TORONTO - Community college faculty tabled a
revised position Monday hoping to reach a settlement in contract
talks.
But union negotiators were left frustrated by
management’s refusal to make any changes to its position.
“We came forward with a significantly revised
offer that could have resulted in a settlement that was
satisfactory to both sides,” said Ted Montgomery, chair of the
bargaining team representing 9,000 faculty at 24 colleges across
Ontario.
“But an agreement will remain elusive unless
negotiators for the Colleges get realistic about what’s required
for a settlement.”
The faculty, represented by the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union, has tabled an offer that would amount
to a wage increase that is less than what the colleges offered
when the two sides last met on Nov. 12.
The colleges tabled an earlier offer of eight
per cent over four years. The union is seeking a 7.5 per cent
raise over three years.
Faculty has maintained all along that in this
round of bargaining the issue is improving quality education by
implementing the recommendations of an independent task force
established after the last round of bargaining in 2006.
“Today we tabled an offer that is affordable and
which should have been acceptable. It is well within the range
of other recent public sector agreements. There should be no
roadblock to a settlement,” said Montgomery.
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