Colleges' Final Offer Rejected - Union Sets Unnecessary Strike for October 16

Final offer increases wages by 7.75% over four years and enhances benefits
New full-time faculty maximum of $115,378
Promotes conversion of contract faculty to full-time positions

TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - OPSEU CAAT Academic rejected the colleges' final offer of settlement and instead gave notice that a strike action could start on October 16. The final offer invests in faculty and addresses union demands on benefits, staffing, workload, and faculty autonomy.

"Our final offer is responsive to what we have heard at the bargaining table and fair to our faculty," said Sonia Del Missier, Chair, Colleges' Bargaining Team. "Unfortunately, the OPSEU Academic team continues to choose the path toward an unnecessary strike that would be a terrible outcome for our students. We are asking the union to let faculty decide by putting the colleges' final offer to a vote and avoid a strike."

Offer Highlights

Wages and Benefits

• 7.75% increase over four years (1.75%, 2.0%, 2.0%, 2.0%)
• New full-time faculty maximum of $115,378 by October 1, 2020
• New partial-load faculty hourly maximum of $154.26 by October 1, 2020
• Add Social Workers and Psychotherapists to paramedical providers
• Increase combined maximum annual coverage for all covered paramedical services from $1,500 to $2,000
• Improve parental and pregnancy leave provisions

Staffing and Workload

• Reintroduce union's ability to challenge college staffing decisions by removing moratorium
• Give preference to contract faculty where operational requirements allow
• Allow faculty more flexibility to work overtime if they choose, reducing the need for contract faculty
• Provide employment stability and teaching continuity by bringing sessional employees into the bargaining unit when filling in for full-time absences
• Allow faculty more discretion over individual course workload and course continuity
• Recognize time commitments associated with student accommodation requirements

Bill 148 – Equal Pay for Equal Work

• When law is enacted, parties will meet to discuss implementation; unresolved issues settled by third-party arbitration
• No monetary restrictions on what the parties can negotiate

Other Proposals

• Allow parties to discuss intellectual property issues at the provincial level
• Establish a provincial-joint committee to review counsellor classification to address the changing profile of students
• Provide greater flexibility to increase the starting salary of new hires

The full offer has been posted at www.thecouncil.ca.

SOURCE College Employer Council

For media inquiries: David Scott, 416-786-1641, [email protected]

Related Links

www.thecouncil.on.ca