Greetings,Two weeks ago, over 150 members from locals across the province came together in-person and online on June 19-20th for full-time and partial-load faculty’s
Divisional Meeting and part-time and sessional faculty’s first ever
Pre-Bargaining Conference.Together, we voted on the direction for our Divisions during one of the most pivotal moments in the history of post-secondary education in Ontario.And what an extraordinary and long-awaited moment in OPSEU/SEFPO’s CAAT history! For the first time ever, part-time and sessional faculty members joined a CAAT divisional meeting, not as observers, but as active participants beginning to build their own union. After nearly two decades of tireless organizing and navigating judicial delays, they elected their very first bargaining team and divisional executive.The energy in the room was electric, and this milestone could not have come at a more critical time. We are facing an unprecedented crisis in the college system, and it is clear that we must do things differently if we want different results.The path forward will require unity, strategy, and courage, but for the first time, we can proudly say:
We are now wall-to-wall union in the Ontario college system.Together, we are stronger than ever.That is a tremendous amount of power, and we are ready to channel it in the right direction.For those who could not join us, we have included a full recap below:
Save our Colleges PresentationWe are beginning to understand the full scope of the crisis our college system is facing. Despite anticipated budget surpluses of $525 million across the college system, we believe, based on public data, that 565 programs have been suspended so far, with anticipated job losses approaching 10,000.
If this is true, this will be one of the largest mass layoffs in Ontario’s public service history.We are beginning to reckon with the scale of this loss to our college system, and build our plan to fight back like never before.During the meeting, delegates were presented with research that highlighted the true reasons for the crisis: administrative mismanagement and decades of government under-funding.
- Ontario continues to have the lowest per-student funding in the country, approximately 43% less than the national average.
- Despite claiming otherwise and claiming fiscal trouble, 17 of 24 colleges have posted surpluses for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
- While keen to blame the decline in international enrollment over the last two years, these years were outliers when it came to enrollment, which remained stable prior to 2022. Many colleges therefore are sitting on unprecedented surpluses, while using the decline in enrollment to attempt to justify the cuts.
Together, we talked about what it will take to Save our Colleges. This cross divisional campaign we have launched includes all four CAAT divisions of faculty and support staff.Our union leadership is launching a bold plan to engage thousands of members over the summer and into the fall. Together, we will push the crisis in Ontario’s college system into the public spotlight, and make it impossible for the Ford government to look the other way.
This is our moment to raise our voices, build power, and demand change.We know this will mean engaging our communities.
We know it will require thousands of conversations.
We know it will take organizing across divisions like never before.But this is a fight we cannot afford to walk away from, and we won’t.If you’re ready to step up and begin organizing on your campus to Save our Colleges,
you can sign up here.Full-Time/Partial-Load (FT/PL) Faculty – Divisional Executive and Bargaining UpdateThe Divisional Executive provided a recap of significant issues we faced this year, most notably, the wave of program closures and layoffs that impacted nearly all 24 colleges across the province.The Bargaining Team also provided a brief update on negotiations, following mediation/arbitration that ended June 16, 2025. After our Divisional meeting, the arbitrator awarded his decision, resulting in our new Full-Time/Partial Load Faculty Collective agreement effective October 1st, 2024 to September 30th, 2027.At the meeting, delegates revised our FT/PL faculty division’s bylaws and negotiating procedures, to reflect the exciting addition of the Part-Time/Sessional (PT/Ses.) Faculty division, and to improve our bargaining processes.Delegates also voted to create a new Academic Freedom committee. In addition, the Delegates elected members to the inaugural Precarious Workers Committee. Congrats to:
- Silvia Caicedo, Local 556, George Brown College
- Tanya D’Anger, Local 562, Humber College
- Henry Lowi, Local 562, Humber College
This small but mighty team will be tasked with creating Terms of Reference for this provincial committee. We look forward to hearing from them at the next Divisional Meeting.Congrats as well to the newly elected members for Pension Sponsor (Darryl Bedford, L110) and Pension Trustee (Audrey Wubbenhorst, L562; Don Smith, L350; Melanie Doyle, L350 – alternate), as well as the Divisional Solidarity Fund Trustees (Jennifer Lewis, L560; Josée St-Jean, L673; Camille Lemieux, L673 – alternate; Rebecca Mills, L240 – alternate).In the upcoming academic year, members can expect to see changes happening at their locals, as we begin to navigate what it means to be a composite local. For example, each local is encouraged to adopt Local by-laws that include at least one Local Officer from the PT/Ses. Faculty Bargaining Unit.
Part-Time/Sessional Faculty – Pre-Bargaining Conference Update
Members were taken through a “Union 101” about OPSEU/SEFPO and what it means to be a union member, and identified key issues affecting contract workers like contract non-renewals and pervasive unpaid work.There was incredible interest in standing for both the Divisional Executive and Bargaining Team: over 17 faculty stepped up to put their names forward for each committee. This is a testament to the organizing efforts that have brought us to this point and we know that strong engagement will be key to winning improvements for this division.Congratulations to all those who were nominated, and kudos to those who were elected and who will be negotiating their landmark collective agreement!
College Faculty PT/SL Divisional Executive (CAAT-A PT/SL DivEx):
- Angèle Gaudette, Local 655, Cambrian College
- Ben McCarthy, Local 556, George Brown College
- Dale Garthshore, Local 125, Lambton College
- Mirna Iskandar, Local 237, Conestoga College
- Ostap Soroka, Local 560, Seneca Polytechnic
Divisional Executive alternates:
- Brittany Gerris, Local 352, Fleming College
- Brent Brio, L110, Fanshawe College
- Catherine Hermann, Local 562, Humber College
- Cosimo Graham, Local 732, Confederation College
- Egan Henderson, Local 240, Mohawk College
- Farhat Hassan, Local 138, St. Clair College
- Greg Dickson, Local 420, Loyalist College
- James Braun, Local 558, Centennial College
- James Lingard, Local 352, Fleming College
- Kim Agostino, Local 732, Confederation College
- Lisa Macdonald, Local 417, St. Lawrence College
- Marisa Spicer, Local 415, Algonquin College
- Mina Sandiford Day, Local 240, Mohawk College
- Natalia Komorowsky, Local 558, Centennial College
- Stuart Oxborough, Local 237, Conestoga College
- Thomas Madondoro, Local 350, Georgian College
College Faculty PT/SL Bargaining Team (CAAT-A PT BT):
- Gabriela Lopez, Local 415, Algonquin College
- Gregory Dickson, Local 420, Loyalist College
- Kim Agostino, Local 732, Confederation College
- Michele Phillips, Local 653, Northern College
- Patricia Tuff, Local 352, Fleming College
- Sarah Gayer, Local 560, Seneca College
- William Payne, Local 556, George Brown College
Both Teams’ first order of business will be to elect their team’s Chair and Vice-Chair.Bargaining Team alternates:
- Andrea Budden, L110, Fanshawe College
- Anetta (Anges) Simpson, L237, Conestoga College
- Anita Nickerson, L237, Conestoga College
- Brent Brio, L110, Fanshawe College
- Catherine Herrmann, L562, Humber College
- Chioma Ifeanyichukwu, L354, Durham College
- Cosmio Graham, L732, Confederation College
- Gonul Turkdogan, L242, Niagara College
- Hassan Farhat, L138, St. Clair College
- James Lingard, L352, Fleming College
- Lisa Macdonald, L420, Loyalist College
- Lucy De Filippis, L560, Seneca Polytechnic
- Mirna Iskandar, Local 237, Conestoga College
- Natalia Komorowsky, L558, Centennial College
- Samantha Russell, L138, St. Clair College
- Stuart Oxborough, L237, Conestoga College
- Su-Yun (Janna) Gay, L354, Durham College
- Thomas Madondoro, L350, Georgian College
We ended our Divisional Meeting with a renewed sense of purpose and unity. There is no question that we are facing the greatest threat our college system has ever seen.This meeting set the tone for what is ahead but, our union’s strength is only as strong as the engagement of every single member. We cannot win this fight alone. The coming months will be crucial as we begin organizing for the college system we all deserve including our students and Ontario’s future workforce. Solidarity,Your CAAT-A Divisional Executive (CAAT-A-Div Ex):Jeff Brown (he/him), Local 556Michelle Arbour (she/her), Local 125 – Vice-ChairRebecca Ward (she/her), Local 732Pearline Lung (she/her), Local 562 – ChairRobert Montgomery (he/him), Local 655
