You may have received a message from your College, “Your Right to Choose Regarding Work-to-Rule.”
We appreciate the College Employer Council’s latest update, in which they remind faculty members that every college employee “has the legally protected right” to engage in work-to-rule or other labour action without fear of reprisal.
As the CEC correctly identified, faculty are in a legal strike position, and the protections of the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA) and Collective Agreement apply. Faculty should, therefore, not experience reprisal from the colleges for participating in the work-to-rule action.
From a union perspective, solidarity is the foundation of our strength, and participation as a union member in job action is required to demonstrate that strength. While the CCBA allows individual faculty the ability to cross a picket line by performing struck work, doing so undermines the very solidarity required for successful job action.
Today’s message from the CEC was clearly intended to stoke fear and division among faculty, and is likely attributable to the incredible strength and solidarity faculty are currently demonstrating during our first ever work-to-rule job action.
In one key respect, we agree: no college should reprise against faculty for exercising their rights, or participating in their union.
In solidarity,
JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, Shawn