SCSU will do it's best to keep you updated on the latest information in regards to the College Employer Council (CEC) and the OPSEU CAAT-A union bargaining
Press releases and news updates
FEBRUARY 24: OPSEU voted 62% to reject the CEC's final offer. This does not mean a walk out strike, as the work-to-rule will continue as is.
We will be updating this page as frequently as possible. If you have questions please contact our President Ahmad Alkosani in the contact form below.
We will be updating this page as frequently as possible. If you have questions please contact our President Ahmad Alkosani in the contact form below.
March 4: release from SCSU and other Student unions to CEC & College faculty
March 10: response to the letter from College employer council (CEC)
Dear Student Leaders,
We are in receipt of the OSA Release expressing concern about whether the semester will be disrupted by a faculty strike or an escalation of work-to-rule such as we see beginning Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022.
The past two years have been really hard for everyone. Every time we thought College life might be returning to normal, the pandemic would worsen and global events would create additional stress and anxiety. Despite these difficulties, the College sector across Ontario has persevered in providing students with the high-quality education they deserve.
Every few years the Colleges engage in negotiations with academic employees to discuss the terms of their employment contract. These negotiations occur on the provincial level and affect all Colleges, College employees, and students across Ontario.
Currently, the parties are at an impasse. We have been able to address and agree to many of the Union’s demands. Colleges are not currently seeking any concessions from faculty. There remain a few demands from faculty that we have consistently said the CEC/Colleges cannot agree to for fiscal, legislative, or operational reasons.
We have not refused arbitration but provided an alternative arbitration proposal for the same purpose of ending the impasse.
Indeed, we ask the Union to reconsider our proposal for an arbitrated solution to ensure there will be no harm or interruption for students.
We share your frustration with the negotiation process. The CEC has created a resource hub for students available here. If you have additional questions, please reach out to info@collegeemployercouncil.ca for more information.
The Management Bargaining Team
Dr. Laurie Rancourt (she/her) Bargaining Chair, Humber College
Stephanie Ball (she/her) Executive Dean, Durham College
Goranka Vukelich, PhD (she/her) Executive Dean, Conestoga College
Ian Wigglesworth (he/him), Associate Vice President, George Brown College
Jeannine Verdenik (she/her) Executive Director, Confederation College
Leslie Casson (she/her) Associate Dean, St. Lawrence College
We are in receipt of the OSA Release expressing concern about whether the semester will be disrupted by a faculty strike or an escalation of work-to-rule such as we see beginning Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022.
The past two years have been really hard for everyone. Every time we thought College life might be returning to normal, the pandemic would worsen and global events would create additional stress and anxiety. Despite these difficulties, the College sector across Ontario has persevered in providing students with the high-quality education they deserve.
Every few years the Colleges engage in negotiations with academic employees to discuss the terms of their employment contract. These negotiations occur on the provincial level and affect all Colleges, College employees, and students across Ontario.
Currently, the parties are at an impasse. We have been able to address and agree to many of the Union’s demands. Colleges are not currently seeking any concessions from faculty. There remain a few demands from faculty that we have consistently said the CEC/Colleges cannot agree to for fiscal, legislative, or operational reasons.
We have not refused arbitration but provided an alternative arbitration proposal for the same purpose of ending the impasse.
Indeed, we ask the Union to reconsider our proposal for an arbitrated solution to ensure there will be no harm or interruption for students.
We share your frustration with the negotiation process. The CEC has created a resource hub for students available here. If you have additional questions, please reach out to info@collegeemployercouncil.ca for more information.
The Management Bargaining Team
Dr. Laurie Rancourt (she/her) Bargaining Chair, Humber College
Stephanie Ball (she/her) Executive Dean, Durham College
Goranka Vukelich, PhD (she/her) Executive Dean, Conestoga College
Ian Wigglesworth (he/him), Associate Vice President, George Brown College
Jeannine Verdenik (she/her) Executive Director, Confederation College
Leslie Casson (she/her) Associate Dean, St. Lawrence College
March 10: Response from the College Faculty (CAATA)
Dear Student Leaders:
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspective. We understand the stress you are under, and share your concerns about the continued unrest.
Over the past several months, college faculty have attempted to find middle ground and de-escalate tensions. We have scaled back our proposals significantly from our original positions, and back in November, offered to refer all outstanding matters to voluntary binding interest arbitration to ensure stability in the system. To be clear, binding interest arbitration is not a win for either side, it is simply a path through this impasse without labour disruption in the face of current global events. It is also the most likely outcome following lockout or strike, and was what the government legislated to end the strike in 2017.
Following faculty’s rejection of College management’s offer in February, we offered to return to the table to negotiate, or to go to voluntary binding interest arbitration. The College management team refused saying that they could not negotiate faculty’s proposals because they are “unacceptable” to college management. They also refused arbitration, however, because they state that they have a duty to negotiate.
We can only conclude from their circular logic that the College management team is only willing to negotiate if faculty drop all of our demands. Faculty are, like all public service workers, taking a 4% per year pay cut in real wages due to the government’s wage restraint legislation. That cut will disproportionately affect new faculty over the life of their careers with the colleges. Nonetheless, our demands are NOT about wages: they are about direct improvements to your learning experience and equity for all faculty. The vast majority are at zero cost to the colleges.
Instead of finding a solution, the College Presidents, who direct the College management team, are forcing an unnecessary escalation. We know we can’t move any further; that’s why we proposed binding interest arbitration as a solution. We’ve asked the College Presidents to agree, but they would rather risk your year than seek a resolution.
We hope they’ll listen to you, the students, and do the right thing. We’ve drafted our own letter for students that goes directly to their college presidents. You can find it here, and we encourage you to share it with your members if you desire: https://www.collegefaculty.org/write-your-college-president/
This is not about winning; it’s not a game for us as faculty. This is about fighting for what’s needed for you in the system to ensure you have the supports you need to succeed. We know that right now you need stability, too. That’s why we are willing to arbitrate if the College management team refuses to negotiate.
Take care, and please feel free to reach out if you’d like to meet and talk further. We’d be happy to meet with you directly as well.
In solidarity,
JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, Shawn
The College Faculty (CAATA) Bargaining Team
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspective. We understand the stress you are under, and share your concerns about the continued unrest.
Over the past several months, college faculty have attempted to find middle ground and de-escalate tensions. We have scaled back our proposals significantly from our original positions, and back in November, offered to refer all outstanding matters to voluntary binding interest arbitration to ensure stability in the system. To be clear, binding interest arbitration is not a win for either side, it is simply a path through this impasse without labour disruption in the face of current global events. It is also the most likely outcome following lockout or strike, and was what the government legislated to end the strike in 2017.
Following faculty’s rejection of College management’s offer in February, we offered to return to the table to negotiate, or to go to voluntary binding interest arbitration. The College management team refused saying that they could not negotiate faculty’s proposals because they are “unacceptable” to college management. They also refused arbitration, however, because they state that they have a duty to negotiate.
We can only conclude from their circular logic that the College management team is only willing to negotiate if faculty drop all of our demands. Faculty are, like all public service workers, taking a 4% per year pay cut in real wages due to the government’s wage restraint legislation. That cut will disproportionately affect new faculty over the life of their careers with the colleges. Nonetheless, our demands are NOT about wages: they are about direct improvements to your learning experience and equity for all faculty. The vast majority are at zero cost to the colleges.
Instead of finding a solution, the College Presidents, who direct the College management team, are forcing an unnecessary escalation. We know we can’t move any further; that’s why we proposed binding interest arbitration as a solution. We’ve asked the College Presidents to agree, but they would rather risk your year than seek a resolution.
We hope they’ll listen to you, the students, and do the right thing. We’ve drafted our own letter for students that goes directly to their college presidents. You can find it here, and we encourage you to share it with your members if you desire: https://www.collegefaculty.org/write-your-college-president/
This is not about winning; it’s not a game for us as faculty. This is about fighting for what’s needed for you in the system to ensure you have the supports you need to succeed. We know that right now you need stability, too. That’s why we are willing to arbitrate if the College management team refuses to negotiate.
Take care, and please feel free to reach out if you’d like to meet and talk further. We’d be happy to meet with you directly as well.
In solidarity,
JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, Shawn
The College Faculty (CAATA) Bargaining Team
March 15: Sault star release: student union urges college, faculty to reach an agreement
March 16th- 20 student association with SCSU has wrote a letter to both parties and asked the ministry to step in to avoid the strike
MARCH 17TH - CEC AND OPSEU ARE BACK TO NEGOTIATION AS OF THIS MORNING - THE STRIKE DEADLINE HASN'T CHANGED YET
Frequently asked questions
What is A strike?
- A strike may take different forms. In general, it is a refusal to work in the normal way that is designed to slow down, disrupt, or stop operations. A strike is organized by a Union as a form of protest typically in an attempt to force the employer to agree to their demands.
what are the different forms of a strike?
- Work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, and full walk-out are all forms of strike.
- In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.
- In a partial walk-out, employees refuse to perform some of their assigned duties.
- In a rotating strike, employees walk out entirely for short periods of time at different institutions.
- In a full walk-out strike, employees withdraw all their services and choose to walk the picket line.
what is work-to-rule?
- In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.
will classes still run during work-to-rule?
- In work-to-rule, teachers continue to teach their classes and perform duties as assigned.
How long will a strike last?
- Currently, the Union has been engaged in strike action since December 18, 2021.
- In 2017, the Union engaged in a full walk-out strike that lasted for more than 5 weeks. Students were still able to complete their semester.
- They can last for a day or for an extended period of time
Will work-to-rule effect my classes?
- Work-to-rule should not affect your classes.
- Work-to-rule means employees continue to do their job performing duties they have been assigned such as teaching and grading.
What is this strike about?
We encourage you to read both sides of the progression of the negotiations to form opinions. You can find information from both sides here:
OPSEU (Faculty Union)
CEC (College Employer Council)
OPSEU (Faculty Union)
CEC (College Employer Council)
What is SCSU's role during the strike?
We are committed to providing you facts and most unbias information to you the students so you can stay informed. We are committed to hear your concerns and find answers as well as keeping your voices heard at both sides of the table. We want students education to not be effected so you can complete your semester, just as you planned.
