Over the course of the last couple days, we made history together with the largest College Faculty strike mandate vote in a generation.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) has released the results: in a record turnout, 11,848 members (76.1%) voted, with 79% voting YES to authorize strike action, if necessary. We’ve delivered a strike mandate authorized by a clear majority of all College Faculty.
As the bargaining team for faculty at Ontario’s 24 public colleges, we’ll utilize this mandate to reinforce our key demands and fight back serious concessions tabled by the College Employer Council (CEC) that would make our working conditions, and by extension the students’ learning conditions, undoubtedly worse.
While the two sides remain apart on key issues – including wages, workload, and precarity – the process of conciliation has fostered increased discussion. However, it has not compelled the CEC to drop significant concessions which risk increased employment instability, real time cuts to wages, encroaching on our vacation, and further destabilizing workload.
We remain focused on a fair, negotiated settlement that does not sacrifice our hard-fought rights, and which achieves real gains to our wages and working conditions.
With an accumulated surplus of $1 billion over the last year alone, the Colleges have the resources to fulfill the core mandate of the Colleges: training Ontario’s future workforce through teaching, learning, and student support. There’s enough money to prioritize quality education, while responsibly navigating any uncertainty.
Together, we have taken a crucial step in delivering a historic strike mandate to the CEC and the Colleges. A strong strike mandate enables us to protect our rights should the CEC recklessly impose terms and conditions, including the concessions that they have already tabled. It also embodies the spirit of strength in numbers.
We get the collective agreement we are willing to stand for – this strike mandate sends a powerful message that faculty stand behind our key demands and proposals that will improve wages and working conditions for every one of us.
Solidarity,
Your CAAT-A Bargaining Team:
Ravi Ramkissoonsingh, L242, Chair (he/him)
Michelle Arbour, L125, Acting Chair (she/her)
Chad Croteau, L110 (he/him)
Bob Delaney, L237 (he/him)
Martin Lee, L415 (he/him)
Sean Lougheed, L657 (he/him)
Rebecca Ward, L732 (she/her)