Have any questions?
416-415-5000 ext 2200
opseu556@gmail.com
OPSEU Local 556OPSEU Local 556
  • Our local
    • Our Team
    • Who are we – a letter from Tom Tomassi
    • Contact Us
    • Membership & Sign-up
  • Collective Agreement
    • Documents
    • Benefits
      • Dental and Extended Health
      • OPSEU Member Discounts
      • Pension
      • Scholarships & Bursaries
    • Full time
      • The SWF Process
      • SWF FAQs
      • Quick SWF Check
      • CWMG (College Workload Monitoring Group)
    • Partial-Load Faculty FAQ
    • Complaint Resolution
    • Coordinators
    • Diversity, Equity & Human Rights Services
    • Health & Safety
    • New Hires
    • Salary
    • Seniority Lists
    • Sick Leave & Accommodation
  • readings and links
    • Newsletter
    • Links
    • Contract Faculty Campaign
  • Covid-19
    • Our rights and responsibilities in the pandemic.
  • Bargaining 2021
  • Our local
    • Our Team
    • Who are we – a letter from Tom Tomassi
    • Contact Us
    • Membership & Sign-up
  • Collective Agreement
    • Documents
    • Benefits
      • Dental and Extended Health
      • OPSEU Member Discounts
      • Pension
      • Scholarships & Bursaries
    • Full time
      • The SWF Process
      • SWF FAQs
      • Quick SWF Check
      • CWMG (College Workload Monitoring Group)
    • Partial-Load Faculty FAQ
    • Complaint Resolution
    • Coordinators
    • Diversity, Equity & Human Rights Services
    • Health & Safety
    • New Hires
    • Salary
    • Seniority Lists
    • Sick Leave & Accommodation
  • readings and links
    • Newsletter
    • Links
    • Contract Faculty Campaign
  • Covid-19
    • Our rights and responsibilities in the pandemic.
  • Bargaining 2021

CAAT-A corrects the CEC

  • Home
  • Bargaining 2021
  • CAAT-A corrects the CEC
On November 26th, the College Employer Council published their "Bargaining FAQ" which seems to have raised more questions than it has clarified. 

As Faculty, let's do what we do best: correct and clarify to provide a more accurate and factual record of the current issues...
The CEC states,“This form of arbitration [Final Offer Selection (FOS)] allows both parties to
fully present the merits of their respective proposals (CAAT-A November 18 proposal and
CEC November 23 proposal) to a neutral arbitrator (In this case, William Kaplan who was suggested by the CAAT-A Team).” 
CORRECTION:
Arbitrator Kaplan was suggested by
the CAAT-A Team for binding interest
arbitration, not final offer selection
(FOS) arbitration. 
The CAAT-A proposal of November
18th was not presented as a Final
Offer.
The CEC asks, “Why would the CAAT-A Team Reject FOS?” 
CLARIFICATION:
The real question is:
‘Why would the CEC suggest it?’
It seems the CEC wants to create a
situation in which the arbitrator’s hands are tied and has no option but to choose one offer in its entirety.
But there is simply no reason to do this when binding interest arbitration
remains an option and does not force an adversarial ‘winner take all’ format on the arbitrator.
The CEC states, “We see no reason why the CAAT-A Team would reject FOS.”
THE REASONS:
FOS allows NO room for reasoned
consideration around the serious
issues surrounding each article.
FOS allows NO room for
compromise, or for selecting the
best proposals in each side’s offer.
FOS chooses winners and losers,
and therefore leads to toxic labour
relations.
The CEC states,
“If the CAAT-A team’s
demands are entirely reasonable, moderate
and necessary and the CEC’s proposal is regressive and punitive, as they have said, then they should embrace FOS.”
CLARIFICATION:
As one colleague put it: Faculty are
EDUCATORS, not GAMBLERS. This is
not some game, at least not to
faculty.
Let's have an arbitrator come in and
achieve a compromise that does
not alienate or ignore any one side.
The CEC states, “The CAAT-A team and Local Presidents have published on Social Media and in a letter campaign to College Presidents, statements such as “If the colleges cared about students they would agree to arbitration to prevent labour disruption. Colleges have
agreed to FOS arbitration.”
CLARIFICATION:
The letter campaign requests that
Presidents direct the CEC to agree to
binding interest arbitration, not FOS.
The Colleges cannot 'agree' to
something Faculty have not proposed.
Faculty care about students, first and
foremost. The goal of Faculty is to avoid any labour disruption.
The CEC states,
“The question to then ask is
whether the difference between interest arbitration and Final Offer Selection (FOS) arbitration is worth striking over.”
CLARIFICATION:
The strike vote is not about FOS.
Faculty have asked the CAAT-A Team
to bargain for better working
conditions, highlighting issues of
equity, partial load faculty,
indigenization, workload and
intellectual property.
These are still the issues on the
table.
The CEC states,
“The Union can legally strike five
days after receiving a “Yes” mandate through the Strike Vote. The Strike Vote is tentatively scheduled to close on December 11, 2021. Therefore, the Union could commence a strike on December 16, 2021.”
FACT CHECKED: 
he Faculty team has made it clear that there will be no strike over the holiday
period.
Other labour actions (such as work-to-rule or targeted strikes) would be
pursued before a strike.
A strong strike vote allows Faculty to
engage in a number of escalating labour actions to help avoid a strike.
The CEC states, “Only the Union can initiate a strike. Once a mandate is given, the CAAT-A Team can call a strike at any time without further consultation.”
FACT CHECKED:
Yes, only the CAAT-A team can call a strike,
so why does the CEC continue to suggest
that a strike is inevitable?
A strong strike mandate from Faculty is a
message to the employer that we stand
behind the Bargaining Team's proposal.
It forces the employer to acknowledge the
collective voice of Faculty.
Let's Stay Informed &
Ask Questions!
Remember to PRE-REGISTER for the
upcoming information sessions:

Tuesday, December 7 6:30 pm to 8 pm: For partial load faculty.

Wednesday December 8th 6:30-8 pm  for all faculty

Twitter stream

Tweets by @opseu556

logo-opseu-556

416-415-5000 ext 2200

opseu556@gmail.com

Leadership

  • Local 556 President (intro message)
  • Membership & Sign-up

OPSEU Local 556 :: Representing Faculty, Counsellors and Librarians at George Brown College