Talks begin for OPSEU faculty contract

By Sam Normand

Representatives of Loyalist College’s OPSEU 420 are scheduled to meet Wednesday to put forth their demands for a new full-time faculty contact.

This is part of an ongoing process of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), to itemize demands to be put forth to the College Compensation and Appointments Council (CCAC), which bargains on behalf of colleges.

On March 31, representatives of Ontario’s 24 colleges will meet to set their terms in a new contract for full-time faculty, as well as determining the next date for renewal. Seven of these members will comprise the bargaining committee on behalf of OPSEU. In June they are scheduled to meet with their counterparts at the council to begin negotiations.

As of yet there’s no significant sign that negotiations could turn into a strike reminiscent of this year’s support staff picket line. However, if an agreement isn’t met by the contract’s August 31 expiry date, the college could see some turbulence, said Bernard Belanger, president of OPSEU 420 at Loyalist College in an interview Tuesday.

“On the horizon I don’t see any demands we would have that we would say ‘this we’re going to strike on.’,” said Belanger. “But if management says ‘we’re going to take away stuff’ we’ll be out. It’s all in management’s court.”

If the majority of union members across the province vote to strike, then Loyalist’s faculty, as part of OPSEU, will have to strike, said Belanger.

“The unfortunate thing with our bargaining is that we have 24 colleges. If the Toronto colleges, for example, have a special interest that they want to proceed forward, but that’s not an interest out here in the boonies, then we might go on strike. So it’s a really difficult thing to predict.”

A strike would require a majority of the approximately 7,000 full time faculty members across the province to move forward. Most are located in Toronto.

“We only have 134 teachers out here, so we don’t influence the vote very much,” said Belanger.