Bargaining Timeline between CEC and CAAT-A 2021-2022

Early Extension Offer

• The College Employer Council (CEC) offers a two-year extension to the Collective Agreement set to expire on September 30, 2021.

Extension Offer Rejection

• The CAAT-A Bargaining team immediately rejects the extension offer in favour of formal bargaining.

Bargaining Begins

• Both parties meet to discuss ground rules and present opening statements.

CAAT-A Proposals

• CAAT-A presents 350 demands spread across 9 themes affecting 51% of articles in the current collective agreement.
• CEC responds to CAAT-A demands by asking clarifying questions, providing counter-proposals on Workload and Counsellor class definition.

CEC Proposals and Mediation Begins

• CEC responds to remaining CAAT-A demands, presents counter-proposals, and full non-monetary proposal.
• CEC presents without prejudice settlement offer, significantly reducing its full non-monetary proposal.
• CAAT-A dismisses CEC settlement offer and asks for mediation.
• CEC accepts mediation and CAAT-A's recommended mediator.
• Mediation begins under a communications blackout.

Mediation

• The parties meet with the mediator.
• CAAT-A instructed to table new incremental demands.
• CAAT-A revised demands still impact 40% of the collective agreement.
• Mediator re-instructs CAAT-A to revise and reduce demands.
• Mediator considers CAAT-A demands still unreasonable and unachievable.

Mediation Terminated and Unfair Labour Practice Filed

• Mediator terminates mediation.
• Mediator releases report summarizing what occurred during mediation.
• Report outlines CAAT-A's failure to bargain in good faith (bargain to conclude a collective agreement) by maintaining unlawful and unrealistic demands.
• CEC engaged Ontario Labour Board about CAAT-A's unfair labour practices.
• CEC requests conciliation.
• Both parties meet with ministry appointed conciliator.
• CAAT-A presents a minimally revised settlement offer and proposed referring outstanding items to voluntary binding interest arbitration. (A form of arbitration where a 3rd party can pick and choose items between proposals or impose new items).
• CEC asks the conciliator for a No-Board report to indicate bargaining is at an impasse.
• CEC provided CAAT-A with a revised offer of settlement.
• CAAT-A requests a strike vote.
• CEC proposes voluntary binding final offer selection arbitration. (A form of arbitration which includes an opportunity for mediation, failing which a 3rd party selects one proposal in its entirety to become the new collective agreement)

Strike Vote

• CEC announces it will be introducing terms and conditions to improve working conditions on December 13.
• A strike vote is held virtually between December 9-11, 2021.
• CAAT-A receive a strike mandate with 59.4% of those who voted, voting in favour of a strike.
• CAAT-A provide 5 days notice for strike action to begin on December 12.
• CEC introduces terms and conditions to improve working conditions on December 13.
• CAAT-A begins phase 1 of work-to-rule on December 18.

Work-to-Rule and Colleges Offer of Settlement

• CAAT-A begins phase 2 of work-to-rule on January 3
• CAAT-A files unfair labour practice against CEC regarding use of e-mail signatures
• CEC asks the Ontario Labour Board conduct a vote with OPSEU academic employee membership on the CEC's most recent offer

Employer Final Offer

• Academic employees vote on employer final offer Feb 15-17
• Academic employees reject the employer final offer

• CAAT-A begins phase 3 of work-to-rule on March 2
• CAAT-A sets full walk-out strike deadline of March 18
• On March 17, both parties agree to unconditional interest arbitration on initial proposals presented.
• Except with respect to the new terms which were implemented on December 13, 2021, the CEC’s matters are as they existed on September 15, 2021, including proposals M09, M10a, M10b, and M11
• The Union’s matters set out in its nonmonetary proposals as they existed on September 15, 2021, and its monetary proposals as they existed on October 19, 2021

• The parties meet in arbitration September 7, 8, 9
• Arbitration award announced September 23, 2022