Message from the Chair
Now the real work gets underway!
Close to 100 CAAT Support delegates, alternates and observers met in Toronto, March 29-30, to debate, tweak and, in the end, adopt our final contract demands as we look forward to the start of bargaining with the college council in a little more than two months from now. We know negotiations will be tough, with the colleges prepared to offer little, but now we’re armed with the contract expectations that you have delivered to your bargaining team.
It was a hectic two days as participants also went about the task of electing a new divisional executive as well as voting on members to sit on various other committees of the division. A full list of the new committees can be found elsewhere in this Bargaining Bulletin.
On behalf of the divisional executive I wish to thank everyone who contested a position, as well as to those who were successfully elected. Judging by the energy and passion everyone displayed it’s clear we are fortunate to have a very talented pool of CAAT Support member-activists to draw on for these crucial committees.
But at the heart of the weekend meeting was the opportunity to adopt our final contract demands. In doing so, we drew on the results that you, our members, provided through local demand-set meetings and from the results of the member survey that you completed and submitted. For that, I wish to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for becoming engaged in our demand-setting process. I strongly believe the results at the contract table will justify the time and interest you invested in the build up to the final demand set.
The real slogging is about to start. Over the next two months your bargaining team, working with OPSEU staff, will begin the task of fine-tuning our demands and prepare for what promises to be a tough round of bargaining.
The slogan we have adopted for this round of bargaining – Building Your Future – speaks to the demands you have put forward. By negotiating a strong contract, we are ensuring that the future for you, your families, our students and our communities will be part of a strong college system for years to come.
In Solidarity
Florry Foster
Chair, Bargaining Team
Your top contract demands
These are the top contract demands that were adopted at the final demand set meeting in Toronto, March 29-30:
-
Maintain all current negotiated benefits, rights or entitlements in the Collective Agreement;
-
Strengthen job security by stopping the contracting out of support staff work;
-
A fair and equitable wage increase in each year of the contract;
-
Improvements to the benefits package, including dental care, vision care, an increase in the per cent of prescriptions covered;
-
Allow employees on unpaid leaves, retirees and survivors to pay premiums monthly;
-
Protect the income of members returning to work or being accommodated through reduced hours or alternate assignments where they are not entitled to STD or LTD;
-
Improvements to health and safety language in the Collective Agreement;
-
Improvements to job posting process;
-
Improvements to bereavement leave, top-ups to employment insurance compassionate care benefits;
-
Improvements to union time-offs to allow for enforcement and protection of our rights.
Election Results: CAAT Support Divisional Executive and Committees
Divisional Executive:
Marilou Martin
L 557– Chairperson
Janice Hagan
L 561 – Vice Chair
Florry Foster
L 137 – Member
Naz Binck
L 137 – Member
Richard Belleau
L 731 – Member
Joint Insurance Committee:
Janice Hagan
L 561 – Chair
Mary Cator
L 245 – Vice-Chair
Richard Belleau
L 731 – Member
Dan Brisson
L 672 – Member
CAAT Pension Plan Sponsor:
Marilou Martin
L 557
CAAT Pension Plan Trustees:
Alec Ip
L 124
Donald Wright
L 557
Grievance Scheduling Committee:
Connie Collins
L 137 – Chair
Veneise Samuels
L 557 – Vice-Chair
Andre Savoie
L 109 – Member
Joint Classification Committee
Naz Binck
L 137 – Chair
Tracy McMaster
L 561 – Vice-Chair
Rasho Donchev
L 559 – Member
Christine Legeault
L 557 – Member
Show us your job – the video!
Members of CAAT Support represent more than 150 occupations in the postsecondary college system. It’s not an exaggeration to say our members are the backbone of the Ontario’s colleges. Without us, the system couldn’t function.
Unfortunately, too few people – including many of our own members, faculty and students – don’t know the range of jobs performed by CAAT Support employees.
We’re aim to do something about that.
During the months of April and May, an OPSEU communications officer and videographer will be visiting eight colleges around the province to hear from dozens of our members. They want learn about the wide range of work we do, the experiences and skills we bring to the job, and the satisfaction we get from serving students, the academic community and the general public.
We will be producing a series of video vignettes featuring more than 40 CAAT Support members. They will be released during April and May and will be used in some form as we head into contract negotiations.
These YouTube videos will be widely circulated to members at all 24 colleges, and posted to the special OPSEU website that will be dedicated to this round of bargaining.
Look for these special videos, titled Building Your Future, coming soon to a computer monitor or handheld device near you!
Download the latest Bargaining Bulletin
Click here to see a video recap of your final demand set
http://youtu.be/luzqGVNQifg
Stay informed. Follow on Facebook and Twitter
www.facebook.com/CAATsupportstaff
www.twitter.com/CAATsupport