The college has prepared a Coordinator Duty Guidelines document which is currently being used in coordinator discussions. While this document is a step in the right direction of supporting dialogue about coordination duties, this isn’t a document endorsed by the Local.
Our advice to anyone considering accepting coordination duties is to use the document as a negotiation tool in your dialogue with your Chair about your role. If a particular duty is not one you are responsible for, strike it from the list. If there are additional duties that you perform, ensure that they are listed. Above all, use the document as a tool to determine if the time allotted on your SWF is appropriate.
Background to the Coordinator Duty Guidelines document
An important gain from our last round of bargaining was the change to Article 14 –Coordinator Duties. The new language requires the Academic Chair who assigns coordination duties to reduce such duties to writing prior to acceptance of any coordinator work.
Although this language has been in effect since December 2021, the college did not interpret it in a way that made any meaningful difference to those accepting coordination duties. When faculty requested that their duties be reduced to writing, the same broad list of generic duties was given to everyone, regardless of their program, discipline or the duties assigned.
After attempting to negotiate with the College, several faculty colleagues filed grievances that challenged their Chair’s failure to provide a list of specific assigned duties. Last fall, one of these grievances went to arbitration. At arbitration, Algonquin finally decided to change its position. That grievance was settled, on the basis that the Local and Algonquin strike a working group to discuss coordination duties. Our Local provided input to the College, based predominantly on what we heard from you, our membership, in the survey that was circulated last fall regarding coordination duties. Therefore, although the Local was involved in a set of meetings designed to explore and create meaning for and about coordinator work, the Local did not write the document nor does the Local endorse the Coordinator Duty Guidelines.
As always, we encourage you to consult with us at any time.
In solidarity,
Your Local 415 Leadership Team