Barganing 2021

Parties Reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration

The parties have reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration and the strike that was scheduled to commence at 12:01 am on March 18, 2022, is called off. This also concludes all work-to-rule strike activities.

Les parties sont parvenues à un accord pour entamer un arbitrage d'intérêt contraignant et la grève qui devait commencer à 0h01 le 18 mars 2022 est annulée. Ceci met également fin à toutes les activités de grève de type " grève-du-zèle ".

Bargaining Resumes without conditions

Yesterday, the faculty bargaining team invited the CEC to join us back to the table today and tomorrow (see attached letter) with no preconditions, and they have agreed to meet on Thursday to attempt to reach a negotiated settlement prior to the strike deadline at 12.01am Friday, March 18.   As we indicated in our invitation (see below), if real progress is being made, then we are willing to extend the strike deadline. 

Bargaining Update: CEC's Latest Communication

We have forwarded the CEC's latest communication, and the actual statement from the Treasury Board, to our legal team for review.  Neither was ever presented to us before being made public, and this is the first we've seen it.  The faculty bargaining team, and to our knowledge, OPSEU/SEFPO, were not consulted by the Treasury Board (TB) prior to this communication being issued.

Bargaining Update: Announcement of Strike Deadline

Today, three months after commencing work-to-rule action, we are setting a strike deadline in an effort to compel the College Employer Council (CEC) and the College Presidents to do either of the two things they have refused to do since bargaining began: 

• Complete negotiations on faculty’s priority issues, or,

• Refer outstanding issues to binding interest arbitration.  

Bargaining Update on Vote Results and Work to Rule

We just voted down the CEC’s forced offer again and sent a clear and resounding message to the College Presidents and the CEC team that they must negotiate faculty’s key issues. The Colleges’ team is clinging to a fear-mongering campaign —one sanctioned and supported by the College Presidents.

Before the vote Bargaining Team update

We know that many of you have been receiving a constant barrage of information from the CEC, and that it is difficult to sift through the information, both in terms of volume and legitimacy of the content. 

important clarification on Bill 124 and faculty workload

It has been an eventful and exciting week in bargaining so far, and we wanted to share the following update with you regarding faculty workload proposals and Bill 124.  Please pass it along to your faculty colleagues, but we ask that you not post the brief in its entirety on social media or other public forums, as it is protected by solicitor-client privilege.

Forced Offer Vote - 9 am on February 15th to 3 pm on February 17th

For months, CAAT-A faculty have been bargaining for modest, realistic, but much-needed improvements to the College system. The CEC and the Colleges have refused to address these issues, resulting in our successful strike vote in December.

OPSEU/SEFPO files Unfair Labour Practice Complaint Against College Employer Counci

Today, in response to escalating rhetoric from the College Employer Council and a number of colleges, OPSEU/SEFPO has filed an unfair labour practice (ULP) complaint regarding union interference with the Ontario Labour Relations Board 

“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.

Return to Campus/Health and Safety

While many colleges have once again moved as many courses as possible online for the start of Winter semester, there are a number of courses--such as labs and shops--that will continue to be face-to-face.  Many colleges are planning to run these classes with NO physical distancing or capacity limit measures in place, despite the increased transmission risk due to the Omicron variant.  We would like to remind members that you have the right to refuse unsafe work.  Please ask your college what they are doing to ensure the safety of faculty and students in these spaces, and know that you have the right to contact the Ministry of Labour or the local public health unit to inspect these instructional spaces.  

Work to Rule

Find out more about what work to rule means for you.

Vote Results & College Response

Over 2/3 of college faculty voted 59% in favour of labour action in an extremely short time frame at the end of a difficult semester.  We hope that this sends a clear message to the colleges and the College Employer Council to come back to the table and negotiate faculty demands. We are very pleased with this result, and with the work that you've done to get out the vote. 

Faculty Bargaining Update and Meeting Notes

Over the last two nights, the faculty bargaining team has held two province wide bargaining update meetings, with over 2,400 faculty in attendance. These meetings were in addition to the General Membership meetings that the team attended at seventeen different Union Locals over the last two weeks.  

Bargaining Update 7th December

As we inch closer to our strike mandate online vote this week, we are hosting two provincial faculty meetings. While this is unfolding, our click to email your college president initiative is also underway. As well, your Bargaining Team has been busy presenting at local GMM's! Your engagement and participation in these initiatives could not be more important. There is still room for a negotiated deal without escalation. Together we can make this happen!

Email your President Campaign

Ontario college faculty have been in the process of negotiating a fair collective agreement with the College Employer Council (CEC). This process has ground to a halt thanks to the aggressive tactics of the CEC, and now Ontario colleges are facing a potential labour disruption.

Strike Authorization Vote Scheduled

The Ontario Labour Relations Board has confirmed that it will conduct a strike vote online, from Thursday December 9 until Saturday December 11 (at 3:00 P.M.). All current full-time and partial-load faculty will be eligible to vote, and each Local is currently confirming the lists of eligible faculty.

Bargaining Update 26 November 2021 & Save the Date - Upcoming Faculty Meetings

We have reviewed the College Employer Council team’s latest offers, including their proposal for Final Offer Selection arbitration, received through various email channels this week.

Bargaining Team Update - November 25

Attached both a presentation and an infographic, which include information about our current bargaining situation, a comparison of the two offers, and some steps that members can take to support bargaining.  

Team calls for strike vote to protect members from effects of CEC-requested “no board” report

At every stage of negotiations, the faculty team has attempted to avoid labour disruption--by compromising, by incorporating the CEC team’s concerns and ideas with our own, and through creative problem-solving such as voluntary binding arbitration. 

November 16: Team calls for strike vote to protect members from effects of CEC-requested “no board” report

The CEC team walked away from negotiations yesterday without responding to our offer for voluntary binding arbitration, and has asked the conciliator for a “no board” report. 

Employer Team Rejects Voluntary Arbitration, Abandons Negotiations

Today, your faculty bargaining team returned to the bargaining table, to resume negotiations with the assistance of a Conciliation Officer appointed by the Ministry of Labour. It was the first day that we have met with the College Employer Council (CEC) bargaining team in a week, despite our offer for additional days earlier this week.

Nov. 16 Update from the Bargaining Team

This document compares the current offer of each bargaining team, as we enter into the process of conciliation, starting Thursday.

CEC Claims: Fact or Fiction?

File addressing some recent CEC claims about bargaining.

Communication Blackout as bargaining continues & Town Hall postponed until Nov 11th

The CAAT-A Bargaining Team will be back at the bargaining table with the Management Bargaining Team on Monday, November 8, 2021. We are pleased that discussions will be resuming. Both parties have agreed to a communication blackout until Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 6 pm, to allow frank and open discussions to take place. 

Unfair Labour Practise complaint filing by CEC

the College Employer Council bargaining team has chosen to file for conciliation, and filed an unfair labour practice (ULP) complaint alleging bad-faith bargaining with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Mediation Update - Oct 28

It is with great disappointment and frustration that we report to you that mediation has failed.  Attached is the final report of the mediator, along with the offer of settlement we tabled during mediation.  

Blackout during Mediation

Mediator Brian Keller has imposed a “total communications blackout on negotiations” as mediation continues between Ontario’s public college faculty, represented by OPSEU/SEFPO, and the employer, the College Employer Council.

Until the blackout is lifted, OPSEU/SEFPO will be unable to provide further information on the progress of negotiations.

Updated Report on Education in Ontario Colleges

We offer you the newly updated 2021 Report on Education, documenting and analyzing the changing landscape of Ontario’s Colleges.

Negotiation Flow Chart 

Take a look to see how the negotiation process works.

Updated College offer Summary

Summary of CEC offer and union comments.

CEC Mediation Reply

Please see the letter of response to mediation from the CEC.

Summary of Proposal

Please see below for the CEC's settlement offer and our BT's counter response, inviting pre-conciliation.

Management Settlement Proposal with Bargaining team comments

Attached please find Faculty's Notes on Management's Settlement offer, in addition to the tabled proposals M09, M10a/b, and M11 which were sent out earlier this evening.  All of these proposals were tabled by the CEC team on Wednesday at 4pm.  

Getting Down to Brass Tacks

AUGUST 2021: After first meeting with the College Employer Council in early July, CAAT-A  bargaining resumed with the employer for  three more days this week.

College Faculty bargaining Bulletin 4: meeting resistance - and overcoming it

AUGUST 24, 2021: Better workload, staffing, equity and professional conditions for College Faculty will mean a better future for our colleges. As we look ahead to a recovery from this pandemic, a strong college system is important to that recovery.

CAAT-A bargaining bulletin 3: CAAT-A team lays out blueprint for better college system

AUGUSY 6, 2021: These proposals will not only benefit the hundreds of thousands of students who rely on our colleges for their future but also spur the province’s economic recovery.

College Faculty Negotiations bulletin 2

APRIL 2021: At this critical moment, OPSEU/SEFPO is pushing the government even harder to engage with us in productive talks to guarantee stable, sustainable funding across our public postsecondary system.

College Faculty Negotiations bulletin 1

MARCH 2021: Over the course of February, members gathered in record numbers in their Locals to discuss the results of their general membership surveys, to listen to one another about the issues of concern they face in their work, and to use this information to set their priorities for this round of negotiations.