Colleges reject union’s proposals

Negotiators hopeful a deal can be reached over the weekend to avert Monday college teachers strike

A stalemate between the College Employer Council and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union continued Friday afternoon as a possible strike Monday by 12,000 teachers at Ontario’s 24 community colleges inched closer.

OPSEU served notice Tuesday of its intent to launch a provincewide strike on Monday after a final offer from the College Employer Council was rejected by OPSEU negotiators.

But it’s still possible a strike could be averted if a deal can be reached over the weekend.

OPSEU tabled new proposals on Friday, but the College Employer Council issued a statement Friday afternoon that argued the union’s demands have not changed enough to reach a settlement.

“The union is only tinkering with its proposals and not making the substantive changes needed to get a deal,” stated Sonia Del Missier, chairwoman of the colleges’ bargaining team. “The colleges’ final offer is now the only path to a settlement that would avoid a strike.”

The colleges’ final offer offered the teachers a 7.75 per cent wage increase over four years (1.75%, 2%,2%, 2%), which would bring the new full-time faculty maximum salary to $115,378 by Oct. 1, 2020, according to the College Employer Council. It also offered a new partial-load faculty hourly maximum of $154.26 by Oct. 1, 2020 along with improved parental and pregnancy leave provisions.

“Our final offer is comparable to, or better than, recent public-sector settlements with teachers, college support staff, hospital professionals, and Ontario public servants. We are asking the union to work over the weekend with the colleges to finalize a settlement based on our final offer.” Del Missier stated.

OPSEU’s latest demand is for a 9 per cent wage increase over three years that would raise the new full-time faculty maximum salary above $116,000, along with changes to senates, staffing ratios and academic control, according to the College Employer Council.

The College Employer Council estimates the union’s proposals would ultimately add an additional $400 million in annual costs through salary increases, staffing ratios and reduced faculty workload. The colleges already spend $750 million annually on full-time faculty salaries.

OPSEU did not publicly comment on the contract dispute Friday.

If there is a strike, all face-to-face classes, including full-time, continuing education and dual credit courses, at all campuses of Fleming College would be suspended, the college announced in a statement Friday to its students.

Some online courses and student placements (such as co-op placements where students are not directly supervised by faculty) would continue, the college advises.

Fleming College buildings at all campuses would remain open.

The last Ontario community college teachers strike was in 2006 and lasted 2 1/2 weeks.

OPSEU represents more than 1NOTE: Read Fleming College president Tony Tilly’s statement about the potential strike at www. thepeterboroughexaminer.com.