Sunday: Demonstration for religious freedom and against Bill 21
This Sunday at 12:30 pm there will be a demonstration against Bill 21. FNEEQ has just recently taken a position supporting the right of public employees to wear religious symbols. We further encourage members to stand up for the rights of our fellow public service employees and against discrimination. This is both a workers issue and social justice issue! If you are planning on going, we propose to meet at the corner of de Maisonneuve and Berri, in front of the Biblioteque Nationale.
- For more information, see: https://www.facebook.com/events/1233267863517796/
Proposed Ministerial Science Revision
Please find attached the position (“Avis”)of FNEEQ experts on the proposed Ministerial Science Revision consultation. Note the Common Declaration in the last few pages has as a main priority to preserve the common nature of the DEC across the province.
- All teachers may show support for the science program by including the image below in your Vanier email signature (Go to “settings”, search signature, copy and you’re set!)
Leaves deadline: April 15
If you are planning to take a leave next year, please get in your forms by the April 15th deadline. Also, please note that non-tenured teachers with three years seniority may use workload reduction if they have a full-time contract.
- The forms are available on OMNIVOX, under Vanier Communities, Human Resources Services, Forms.
Retirees celebration
March 30th Vanier retirees gathered in celebration of their time here at Vanier and to be honoured for their service. We would like to tip our hat in gratitude to our teaching colleagues in particular for their hard work, leadership and commitment to our profession. We will miss you and we wish you all the best in your retirement!
- You and they are invited to our end-of-the-term Happy Hour, Friday May 10, at 4:30. Save the date!
Revised Calendar and evaluation in the last two weeks
The information we received at CRT April 4 was that because the circumstances of this semester were exceptional, teachers should explain the situation to their students, i.e. the student strike half-day and the snow day and the resulting new calendar formulation make it well nigh impossible to follow IPESA to the letter. For that reason teachers who have Wednesday classes may go over 30% in their evaluations the last two weeks of class. Although the Admin is not putting out a formal message, the faculty deans will support teachers in this, if ever a student raises it with them. (Furthermore, just for your information, IPESA is a policy that department and teachers are to “take into account”. Therefore, strictly speaking they are more like guidelines than fixed rules. See the collective agreement article 4-1.05, 2.13).
Negotiation information from our latest General Assembly
A lot of information was given our by our Nego representative Phil at our GA last Friday. We would like it to have the widest circulation possible among our teachers so that those who were not able to be present can still look into the details of the discussions.
- Please find attached the information and calculations for parity for Cont Ed teachers.
- Please find attached the preliminary reflections thus far.
- Please find attached the powerpoint which explains the negotiations in terms of organizational structures and timelines.
Global march against climate change: March 15
photo credit: Sheila Das
A small, but determined group of individuals from Vanier College met up to go to the Global March against Climate Change March 15. It was exhilarating to be with about 65 000 other Montrealers demanding governmental action for climate change so that we here in Canada meet the Paris Agreement targets. Some students have remarked that the action has given them hope for humanity as well as forced them to reevaluate their own habits. Congratulations to all who gathered in support of climate action now!