TORONTO - Negotiations
resume Nov. 10 between community college faculty and their
employer with the union representing educators hoping that a
settlement can be reached.
“A settlement is possible, but only if it
respects faculty and students,” said Ontario Public Service
Employees Union president Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “But by
failing to address issues of academic freedom and quality of
education, college administrators are provoking OPSEU into
setting a strike vote and strike dates.
OPSEU represents more than 9,000 faculty members
at 24 community colleges. A new round of contract talks with the
employer – the Colleges Appointments and Compensation Council
(“the Council”) – is scheduled for Nov. 10-12.
Following a three-week strike in March, 2006,
Arbitrator William Kaplan established an independently-chaired
joint workload task force that examined workload, academic
freedom and quality of education. A unanimous report from the
panel was released in March, 2009.
OPSEU needs to see the task force’s
recommendations incorporated into the next collective agreement,
including a collegial model of determining student evaluation
methods. The Council has refused this demand.
The union also seeks contract language
guaranteeing academic freedom as exists in all other public
post-secondary institutions in the province.
Although colleges have partnered with
universities in Ontario and internationally to share joint
academic programs, and have gained the right to grant degrees,
the Council refuses to negotiate any academic freedom provisions
for its faculty.
“By reneging on the workload task force report
and by refusing to bargain good faith improvements to learning
conditions in the colleges, the Council is placing college
students at risk once again. We find this completely
unacceptable,” said Thomas.
OPSEU is looking to match recent wage
settlements that other post-secondary educators have been
offered and have accepted.
Print this page