(June 15/09) - Faculty Negotiating Team Update..Memo sent to all Local Presidents
- The Union gave notice to bargain on June 3rd, which was the first date allowable under
the new Colleges Collective Bargaining Act – 90 days prior to expiry. The team met
with the employers’ committee for three days this week. They had some general
discussions regarding our overall approaches to bargaining this round, exchanged
opening positions, and tabled some specific proposals. The parties also had some
discussion about the report of the Workload Task Force.
- Our team advised the management committee that they were aiming for an on-time settlement,
that they believed this would be possible with hard work, and that an on-time settlement
had been reached in the past. Both sides agreed that workload would be a key focus in this round. Our team felt that there was a
marked,
positive, and refreshing contrast with the last round of bargaining.
- The employer talked about economic pressures. They have not as
yet offered any salary increase or benefit improvements, but it is too early for that.
Bargaining always addresses some of the non-monetary issues first. Management’s
exchange document indicates they will be looking to negotiate a “responsible salary
increase.”
- Overall, our team felt that it was a positive beginning to negotiations. Still, any optimism should be
cautious at best. There are and will be great gaps between the parties that will have to be
closed. Our team felt that they have made some progress already and there is a commitment, at least, to
make the effort to reach a settlement.
- Meetings will continue this month and through the summer.
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(June 3/09) - Orthopaedic Shoes
- Select the following link for information on "Understanding Orthepaedic Shoes" benefit entitlement.
Orthopaedic Shoes
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(May 20/09) - Negotiations Newsletter #2
- Pick the link below for newsletter 2. Some points of interest include, RTW, Bargaining notice, Salaries and Academic Freedom.
CAAT Negotations - Newsletter 2
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(May 19/09) - L138 Elections (results from the GMM - Elecitons meeting held on May 7-09)
Officers elected / acclaimed for the September 1/09 - Aug 31/11 period are:
- President - Bernie Nawrocki
- Vice President - Gayle Dale
- Chief Steward - Kent McLain
- Treasurer - Paul Ramey
- Secretary - ken Acton
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(May 6/09) - RTW Update
- Ted Montgomery - So, we have the decision that there may be compensable workload as a result of the post-strike return to work and the colleges' semester completion strategies. It remains now to consider each claim on its merits – i.e. was there actual work?" ...select the following links for more information
RTW Interim Award
RTW Award - Ted Montgomery
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(April 29/09) - CAAT Academic Negotiations News
- Workload, salary, and academic
freedom are the top list of priorities
- Still no resolution to Return to Work
grievances from 2006 strike
- Select the link below for more details
CAAT Negotiaitons News
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(April 20/09) - OPSEU - CAAT - Pension
The CAAT Pension Plan is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Dobson as Chief Executive Officer and Plan Manager, effective May 1, 2009. Please select the PDF link for more information.
CAAT_CEO.PDF
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(March 26/09) - Workload Task Report
One of the outcomes of the last round of bargaining included the establishment of a workload task force. This committee was tasked with offering views and recommendations on how both sides should deal with workload for this upcoming round of bargaining. Please select the following links for the report and an analysis by Ted Montgomery, Chair of the CAAT negotiating team.
Workload Task Report
Analysis by Montgomery - Workload Task Report
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(Feb 19/09) - Part Time Vote Count
Please pick on the following link for information regarding the Part Time Vote Count. Please inform Part Timers in your area about this link.
Part Time Vote Count
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(Jan 15/09) - Workload Task Force
-
The bargaining of the current collective agreement concluded with an arbitration award issued by Arbitrator Kaplan. One of the issues raised in bargaining was the workload formula contained in the collective agreement. Arbitrator Kaplan did not resolve that issue but directed that the question of workload and the formula and related issues be referred to an independent task force for study and non-binding recommendations that might guide the parties in future negotiations.
The workload task force has a mandate to complete the study and make recommendations by March 1, 2009.
In order to have as much empirical data as possible the task force decided to conduct two surveys: one was designed for the faculty and the other, for academic managers at the colleges. The surveys were conducted by Leger Marketing and jointly funded by OPSEU and the College Compensation and Appointments Council.
Pick on the following links to view the surveys that were used.
Faculty Survey
Management Survey
A copy of the final recommendations will be forwarded when they become available.
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(Jan 9/09) - Demand Setting Meeting
A Local demand setting meeting was held on Dec 18/08. Talk to your stewards about the demands made by Local 138 members. A (PDSM) Provincial Demand Setting Meeting will take place on Feb 7 & 8 where Local demands are considered and prioritized for the next round of bargaining.
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(Nov 24/08) - Update on CAAT Pension PLan
Select the following link to read an update on the CAAT Pension Plan
CAAT Pension Plan Update
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(Nov 11/08) - Part Timers - You Can Join OPSEU today !
Any part timer who like to join OPSEU can sign up by selecting the following OPSEU link:
http://www.opseu.org/caat/parttime/join.htm
The Union office (Rm 117) will be open for sign up on Thursday, Nov 13/08 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Tel: 519-972-2727 (x4690)
(South Campus) - Contact Bernie Nawrocki @ x4536
(Thames Campus) - Contact Kent Mclain @ x3323
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(Nov 4/08) - Workload Task Force
The Workload Task Force members have been meeting over the last few months. We have agreed to assist them wherever we can with administrative support. They have asked us (the Union and the Council) to facilitate the distribution of the attached communiqué.
The Council is sending the same attachments to the administration at each college.
In solidarity, Janet Wright - Negotiator
Select this link - - > Workload Task Force Communique
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(Oct 16/08) - RTW - Comments by Ted Montgomery
"Remarkably there is still nothing really to report. I have been in regular contact with our counsel, David Wright, and both he and I have been talking with the union nominee to the Board of Arbitration to get updates. The Board is still considering the evidence put before them so far, and as I understand it may possibly be requesting some further evidence with respect to interpretation of some of the settlement language. I will be keeping in touch with David and will let you know as soon as there is anything substantive to report.
While grievances do often take a long time, and there is really no way to speed them up, we would hope to make progress on these claims sooner than later. I will press our counsel to see if it is in our interests to encourage the board to reach a conclusion, if not a final conclusion then at least part way. "
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(Oct 3/08) - OPSEU Educational
The Region 1 Educational Package has been posted to the web and can be viewed by clicking on the following link;
http://www.opseu.org/membereducation/region1/region1November2008Educational.pdf
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(Oct 1/08) - General Membership Meeting
Some highlights from Last Night's General Membership Meeting........
- Kent Mclain was elected as Chief Steward
- (unfinished business) - Academic Direction was debated and the
consensus
was that the LEC should review the list of concerns at the LEC and come back to the membership with an update
- Gino Franche and Ron Elliot discussed the political process regarding the communication from the Local - divisional - board levels
- Gino & Ron confirmed that the bargaining unit structure will be comprised of (4) separate units.
- Both Gino and Ron did not feel that was the ideal arrangement
- Academic Council concerns were discussed -
remains
on the agenda for the next GMM
- For more information, please review the minutes when they become available
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(August 29/08) - New Hires
- Local 138 would like to welcome the new hires
- Your steward representative will be getting in touch with you
- The Local recommends that new hires review your grid placement (pay scale) with Jody Merritt......jmerritt@stclaircollege.ca
- Also refer to the "New Hires" button on the left
- If you do not have a hardcopy of the collective agreement, contact Ken Acton @ 4322
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(April 30/08) - SWF'S Presentation
As a result of the SWF presentation that took place last evening, the CWMG members recommend the following procedure for challenging / accpeting your SWF:
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(Feb 11/08) - RTW Claims as per Ted Montgomery
The Local has received inquiries as to the status of the RTW claims submitted after the strike. I have received the following update from Ted Montgomery:
Update on the Return-to-Work Grievances.
The colleges have been delaying the process by raising various preliminary objections. Their original objection was dismissed. The colleges amended their position reframing the next set of objections as “clarifications” they sought from the Board which would narrow the scope of claims to only those where the weekly or annual TCH's limits were exceeded. The Board wanted to hear some evidence first. The union proceeded with a limited number of grievors over four days of hearings in the fall, establishing the variety as well as the legitimacy of claims. The Board is now satisfied that it has enough evidence to proceed to the parties arguing on this colleges' objection.
In a nutshell, the colleges are claiming that work is movable so even if a teacher works 80 hours a week for the rest of the term, post-strike, that does not merit any payment for completing the courses. The union takes the position that the colleges reduced salary by the 3 weeks of strike, so they have to expect 3 weeks less work. To the extent that they require a full year's work – the semester completion strategies – the colleges have to pay for any such work. Also, any additional work generated by having to amend courses or take on added duties is compensable. This was the model used by arbitrators in previous post-strike circumstances. St. Clair and the other colleges are this time attempting to get the full year's work - or as close to it as they can - but not compensate faculty for making up work lost because of the strike. The union has said, faculty are quite prepared to make up the work, but must be paid for that work.
The next hearing date is March 7 th . I will be meeting with David Wright, our counsel, later this month to prepare for that hearing date. I can tell you that our evidence went in very well with excellent witnesses. We are in good position, and the delaying tactics of the colleges, the preference to litigate rather than deal with the substantive claims, is frustrating to all of us, as I am sure it must be to the members with outstanding claims.
Ted Montgomery, Negotiating Team Chair
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(Feb 6/08) - Whitaker Report
- The Whitaker report sets out a number of recommendations which, if adopted by the government will, in Whitaker's view, facilitate the introduction of collective bargaining for part time college employees, ensure that the colleges can continue to meet their mandate, safeguard the interests of students, employees and the Province, while fostering and enhancing a healthy collective bargaining relationship in the college system.
- Pick on the following link for a comprehensive read
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/ccba/CollegesReportFeb08.pdf
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