Colleges' Final Offer Rejected - Union Sets Unnecessary Strike for October 16
Final offer increases wages by 7.75% over four years and enhances benefits New full-time faculty maximum of $115,378 Promotes conversion of contract faculty to full-time positions
TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - OPSEU CAAT Academic rejected the colleges' final offer of settlement and instead gave notice that a strike action could start on October 16. The final offer invests in faculty and addresses union demands on benefits, staffing, workload, and faculty autonomy.
"Our final offer is responsive to what we have heard at the bargaining table and fair to our faculty," said Sonia Del Missier, Chair, Colleges' Bargaining Team. "Unfortunately, the OPSEU Academic team continues to choose the path toward an unnecessary strike that would be a terrible outcome for our students. We are asking the union to let faculty decide by putting the colleges' final offer to a vote and avoid a strike."
Offer Highlights
Wages and Benefits
7.75% increase over four years (1.75%, 2.0%, 2.0%, 2.0%)
New full-time faculty maximum of $115,378 by October 1, 2020
New partial-load faculty hourly maximum of $154.26 by October 1, 2020
Add Social Workers and Psychotherapists to paramedical providers
Increase combined maximum annual coverage for all covered paramedical services from $1,500 to $2,000
Improve parental and pregnancy leave provisions
Staffing and Workload
Reintroduce union's ability to challenge college staffing decisions by removing moratorium
Give preference to contract faculty where operational requirements allow
Allow faculty more flexibility to work overtime if they choose, reducing the need for contract faculty
Provide employment stability and teaching continuity by bringing sessional employees into the bargaining unit when filling in for full-time absences
Allow faculty more discretion over individual course workload and course continuity
Recognize time commitments associated with student accommodation requirements
Bill 148 ? Equal Pay for Equal Work
When law is enacted, parties will meet to discuss implementation; unresolved issues settled by third-party arbitration
No monetary restrictions on what the parties can negotiate
Other Proposals
Allow parties to discuss intellectual property issues at the provincial level
Establish a provincial-joint committee to review counsellor classification to address the changing profile of students
Provide greater flexibility to increase the starting salary of new hires