Faculty at Ontario’s public colleges, including Canadore, have given their bargaining team a strike mandate.
John Patterson, President of OPSEU Local 657, says there are nearly 200 members at the local college.
“It includes full-time and partial-load faculty. We have 120 full-time and we have about 79 partial-load,” he says.
Patterson says 62 percent of local members who voted supported job action.
He says workload is the core issue.
“Our workload is based on a formula. That formula was developed in 1985 and obviously, our work has changed quite extensively since 1985. We’re looking to update that workload to reflect the things that we’re doing today,” he says.
Patterson says the pandemic has highlighted some of the issues around workload.
Provincially, OPSEU says job security and equity are also issues.
The faculty bargaining team has given five days’ notice that members can begin working to rule, effective December 18.
Patterson says this is the final week of classes and exams before marks go in next week.
The College Employer Council says only 68% of full-time and partial-load professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors, provincially cast their ballot.
“Accordingly, the strike vote demonstrates that approximately 40% of faculty voiced their support for a strike,” states a release.
“On December 7, prior to the strike vote, the CEC announced it would introduce wage and benefit enhancements, as well as other improvements contained in its offer. We do not understand why, less than two hours after the strike vote results were released, the CAAT-A team issued an ultimatum that if the CEC introduces these terms and conditions, they will provide five days’ notice for all possible labour action,” said Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC.
He says the terms and conditions promised last week will be introduced. The CEC says it has not left the table.
