OPSEU Local 125

Bargaining Update – December 2

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We wanted to keep you updated on the latest developments around bargaining as we progress towards a scheduled strike vote.

Strike Authorization Vote Confirmed

The Ontario Labour Relations Board has confirmed that it will conduct a strike vote online, from Thursday December 9 until Saturday December 11 (at 3:00 P.M.). All current full-time and partial-load faculty will be eligible to vote, and each Local is currently confirming the lists of eligible faculty.

A successful strike mandate is legally required in order for the bargaining team to organize any work action, including work-to-rule, targeted strikes, or rolling strikes at different workplaces. It is made necessary by the CEC’s refusal so far to negotiate any of the core issues raised by faculty in this round of bargaining, including workload, job security, use of faculty course materials, and the conditions of partial-load faculty during and between their contracts.

A successful strike mandate will tell the employer that faculty are standing behind their demands, standing up for each other, and standing behind the bargaining team. It will also give faculty the chance to organize a response if the Employer unilaterally imposes new Terms and Conditions of employment, which it has prepared to do as early as December 13.

Upcoming Provincewide Bargaining Update Meetings

The CAAT-A Divisional Executive is organizing two Provincewide Bargaining Updates, in advance of the strike authorization vote. The Bargaining Team will be presenting bargaining updates at these meetings, and attendees will have the chance to submit questions.

Pre-registration is required, at the links below. All members are invited to both meetings, although the Tuesday meeting will be devoted to partial-load issues.

Simultaneous translation for these meetings has been arranged.

General Membership Meetings

The bargaining team members are grateful for the opportunity to present at the General Membership meetings at several locals so far this week. We applaud the high levels of member turnout and engagement that continue to attend every step of this bargaining cycle. Member questions so far have helped provide valuable feedback to the team, and helped us to better hone the message that faculty are committed to making necessary improvements in this round of bargaining, in the face of Employer’s threats and efforts to lay the foundation for increased targeting of specific faculty groups. We look forward to the several Local GMMs that we will be attending prior to the provincewide meetings on the 7th and 8th.

In solidarity,

JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, Shawn