Attached here please find a bulletin and message to students for distribution to all members ASAP. In it you will find information about return to work and suggestions on how faculty can keep up the the momentum we have built.
While the decision of the Wynne government to legislate us back is not the ideal way to end the strike, it is not the end of our battle by any stretch. The team is prepared for whatever form the upcoming arbitration will take. Indeed, in the history of our bargaining, our most important gains have come through arbitration–including both our SWF and our comparator groups. This process simply extends our bargaining away from the table, and we stand to make significant gains in this process and the provincial task force.
To do so, we will need to stand together and stay mobilized for the months ahead. When we return to the colleges next week, we need to do so with our heads held high. This has been a historic round, and the best is yet to come. Our rejection of the forced offer vote, in which 95% of our members voted 86% to reject the Council’s offer, has changed the face of bargaining in post-secondary systems in Ontario, and will have ripple effects across the labour movement. Our strong stand on precarious work has led to the strengthening of Bill 148, and inspired other workers to stand up for their rights as well.
With that in mind, we strongly encourage you and your members to gather together on the morning of the return to work and walk in to each campus together in celebration of what we have accomplished as a single faculty standing in solidarity.
We remain committed to this fight for quality and fairness, and we will not rest until we have achieved our goals.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining team
