Bargaining Bulletin
CEC Bargaining Bulletin
A bi-annual update on the status of bargaining and implementation of Collective Agreements across the bargaining units.
Part-Time Support Staff
Who are they:
Employees who regularly work 24 hours per week or less in positions or classifications such as office, clerical, technical, health care, maintenance, building service, shipping, transportation, cafeteria, and nursery staff.
Status:
The current collective agreement expires on January 31, 2024. It has been signed and is available for review on the CEC and OPSEU websites.
Update:
Bill 124
The 2021-2024 Collective agreement includes a letter of understanding regarding Bill 124. In November 2022, The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Bill 124 was unconstitutional and violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The College and Union bargaining teams will be meeting with an agreed to mediator to engage in discussions. This is a non-binding process.
Full-Time Support Staff
Who are they:
Examples of members in this group include technicians and technologists, clerks, assistants, analysts, tutors, and facilities operators who work regularly more than 24 hours per week.
Status:
The current collective agreement expires on August 31, 2025. The Collective agreement is under final review. Once completed, it will be translated and published.
Update:
Bill 124
The 2022-2025 Collective agreement includes a letter of understanding regarding Bill 124. In November 2022, The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Bill 124 was unconstitutional and violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The College and Union bargaining teams will be meeting this summer with the agreed to mediator, William Kaplan, to engage in discussions. This is a non-binding process.
Benefits
College Full-time Support staff negotiated enhancements for each of the 3 years to the Support Staff benefit plan. On December 29, 2022, the below enhancements came into effect:
Paramedical Services
- The combined paramedical annual maximum will increase from $2,000 to $3,000.
- Registered Dietician will be added as an eligible provider to the current list of paramedical practitioners.
Medical Cannabis
Medical Cannabis will be added to the Plan, subject to a $4,000 annual maximum per individual per benefit year (January 1st to December 31st).
Cannabis for medical treatment must be prescribed by a licensed physician and is subject to prior authorization from Sun Life.
Dental
- Dental implants will be added as an eligible service under the existing major benefit coinsurance and annual maximum coverage.
Part-Time Academic Certification
Who are they:
Part-time academics work 6 or fewer teaching contact hours a week or are hired on a sessional basis.
Status:
Currently not unionized
Update:
In 2017, OPSEU filed an application for part-time academics at the 24 Ontario public Colleges to unionize. Since then, as a direct result of more than 8,500 OPSEU objections to which ballots should be counted, there has been an ongoing review of those related contracts, pay records, and course outlines for each of the more than 8,500 objections OPSEU has put forward. Many issues have been resolved through discussions between the CEC and OPSEU, including 16 formal meetings and input from the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). This spring, the OLRB will hold a hearing to resolve some of the remaining objections. If OPSEU is able to demonstrate 35% support and all other issues on the vote itself are resolved, the ballots will be counted, and Union certification can be determined.
Full-Time Academic
Who are they:
Full-time and partial-load instructors, professors, librarians, and counsellors.
Status:
The current collective agreement expires on September 30, 2024. Though the agreement was determined by unconditional interest arbitration, finalization and translation have been delayed due to Union decision-making on the 1% benefit remainder. The Union bargaining team remains on full paid release until the agreement is finalized and signed.
Update:
Bill 124
The 2021-2024 Collective agreement includes a letter of understanding regarding Bill 124. In November 2022, The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Bill 124 was unconstitutional and violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The College and Union bargaining teams will be meeting with an agreed to mediator to engage in discussions. This is a non-binding process.
Workload Task Force
In September 2021, Arbitrator Kaplan awarded a neutral-led joint academic workload task force to review current practices and create a report for February 1, 2024. Michelle Flaherty, has been named as the neutral chair of the workload task force. Chair Flaherty is an arbitrator on the academic arbitrators list, and was also deemed the sole arbitrator for WRAs respecting changes to mode of delivery during this collective agreement. Management and Union, workload task force members, have now met and started the review process.
The Task Force’s mandate is to produce a report with recommendations on the following issues relating to the assignment of work to full-time faculty under Article 11 and Partial-Load faculty under Article 26:
- The impact, if any, of mode of delivery on preparation, evaluation and feedback, and complementary functions
- Whether and to what extent there has been an increase in the amount of time normally spent on “normal administrative tasks”
- The impact of AODA compliance and student accommodation requirements
- The impact of language of instruction and/or student proficiency with the language of instruction
- The application of Article 11.04 to, and issues related to the workload of, Counsellors and Librarians
- A review of the factors associated with different evaluation methods
- A review of the attributed time for preparation, for courses with a “Special A” and “Special B” designation
- A review of the workload formula and of Modified Workload Arrangements, including their application to various program and course types
- and any other matters deemed appropriate by the Neutral Chair of the Task Force.
Indigenous Knowledge
“Reconciliation will be difficult to achieve until Indigenous peoples’ own traditions for uncovering truth and enhancing reconciliation are embraced as an essential part of the ongoing process of truth determination, dispute resolution, and reconciliation. No dialogue about reconciliation can be undertaken without mutual respect as shown through protocols and ceremony.” – Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The Colleges are committed to a meaningful process for Truth and Reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. CEC has reached out to The Indigenous Peoples Education Circle (IPEC). IPEC was established to help inform and guide meaningful change across the Ontario public College sector. IPEC membership is made up of Indigenous College faculty, support staff, and administrators from across the province. Throughout bargaining, management maintained that important work was in the process of being conducted within the Colleges in consultation with IPEC.
The Union demanded immediate changes to the Collective agreement despite the lack of inclusion of Indigenous members in the bargaining process. In arbitration, they were awarded recognition in the job classification for Indigenous knowledge. As well, OPSEU and CEC were tasked with jointly finding Indigenous elders to assist with the development of what Indigenous knowledge should be considered. Accordingly, management has consulted with the IPEC to gather input and feedback on this process.
CEC is attempting to follow the arbitration award while ensuring the process includes appropriate consultation respecting the principle “nothing about us, without us”. At this time, CEC is hoping to engage in a joint discussion with IPEC and OPSEU to discuss this complicated matter.
CEC is grateful to IPEC for their time and guidance in unpacking the Indigenous provisions in the award and its potential consequences.
