Part-Time Support Staff Bargaining Update: Back to the Table with #PartTimePower Behind Us!

Your Part-Time College Support Staff Bargaining Team was back at the bargaining table with the College Employer Council (CEC) this past week, between July 17-19. Through the course of these latest discussions, the employer has continued to show a considerable lack of understanding of our workload and undervaluing of our labour – including the level of expertise our members bring to their roles in the colleges. Your bargaining team was also disappointed by the employer’s lack of commitment for key equity, diversity and inclusionary items – including religious and cultural leave, pregnancy leave, and Truth and Reconciliation Day.

The week got off to a slow start due to mixed messaging from the employer’s team. At times, we were positioned to negotiate against ourselves, with repeated requests to revise proposals without a clear understanding of the employer’s position. Despite these challenges, we are steadfast in our pursuit of a new collective agreement that includes key components beyond just monetary improvements.

On the last day of bargaining, the employer finally began to engage in dialogue regarding our monetary items which were presented in March. However, the employer’s negotiation tactics have made it clear that they undervalue part-time work and struggle to appreciate the expertise, commitment, and workload our members carry. They are open to full-time language when it suits their interests, but not when it positively impacts part timers’ livelihoods.

This is part of a larger pushback against the relatively young life of our bargaining unit and agreement as a justification against agreeing to gains for our membership. This strategy suggests that the strength of our contract – and by extension, respect for us as workers – should be predicated on the maturity of a collective agreement. This attitude devalues the work we do today. We deserve a baseline of respect and won’t accept anything less – we’re worth more than the minimum.

At the table, we continue to hear the same old story: “fiscal responsibility,” “administrative constraints.” These narratives do not stock up against what we know – that the colleges remain profitable this fiscal year, with a posted surplus of nearly $1 billion from 2021-2023.

Colleges have a historical role in preparing tomorrow’s workforce, and that responsibility must begin with being decent employers. It’s crucial that our members see the same work environment they advocate for reflected in their own workplace.

What’s next on the horizon?

Your Bargaining Team is hard at work securing future bargaining dates. In the meantime, we will continue to build capacity as we bargain into 2024, advancing our shared demands and working towards the best monetary deal possible.

As we witnessed with the historic LCBO strike, engaging members is the well-illustrated road to a good contract. We have a lot of part-time and full-time support staff who want to see our Paid Sick Days campaign succeed. Moreover, many of you have already signed the Fund Our Colleges petition, urging the province to fund the sector. Ontario remains dead-last among the provinces for post-secondary funding – one of the many bargaining climate factors we fight in this bargaining round.

We urge you to talk to a friend and send a message to your MPP, the Premier, and the Minister of Colleges at FundOurColleges.ca – if we act collectively, we can apply the pressure on the provincial government and Premier Doug Ford to fund colleges now!