Photo credit: Hugo.
Support Staff Strike 2021-03-30
Our support staff at Vanier were on strike recently to demand progress in their negotiations with the CAQ government. On the sunny morning of Tuesday, 30 March, your VCTA Executive picketed with them in front of the college, in the name of all Vanier teachers. Solidarity!
A wake up call for Premier Legault on March 31st.
On March 31st we demonstrated in front of the office of Premier Legault in support of our negotiation demands. Much noise there and across the province on that day to wake up the government negotiators who are asleep at the table. The political message should be clear: wake up or give your seat to someone else.
Photo credit: Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain – CSN
Workload Distribution in Departments
Sometime in March every year, the college predicts the number of students in each course and sends this to departmental coordinators along with the allocation determined by PES. The amount of allocation is fixed, unless the department can make a good argument to get more allocation. The department then has to figure out the workload for each teacher in the department or who teaches which courses, over the academic year. Tenured teachers have to be covered first and then non-tenured teachers by priority. It should be noted that having a right to workload does not mean that any particular teachers have the right to individual courses. Departments should decide on a method of dividing up the workload and Coordinators are asked to actually do this while making sure the total allocation used is not in the red. According to our Collective Agreement, the workload project should then be submitted to the department (Article 4-1.10) and then the Faculty Dean via Tache. The Dean is ultimately responsible for the proper distribution of the workload.
Many departments have found a fair way to distribute workload by first having each teacher submit their first, second, etc choices to the department, meaning that each department member is aware of everyone’s choices and no-one is guaranteed their choices over everyone else. Then the actual workload distribution proposal is done, on an equitable basis, by the Coordinator/s and presented to the department. If a member asks for a secret ballot vote, this should be automatic, according to Robert’s Rules of Order or the CSN Rules of Order, whichever rules the department has decided to use. If a department has not formalized rules under which to operate, we urge you to do so. The FNEEQ document “A Look at Departments” can be a very useful document to help departments to make such rules.
https://fneeq.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/fr/Formation-departements-anglais-2011-04.pdf
VCTA Membership
As soon as you are hired, you are covered by the Collective Agreement which constitutes our work contract. You have the same rights and protection as all other teachers at the College. Dues are collected from your pay and distributed to FNEEQ, Conseil Central and CSN. What is left is used by the local executive to manage local union activities.
Some of the key ways we serve our members are the following: we verify that allocation, postes, tenure, hiring priority, and seniority rights are being properly distributed; we help coordinators, guide people with retirement and insurance issues; we manage our professional development funds; we accompany teachers in meetings with deans, and stand with teachers through grievances and arbitrations; and in all labour relation discussions with the administration, we promote equity and fairness in College decisions. We are also presently working on the renewal of our Collective Agreement contract which expired last April 2020. This involves negotiations at the national level.
You can get informed first of all by reading our News bulletins and messages. In addition, you may get involved by attending our General Assemblies as they are forums of discussion during which issues are well fleshed out and motions are voted on to give direction to the Executive.
Becoming a member gives you the right to vote at General Assemblies and VCTA elections and get strike pay. You must officially become a member by sending a request to VCTA@vaniercollege.qc.ca and pay a one-time $2 fee for lifetime membership. Lastly, don’t hesitate to join Association Council meetings, which is the deliberative body of the union, to participate in more detailed analysis of issues. Visit our website for more information:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Cont Ed Teachers
Following a colleague’s question about this, we have asked the College, and they have confirmed that continuing education teachers can be added on the EAP. Cont Ed teachers are not automatically included in the service, but any teacher can ask HR to be added, and the College will consider their request. This is at the discretion of the College but most requests will be accepted. If you feel that the services of the EAP can be beneficial to you, do not hesitate to contact HR.
Change to Insurance Coverage
La Capital has informed us that they have determined that the Association des Massothérapeutes Professionnels du Québec (AMPQ) no longer respects their criteria for reimbursement. Therefore, we will not be able to make claims of fees from members of this organization starting on 1 May, 2021. Other massage therapist organizations remain recognized; this only affects AMPQ members.
“Return to Campus, Return to Nature: A Case for the Campus Nature Walk”
Our colleague Katherine Collin of the English department has published an article, available in French and in English, in the most recent issue of the FNEEQ Infolettre. In it, she discusses the many demonstrated benefits, especially for students, of maintaining and developing green spaces in and around college grounds. Read the article here:
https://fneeq.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Texte-comite-environnement-final.pdf
A Message from the VCSA
The VCSA would like to announce that we are giving out an award to a selective group of students and it is called the “VCSA Persistence Award”. This award is targeted for students who may not have the highest academic standing, however are still preserving through these hard times by actively getting involved in class whether that be online or in-person.
We need the help of our teachers to choose the candidates. Our goal is to aid 300 students with this award, thus we are asking that teachers nominate one of their students, or a maximum of two students from their classes to win. If we receive more than 300 nominations, we will conduct a draw to select the names. The criteria’s are the following:
The student is respectful and polite (attended class at the appropriate time, does not interrupt the professor or fellow students, etc.)
The student participates in class (good attendance, speaks when asked, shows motivation to succeed, etc.)
* Note that good academic standing is NOT one of the requirements.
In order to nominate a student, you must fill out the subsequent google form below by April 23rd, 2021. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5Rv0b_lM-lZUwQBFY3Y_Z3lFM-DapHPynx6Bmpf2P8kcgrA/viewform?usp=sf_link
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact either vcsatreasurer@vaniercollege.qc.ca or vcsainternal@vaniercollege.qc.ca
Thank you for your time and cooperation.
The Vanier College Students’ Association
Walk-in Vaccine Clinic at Vanier
People who are 55 years or over can now get vaccinated against COVID-19 without an appointment. A walk-in clinic is available at Vanier College, at the same location as the regular vaccination station in the sports complex, if that is convenient for you.
Upcoming Meetings
Special General Assembly: Strike Vote – 21 April, 12h00 – Zoom
Association Council – 22 April, 13h00 – Zoom
CRT – 22 April, 15h00 – Teams