FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2006
College faculty stand
on quality education issues vindicated in arbitration award
released today
TORONTO – The union
representing faculty at 24 Ontario colleges says today’s award
by arbitrator William Kaplan vindicates the faculty’s fight
for quality education.
The 8,900 teachers, counsellors
and librarians, members of the Ontario Public Service
Employees Union, went on strike for three weeks earlier this
year over workload and salary. The strike was ended when the
parties agreed to an arbitration process chaired by Kaplan.
In the award, OPSEU gained a
task force on workload with an independent chair to settle
disputes, and competitive wage increases.
“OPSEU ended its strike on the
agreement that a third party would look independently at
workload in the colleges as an issue of quality,” said Ted
Montgomery, chair of the faculty bargaining team for OPSEU.
“Management had consistently opposed any third-party study of
workload.”
Faculty will receive salary
increase of 3 per cent retroactive to Sept. 1, 2005, another 3
per cent Sept. 1 2006, 3.5 per cent Sept. 1, 2007 and 4 per
cent Sept. 1, 2008. With an additional step to be added to the
grid in April 2007, this will mean a 15.33 per cent increase
in salary by Sept. 1, 2008 for college faculty.
OPSEU has consistently
advocated for quality education issues, including more
full-time faculty and smaller class sizes.
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For further information:
Ted Montgomery, chair, OPSEU
faculty bargaining team, 416-578-4255
David Cox, OPSEU
Communications, 416-443-8888 (ext 8314) or cell 416-788-9197
or dcox@opseu.org
June 28, 2006
Kaplan arbitration award and Memo to all college faculty from the
bargaining team.
