Welcome to the OPSEU Local 562 website. Local 562 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) represents the teachers, counsellors and librarians at Humber College.

Vote to Reject Management's Offer on February 10

Local Officers' Reasons for Voting NO - Here is why the Local officers are voting NO to the Offer.

Management Final Offer - January 27, 2010 - This is the document we are being asked to vote on.
Union Proposal for Settlement - Jan 20,2010
Agreed Items - November 12, 2009

Issue Flyers from the Academic Bargaining Team
   
More Detailed analysis of the Offer of Settlement

Information Meetings

North Campus

Monday, February 8th
3:30 - 6:00pm
Community Room
     

Lakeshore Campus

Tuesday, February 9th
1:45 - 3:30pm
B112

Vote Date: Wednesday, Feb. 10th

February 3, 2010: The Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled that the College Council's vote on their offer will be held on February 10, 2010. As a result, the Union will be delaying the strike date to February 17 in order to allow time for bargaining after a rejection vote. The Union's proposal for final and binding arbitration remains on the table as a way of resolving issues should bargaining not bring about a settlement prior to the strike deadline.

Management to Hold Vote on Offer

February 2, 2010: College management has decided not to negotiate toward a settlement and rejects binding arbitration to solve outstanding issues. They have asked the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to organize a vote on their offer. The date of the final offer vote has not been determined yet.

The Union bargaining team is recommending that members vote NO to the final offer which does not address workload and academic freedom issues. The team is supporting that the vote be next week and has offered to delay the strike date until February 17th in order to allow time to negotiate after a rejection vote. The team is still proposing arbitration on any issues that can not be resolved.

OPSEU Offers Solution to Avoid Strike

February 1, 2010: The bargaining team makes proposal to management to bring end to negotiations:
(1) Calls on management to bargain towards a negotiated settlement.
(2) Failing a negotiated settlement, proposes that management agree to send outstanding issues to binding arbitration.
(3) Established a strike deadline of February 11 which will be used if we are "forced to".
Management still has the right to have a vote on their final offer.

OPSEU Press Release: OPSEU has a solution to avoid province-wide College strike.
Text of News Conference

Memo to Faculty re an Offer Vote

January 29, 2010: A Memo to Faculty re an Offer Vote from the faculty bargaining team. The decision to hold an offer vote rests with the Colleges given the changes to the to the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act. "[T]he Colleges are fully entitled to conduct an offer vote. It would be highly unusual for the Union to take another vote so soon after the last vote, particularly when the offer does not reflect any changes in the key areas – those identified by the Workload Task Force Report."

"Nevertheless, the Union is consulting with legal and other expert counsel before making any hasty or unconsidered decision."

Management Ultimatum on "Final" Offer

January 28, 2010: The Council released their "final" offer and an ultimatum to the faculty bargaining team to take that offer to a vote. The offer has only changed marginally from the one rejected by the strike vote and no changes are made to implement the Workload Task Force recommendations.

The faculty team’s objective is to continue bargaining. They have not walked away from the table.

Negotiation News #11

January 22, 2010: Negotiation News #11 - A brief report on last week's bargaining. Talks resume Tuesday, January 26.

Talks Recessed till Tuesday, January 26th.

January 21, 2010: The parties released the following statement regarding talks. "With the counsel of the mediator, the parties have agreed to recess negotiations to return to the table on Tuesday, January 26th."

Prof's Blog on College/Faculty Negotiations

One prof's perspective on the current college/faculty negotiations at http://collegeprof.ca/. There is also a section for students. See Put Yourself in a Prof's Shoes

Bargaining Bulletin

January 19, 2010: A new Bargaining Bulletin includes updated strike vote details and what it will take to reach a settlement. "The union is hopeful that the employer will work towards a reasonable and responsible settlement. However, faculty must prepare for a strike in the eventuality that an agreement can’t be reached."

The union and management teams resumed bargaining today.

Bargaining to Resume

The mediator and the bargaining teams have agreed to meet on Tuesday, January 19th, to resume bargaining.

Strike Vote Details

January 14, 2010: Here are the strike vote details with the college by college breakdown. The percentage calculations do not include the segregated ballots which are not opened or counted at the unofficial count.

Strike Vote Results

Jan. 13, 2010: College faculty give "... their bargaining team a strike mandate in a move that tells management it’s time to negotiate seriously."

As a result of the vote the management bargaining team has already called and said they were interested in setting dates to resume bargaining. A schedule is expected by next week.

  All Colleges Humber
In favour of a strike 57% 43%
Not in favour of a strike 43% 57%
Turnout 72% 61%

See the OPSEU Press Release about the strike vote.

More Flyers and Letters

Strike Vote - Wednesday, January 13th

Lakeshore Campus

H Building - 9:00am - 3:30pm

North Campus

Concourse - 9am - 4:00pm

Carrier

11:30am - 1:30pm
Advanced Poll: Jan. 6th: North Concourse

Fact Sheets

Management Walks Away from Bargaining

December 15, 2009: Despite the union team making additional revisions to its bargaining position in an attempt to start real bargaining, management decided to break off negotiations. This leaves the union no choice but to mobilize for the Jan. 13 strike vote. No further talks are scheduled.

Faculty have maintained that in this round of bargaining the key issue is improving the quality of education by implementing the recommendations of the workload task force established after the last round of bargaining in 2006.
OPSEU Press Release: Strike vote set as colleges show no interest in bargaining
Union Proposal for Settlement - December 15, 2009

Letter from Smokey Thomas to Faculty

December 13, 2009: Letter from Smokey Thomas to Faculty

Bargaining Continues / Strike Vote Date Set for Jan 13, 2010

December 1, 2009: Bargaining resumed on Monday, December 1. Management would not discuss workload issues and focused their attention on salary. They would not agree to implement the recommendations of the Workload Task Force and are holding fast to their imposed terms and conditions of employment. The Union is proposing a 3 year contract and removed several demands representing other financial costs for Management. Late Monday night the teams agreed to continue bargaining December 14 and 15.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board has scheduled January 13 for a strike vote. Strike votes are common and more often than not result in an improved settlement without a strike. The Union will continue to offer dates for negotiations and attempt to work towards a fair settlement.
For the complete update from the team see: Bargaining Update December 1 2009

Support From Other Organizations

Humber Faculty Union - Action Required from Members

November 25, 2009: As you have heard the negotiating teams are meeting on Monday, November 30th. It is as important as ever to keep up pressure on management to bargain. We have to let the Ontario government, the Council of Colleges and our College president know how strongly we feel and how important it is that they bargain.

We want a fair negotiated agreement. Attached are

Bargaining to Resume November 30th

November 23: 2009: Management has agreed to resume bargaining on November 30th.The union team is pleased that that management has agreed. "We will try to find a settlement on November 30, if the employer is truly interested in good faith bargaining."

Bargaining Team Responds to Unilateral Imposition of Work Conditions

Bargaining Breaks Down

Nov 12, 2009: Ontario colleges looking to provoke province-wide strike: OPSEU Press Release - After only 6 days of bargaining since the start of September management has broken off talks and unilaterally decided to impose the terms and conditions of their offer effective November 18th. OPSEU negotiators invited the Council take its contract offer to faculty for a vote, as allowed under the new Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA), but their negotiators refused. The union bargaining team has an open offer to meet and continue bargaining.

Bargaining to Continue November 10-12

October 30, 2009: The Faculty Negotiations Team has withdrawn 17 demands and made substantive amendments to other demands in an attempt to move talks along. Management withdrew none of their demands but made a minor adjustment in their wage offer: from 1.25%, 1.5%, 1.5% and 2% to 1.5%, 1.5%, 2% and 2%. The team is disappointed at the lack of headway but is "... neither discouraged nor surprised." Bargaining will continue on November 10, 11 and 12, 2009.

Latest Newsbreak

September 30, 2009: The most recent issue of Newsbreak is now available: September 2009 Newsbreak

Interim Ruling - 2006 Return to Work Grievances

May 5, 2009: An interim ruling in the Return to Work grievances filed after the 2006 strike has been issued.  Although the grievances have not been settled yet, this clears the way for hearing the actual cases. "In summary " great news," said Ted Montgomery, 2005 Bargaining Team Chair.

SWF and Salary Step Calculators 

We now have Excel spreadsheet calculators that you can use to check your SWF and salary step on your own. You can download and use these tools here. As we have other material available check back on our SWF and Benefits page at the upper left.

The Collective Agreement

An electronic version of the collective agreement it is available: in English (PDF 500 kb) or French (PDF 620 kb).

OPSEU 562 - Teachers, Counsellors and Librarians at Humber College

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Strike Preparation(click only if required)

Documents

Management Final Offer
   (Jan 27, 2010)

Workload Report
CCBA 2008
Contract 2005-09