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January 16, 2009
Part-time faculty vote starts Monday
First nine colleges vote Jan. 19 - Jan. 22
On Monday morning, a part-time or
sessional faculty member at Algonquin College in Ottawa will cast the first
ballot in a history-making vote.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board
(OLRB) has called a representation vote to see if part-time and sessional
faculty at all 24 Ontario community colleges want to join the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The voting, supervised by Labour Relations
Officers from the OLRB, will happen at 60 locations on 12 days from Jan. 19 to
Feb. 5.
“This is the vote we have been
waiting for, and I encourage everyone who is or has been a part-time or
sessional faculty member to get out and vote yes,” said Roger Couvrette,
president of the organization of part-time and sessional college workers (OPSECAAT).
“By joining OPSEU, we’ll have the
right to take part in collective bargaining to try to improve our wages and
working conditions,” said Couvrette, who teaches part-time at Centennial College
in Toronto. “We’ll be able to create a more organized, stable work environment
for part-timers at the colleges, instead of the chaos which often prevails
today. And lastly, we’ll be able to build a better quality of education for the
students we teach.
“This is an exciting moment for
part-time and sessional faculty,” he said. “Let’s seize the moment and vote yes,
yes, yes!”
The vote is the result of nearly
four years of campaigning by part-timers and sessionals in cooperation with
OPSEU.
“In 2005, when we started this
drive, the legislation to make it possible didn’t even exist,” said Couvrette.
“But by talking with part-timers and organizing ourselves into a force to be
reckoned with, we changed the law.
“By collecting thousands of
signatures on union cards since 2007, we convinced the Labour Board to order
this vote,” he said. “We’ve worked hard and we’re moving ahead.
“With this vote, we are taking the
next big step towards positive change in the lives of college part-timers and
sessionals,” Couvrette said. “My dream is to have a massive turnout of voters
who can see a future where we are empowered, respected, and recognized for the
important work we do to build the future for our students and our province.”
Voting this week
Officers of the Ontario Labour
Relations Board will supervise voting this week at these colleges:
Jan. 19 Algonquin, St.
Lawrence
Jan. 20 La cité
collégiale, Fleming, Loyalist
Jan. 21 Georgian, Durham
Jan. 22 Sheridan, Mohawk
For a complete listing of vote
locations and times for this week’s vote, see the chart at the end of this
document.
The VOTE YES campaign
stopped at Fleming College this week, with Roger Couvrette once again behind
the wheel of the blue bus from the OPSEU card-signing campaign. Pictured
here are: Candy Lindsay, vice-president of the Organization of Part-Time and
Sessional Employees of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (OPSECAAT);
Dave Shaw, part-time faculty, Fleming College; Gary Bonczac, president,
OPSEU Local 352; Barb Linds, retired OPSEU campaigns officer and lead hand
for the vote in eastern Ontario; Audrey Healy, chief steward, Local 352;
Roger Couvrette, OPSECAAT president.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What happens to your wages and working
conditions when you unionize?
The wages and working conditions of
part-time and sessional faculty at Ontario colleges vary widely. People at one
college might earn half the wage of people doing the same job at another
college. Part-timers in one department may be paid for attending a mandatory
training session while those in other areas are not. Every college is different.
Some college employees have asked
what happens to their wages and other workplace benefits when they unionize.
They want improvements, but they don’t want to lose what they have..
It is exactly this concern that led
to the creation in Ontario labour law of what’s called the “freeze provision.”
Under the freeze provision, your wages and working conditions are frozen the
minute a union is certified as your legal bargaining agent. That means it is
against the law for your employer to cut your wages or remove certain perqs just
because you unionize.
Once you unionize, you and your
co-workers have the means to negotiate improvements to what you have. By banding
together, you maximize your bargaining power. And under Ontario law, your
employer must bargain in good faith.
Who should vote? YOU should vote
Some part-time or sessional faculty
members are wondering, for various reasons, if they are eligible to vote in the
Jan. 19 - Feb. 5 certification vote. The answer is YES.
“Because of the extreme turnover
rates among part-timers, this organizing drive is unlike any other I’ve been
involved with,” says Connie Huziak, Organizing Representative with OPSEU.
“Normally, the people who are in the bargaining unit on the day the union
applies to represent them are the same people who vote. With the colleges, it’s
a different story.
“The issue of who is eligible to
vote will be the subject of many arguments between lawyers after the vote is
complete. In the meantime, if you think you are eligible, you should vote.”
That’s the advice of the Labour
Relations Board. In its Jan. 6 order, the Board wrote:
“If employees believe that they are
eligible to vote, or have any question as to their eligibility to vote, they
should attend at a polling place and identify themselves to the Board Officer
conducting the vote. If an employee’s eligibility to vote is unclear or in
dispute, the employee will be given an opportunity to mark a ballot, but it will
be segregated. This means that the ballot will be sealed in a separate envelope
until the employee’s eligibility to vote has been determined.”
The Board will use a
double-envelope system for every ballot. That way, the Board can rule on the
eligibility of an individual voter while keeping his or her vote confidential.
“You will never regret voting, but
you may regret not voting,” says Huziak. “Please come out and vote. It’s worth
it.”
You can vote ANYWHERE in Ontario
Many part-time and sessional
faculty work at one college but live near another. Others may be traveling
during the vote period. Here’s the good news: You can vote at any one of the 60
vote locations in Ontario. For a complete and up-to-date listing of vote
locations, please visit
www.collegeworkers.org.
Part-time wages to quadruple with OPSEU,
college boss Don Sinclair hints
Employers always say unusual things
during union organizing drives, but Don Sinclair, Executive Director of the
Colleges Compensation and Appointments Council, has come up with something truly
exceptional.
In a Jan. 7 letter to part-time and
sessional faculty, Sinclair warned that “OPSEU’s current dues structure requires
an employee to pay approximately $100 per semester.””
If Sinclair is right, part-timers
are going to be earning a lot more money with OPSEU as their bargaining agent.
Here’s the math. OPSEU dues are
calculated as a percentage of gross pay – 1.375 per cent, to be exact. At this
rate, a part-timer who pays $100 in OPSEU union dues would be earning $7,272.73
per semester.
That’s pretty good money compared
to what part-timers actually make. Take the example of someone teaching three
hours a week at $45 an hour for a 13-week course. This person makes $135 a week
and $1,755 per semester. At this rate, his or her union dues for the semester
would actually be $24.13.
For this individual, the only way
Sinclair could be right is if wages quadrupled.
Of course there is no way to tell
if Sinclair is talking about a part-timer who works three hours a week or one
who works six. If the part-timer teaches six hours a week with a salary of
$3,510 per semester, his or her union dues would be $48.26 – still less than
half of Sinclair’s number.
“Obviously no union can promise
specific wage increases before bargaining begins, but if Don Sinclair’s opening
position is to double or quadruple wages, then obviously we’re happy to use that
as a starting point for further negotiations,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas,
president of OPSEU.
“The purpose of Sinclair’s letter
is to subtly persuade part-time and sessional faculty to vote for the status
quo,” said Thomas. “The colleges have been cutting costs by underpaying
part-timers compared for two decades. They know that a union like OPSEU, with a
proven track record at the bargaining table, is bound to put upward pressure on
wage costs.
“That’s why the colleges are
opposed to part-timers having a strong voice in the workplace.”
Got questions? We’ve got answers
If you have questions about joining
a union, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, or collective bargaining in
general, we’ve got answers. For answers to the most commonly-asked questions,
visit www.collegeworkers.org. If you have questions that don’t appear in our
Q&A, call our hotline at 1-866-811-7274.
You have the power to change your life at work
A message to all new part-time and
sessional college faculty from Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president, Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU)
Dear friend:
I’m hoping one of your new
co-workers has given you a copy of the Part-Time Times so you can read this
letter. I want to offer greetings from my union and give you my perspective
on what’s been happening on college campuses over the last few years.
As it happens, you’ve started
your new job in the midst of a union representation vote. This vote was
ordered by the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to find out if
part-time and sessional want OPSEU to represent them in collective
bargaining.
This vote didn’t just come out
of nowhere. Part-timers and sessionals have been working with OPSEU for
close to four years to make it happen. In the last year or so, thousands of
your co-workers signed OPSEU union cards. It was their commitment that
convinced the OLRB to call this vote.
People come to work at colleges
for many reasons. Those who like the work, and want to stay, quickly learn
that the wages and working conditions for part-timers leave a lot to be
desired.
This is the result of 30 years
of unfair discrimination. Until last October, it was against the law for
part-time and sessional college workers in Ontario to even join a union. Our
campaign changed that. The new Colleges Collective Bargaining Act says
you’ve got a legal right to join with your co-workers and bargain for a
better life at work.
I joined OPSEU more than 30
years ago. It was the right decision for me then, and it’s the right
decision for you now. That’s why I’m asking you to come out and vote. When
you do, VOTE YES.
With OPSEU, you’ll have a
strong voice in the workplace – not only to improve your job, but to improve
the quality of education your college delivers.
With OPSEU, you’ll be
represented by a fully democratic union with a 40-year track record in
Ontario’s community colleges. Ask a full-time faculty member about his or
her wages and working conditions. They are the results of years of solid
bargaining by OPSEU, and I think those results speak for themselves.
You do not pay union dues until
you have your own collective agreement in place.
I look forward to welcoming you
as a new OPSEU member. As we’ve been saying for a few years now, It’s time!
In solidarity,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President, Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU)
Vote times and locations
Part-time and sessional college faculty certification vote
January 19 – Jan. 22, 2009
Mon., Jan. 19 Algonquin
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon; 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Room P105, 1385
Woodroffe Ave., OTTAWA
Mon., Jan. 19 Algonquin
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room 323B, 315 Pembroke
St. E., PEMBROKE
Mon., Jan. 19 Algonquin
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon; Room 10, 7 Craig St., PERTH
Mon., Jan. 19 St. Lawrence
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room B105, 2288 Parkdale
Ave., BROCKVILLE
Mon., Jan. 19 St. Lawrence
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Riverview Room, 2
Belmont St., CORNWALL
Mon., Jan. 19 St. Lawrence
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm. Room 12215, 100 Portsmouth Ave., KINGSTON
Tues., Jan. 20 La Cité
11:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room C-3040, 801
Aviation Pkwy., OTTAWA
Tues., Jan. 20
Fleming 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Room 158,
Albert St. S., LINDSAY
Tues., Jan. 20
Loyalist 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Room 209, 195 Hastings St. N.,
BANCROFT
Tues., Jan. 20
Fleming 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room 515, 599 Brealey
Dr., PETERBOROUGH
Tues., Jan. 20
Fleming 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Main Meeting Room, 297 College Dr.,
HALIBURTON
Tues., Jan. 20
Loyalist 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Room 3N2, Wallbridge-Loyalist Rd.,
BELLEVILLE
Weds., Jan. 21 Georgian
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Room C353, 1 Georgian Dr., BARRIEE
Weds., Jan. 21 Durham
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon; 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Administrative
Boardroom, 1610 Champlain Ave., WHITBY
Weds., Jan. 21 Georgian
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Room 619, 1450 8th St. E., OWEN SOUND
Weds., Jan. 21 Durham
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Main Meeting Room, 2 Campbell Dr., UXBRIDGE
Weds., Jan. 21 Georgian
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
A101 Conference Room,
825 Memorial Ave., ORILLIA
Weds., Jan. 21 Durham
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.; 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Room H132, 2000 Simcoe
St. N., OSHAWA
Weds., Jan. 21 Georgian
6:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Room 113, 649 Prospect Blvd., MIDLAND
Thurs., Jan. 22
Sheridan 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ; 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Room C230, 1430
Trafalgar Rd., OAKVILLE
Thurs., Jan. 22 Mohawk
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon; 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Room C043, 135 Fennell
Ave. W., HAMILTON
Thurs., Jan. 22 Mohawk
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room 208, Institute of
Applied Health Science, 1400 Main St. W., HAMILTON
Thurs., Jan. 22 Mohawk
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room A211, 481 Barton
St., STONEY CREEK
Thurs., Jan. 22 Mohawk
12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room A-127A, 411 Elgin
St., BRANTFORD
Thurs., Jan. 22
Sheridan 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Room B216, 7899
McLaughlin Rd., BRAMPTON
For vote times and locations across
Ontario, visit www.collegeworkers.org
For full information about the OPSEU drive to win union rights for part-timers
and sessionals at Ontario’s community colleges, visit
www.collegeworkers.org or
call 1-866-811-7274.
The Part-Time Times is authorized
for distribution by Roger Couvrette, president of the Organization of Part-Time
and Sessional Employees of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (OPSECAAT),
and Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees
Union.
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