. If you have any questions, please send them by email to COMMS@locallines.org. We also check voicemails regularly, so please feel free to call us with your inquiries at (613) 727-4723 ext. 7716.

In solidarity,

Annette Bouzi
President, OPSEU Local 415
https://locallines.org/

The college released information earlier this week regarding its approach to SWFs for the fall. Our local does not endorse this approach because it is outside of the parameters of our Collective Agreement. The college’s announcement does not change any of the advice that we have provided to date.

• SWFs: We continue to recommend that you engage in conversation with your Chair about your SWF to ensure that (1) you are assigned appropriate course preparation and evaluation factors and that (2) your complimentary functions reflect the actual work that you have been asked to do. If you dispute your SWF, you may exercise your right to refer it to the Workload Monitoring Group in order to attempt to find a resolution.
• “Remote” versus “online”: The college distinguishs between remote and online course delivery. This distinction does not change that, for most faculty, these are both new delivery modes. As such, the courses require increased time to prepare and, in the local’s view, justify a “NEW” course preparation.
• Fall 2020 and beyond: The local is looking ahead of the fall and is questioning the college about Winter 2021 and beyond. Employment stability is a major concern for our local, and we will continue to question and challenge the college regarding staffing plans.
• Labour dialogue: The local engages in regular discussion with our OPSEU CAAT-A colleagues across the province to discuss issues of common concern. Further, we are meeting with the college regularly because engaging in conversation is important in labour relations. Although we are engaging in new dialogues with management, we want to make it clear that our role is to be advocates for our members. The local recently accepted a seat on the College Budget Committee (with voice, no vote) in order to gain insight into any decisions that could affect our membership and to speak against any potential infringements on our Collective Agreement.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at COMMS@locallines.org and a steward will get back to you as soon as possible.

In solidarity,

Annette Bouzi
President, OPSEU Local 415

We have received a number of questions from faculty regarding our Fall 2020 SWFs and the college’s approach to acknowledging the realities of teaching in a pandemic. When reviewing your SWF, here are some key items to be mindful of:

1. Course preparation factor: Our position as a local is that a course we are teaching for the first time online should be credited as “NEW” on our SWFs. This is in addition to time that must be allotted to redevelop or convert the course.
2. Complimentary functions: Development time should be reflected here and should capture the amount of time actually required to convert the course. In our collective agreement, there is no set formula for determining the amount of time needed for this work. As such, faculty should request the time that is appropriate for their particular circumstance. You are encouraged to ask questions about all complimentary functions that you are being assigned so that you are in a position to determine if the time attributed is appropriate.
3. Evaluation factor: there are a number of ways that evaluation factors can be impacted by remote delivery. For instance, if you need to assess work differently and an “In Process” evaluation factor no longer applies, you are entitled to a revised factor.

The SWF is a very important tool in establishing the parameters of our work. Teaching in a pandemic has created an increase in faculty workload, which must be adequately captured on our SWF. Should you feel that your SWF is not a reflection of your workload, you have the right to refer it to the Workload Monitoring Group by checking the appropriate box. A union member of the WMG will then connect with you in order to begin the resolution process.

If you have questions, please connect with us at COMMS@locallines.org or extension 7716 and a steward will get back to you as soon as possible.  

In solidarity,

Your Local 415 Executive & Workload Monitoring Group

Annette Bouzi (President, WMG Member), David Haley (First Vice-President), Enrico DeFrancesco (Second Vice-President, WMG Member), Pat Kennedy (Chief Steward), Judy Puritt (Secretary, WMG Member), Shawn Pentecost (Treasurer), Scott Fewer (WMG Member)

We hope that you are staying safe and prioritizing your wellbeing during these times. We all have many questions about how the next several months will unfold and our local will continue to share new information with you as it becomes available to us. Please continue to reach out with specific questions and comments about your own situation at COMMS@locallines.org or extension 7716 and a steward will get back to you as soon as possible.  

Below are some key areas we are monitoring as the college continues to navigate the pandemic:

• Faculty workload – During a non-teaching period, article 11.08 of our Collective Agreement applies. This means that a manager does not unilaterally assign work. Rather, “activities will be undertaken by mutual consent and agreement will not be unreasonably withheld.” This non-teaching period may also be a good time to use your 10 days of Professional Development. If you have any concerns about work expectations during a non-teaching period, please reach out.
  
  
• SWFs – During a teaching period, all work assigned must be reflected on your SWF. The pandemic does not change this. While discussing your SWF with your manager, please feel free to reach out to us for advice, as many colleagues already have. Additionally, if at any point during the semester your SWF is no longer a reflection of your workload, you maintain the right to refer it to the Workload Monitoring Group.
  
  
• Employment stability – There is a rigorous process under our Collective Agreement that must be followed should the college plan to displace or reduce the number of full-time faculty. To date, the college has not given the local any indication that this process is being considered. We are continuously monitoring data and will leverage all options to maintain our full faculty complement. While the college has suspended hiring in most areas, it has continued with the hiring process for a number of full-time faculty positions scheduled to start in Fall 2020.
  
  
• Working from home – We maintain workplace accommodation and health and safety rights while working from home. Additionally, the college has stated that reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

The OPSEU Executive Board passed a motion to postpone all usual spring General Membership Meetings (GMM) until such time as we are able to gather in person. Our union local executive committee continues to meet virtually, and stewards are still available to meet with you by virtual appointment. Know that your local remains active in discussions with the college to ensure faculty rights are protected.

In solidarity,

Annette Bouzi
President, OPSEU Local 415

While the College previously announced its general plan for a May 19 start to the Spring 2020 semester, implementation details are now unfolding. As you begin discussions with your Chair about your revised assignments, below are some things to keep in mind.

• For our Partial-load colleagues, if you are asked to be involved with any development work between semesters, you should be compensated accordingly.
• For our Full-time colleagues, our position as a local has always been that the SWF must capture all work assigned. As such, request appropriate time for course development and delivery mode due to the change in modality.
• The number of revised teaching contact hours on a SWF should be reasonably similar to those originally assigned;
• Our Collective Agreement provides for 10 days of Professional Development time – 5 of which can be used in sequence. These days can be used for opportunities that faculty deem appropriate for professional growth.

During the pandemic, while we are working remotely, SWFs can be completed by e-mail. You may agree to your revised SWF or, if you feel it is not reflective of the work you are being asked to do, exercise your right to refer it to the Workload Monitoring Group (WMG).

Other matters of concern are the timing of annual leave and appropriate workplace accommodations, including for those caring for family members. If you have any questions about your situation, please reach out to us at COMMS@locallines.org or extension 7716 and a steward will get back to you as soon as possible.

As you focus on your wellness and delivering quality work during these challenging times, be assured that we continue to press the College for faculty rights and adherence to our Collective Agreement.

In solidarity,

Annette Bouzi
President, OPSEU Local 415