Leading up to the February 10th final offer vote by Niagara College faculty, there have been numerous media reports and other information in the public forum that has created considerable confusion around the implications of the vote. To provide clarity for both faculty and students, the following is a summary of key faculty vote information:
College faculty across Ontario will vote on the colleges’ final offer on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
- The colleges have made their final offer.
- There will be no further bargaining.
- Colleges will not agree to binding arbitration.
- OPSEU has publically announced a strike deadline for Feb 17 – a rejection of the offer means a strike.
Vote Implications
- The vote will ask college faculty to accept or reject the colleges’ final offer.
- A simple majority of 50% + 1 will decide the issue.
- If the final offer is accepted, a new collective agreement will be in place and a strike will be avoided.
- If the final offer is rejected, OPSEU can call a faculty strike by providing five days’ notice.
No Binding Arbitration and No Further Bargaining
- Contrary to media reports, a rejection of the final offer will not result in further negotiations, binding arbitration or any modified position from the colleges.
- Voluntary binding arbitration would require the colleges to be prepared to accept changes to its last offer and they are not prepared to do so. Colleges have gone as far as they can go with the final offer.
Implemented Terms and Conditions
- If the final offer is accepted, a full collective agreement will be in effect and it will remain in place until it expires on August 31, 2012.
- All individual and union grievance rights, joint provincial committees, and all other terms and conditions of the collective agreement will be fully operational.
- The new collective agreement will replace the terms and conditions introduced in November, 2009.
- The colleges and the union will begin negotiations for a new collective agreement in June 2012.
Salary
- The colleges’ salary offer is a 5.9% increase over three years.
- College faculty will still retain a salary premium over Ontario secondary school teachers.
- Ontario college faculty will still be the best paid in Canada.
Workload
- There is nothing in the colleges’ offer that increases faculty workload.
- The colleges’ offer includes workload improvements that give faculty more control over how workload is assigned.
- Workload protections contained in the last collective agreement are enhanced based on the recommendations of the Joint Workload Taskforce.
- The colleges have addressed the Workload Task Force Report’s four recommendations. The colleges have offered new measures that increase faculty participation in course delivery decisions, consultation in setting course evaluation methods, improved support for out-of-class assistance, and expanded professional development opportunities.
- OPSEU’s workload positions go well beyond the recommendations of the taskforce report. OPSEU’s positions seek to exert individual faculty control over academic content and delivery, while reducing faculty time in the classroom.
Academic Freedom
- OPSEU’s academic freedom position does not support the academic mandate of the colleges.
- OPSEU is demanding that complete control over academic delivery and evaluation be given to individual faculty members.
- It is important that our programming content and delivery remain in the hands of our complete academic team and not solely in the hands of an individual faculty member.
- It is our responsibility of the colleges to ensure the integrity of the instructional activity, as colleges are accountable to accreditation boards, industry partners, advisory councils, employers, and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for the quality of our programs and the preparation of our graduates.
Continue to visit www.niagaracollege.ca for updated information.
