College Full-Time Support Staff Bargaining Update #8: Strike mandate vote on August 13-15th and responses to the CEC

CEC Claim

Union Clarity

“After approximately four hours of face-to-face meetings over a six-day period, and before the College Employer Council (CEC) could even respond to union monetary demands, the bargaining team advised it would be seeking a strike vote…”

The Union and the Colleges scheduled 6 full days over 2 weeks for face-to-face bargaining.  The Colleges had 2 weeks in between our bargaining weeks to prepare responses to our proposals.

The union has been hard at work during and between bargaining weeks to prepare and respond to their proposals.

The Union has been waiting and ready to receive the College’s responses to our proposals since day 1 of bargaining.

The Union feels that the Colleges are delaying their responses to slow down the bargaining process.

The CEC has only responded to 11/45 of the Union’s bargaining proposals.

“[the strike vote] unnecessarily escalates matters just weeks before a new semester for students is about to begin.”

With the terrible concessions on the table, and no real attempt to negotiate the Union’s proposals, a strike mandate vote is necessary.

“The union demands include:

wage increases exceeding 20% over 3 years”

This is an unfair portrayal of wage increases being sought for the majority of the bargaining unit. The Union proposed wage increases equivalent to 6% for each of the following three years.

The bargaining team has taken direction from members. With cost of living on the rise, and past Support Staff wage increases consistently falling short of inflation, the bargaining team has listened to members and proposed the following:

Sept.1, 2025: $2.50 (6% increase of Step 4 in Payband H)

Sept. 1, 2026: 6%

Sept. 1, 2027: 6%

“The union demands include:

benefit increases exceeding $25 million each year;”

This figure is exaggerated and is based on inflated costing estimates,and cannot be seen as a serious attempt at realistic costs for the employer.

For example the Union has a proposal for domestic violence leave for people who require time off due to experiencing domestic violence. The Union does not expect every member to use such leave. The Colleges have provided costing as if every member will be experiencing domestic violence every year.

“The union demands include:

10 additional paid days off for family care”

The Union is proposing 5 new days. The Union is proposing to separate the existing 5 days of family leave from short term disability leave and add in an additional 5 days to a total of 10 days of separate Family Care Days.

“The union demands include:

4 additional paid holidays”

The union’s proposal is for “All provincial and federal holidays”. Currently that would include the following three holidays:

·                 Truth and Reconciliation Day

·                 Remembrance Day

·                 Easter Monday

This would mean if a new Federal or Provincial holiday were created, we would automatically get it and not have to bargain for it again.

“The union demands include:

2 additional days of vacation”

The Union is proposing adjustments to the vacation schedule which keeps total vacation days the same. The adjustment would mean support staff earn additional vacation days earlier. The new Vacation schedule we are proposing is this:

• 1-4 years 15 days
• 5-6 years 17 days
• 7-8 years 19 days
• 9-10 years 21 days
• 11-12 years 23 days
• 13-14 years 25 days
• 15-16 years 27 days
• 17-18 years 29 days
• 19 years or more 30 days