The Vanier College Teachers’ Association
Eric at work on May 12, 2021. Photo: Hugo Casanova
A farewell message from the outgoing VCTA President
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the VCTA for your support, both of myself as your president, and of other members of the VCTA Executive with whom I have had the privilege to serve, during the past number of years. I look forward to devoting my energies more exclusively to teaching, but I intend to be a regular at meetings of the VCTA General Assembly and will do my best to continue to contribute to our union.
— Eric Durling
Strike on June 2nd
We are going on strike on June 2nd. Since this coincides with the current mark submission deadline, we can assume that it will be rescheduled, probably to June 3rd. So teachers are asked to withhold their marks until the new deadline, once it has been approved.
More information will follow.
The art of moving slowly (aka our negos)
The talks at the sectoral negotiating table continued following the strike days of 11, 12 and 13 May. Our strike action is putting pressure on our counterparts and forcing them to discuss our demands with a little more openness, especially with the prospect of further walkouts. However, the counterpoint is that there is an undercurrent of false Blitz. A déjà vu of last November. A third day of strike is now programmed for the current marks-due date of June 2nd, for which our employer has received an avis de grève. Given our limited ability to disrupt and the looming end of semester, we have very few levers left to pull. We had a GA motion to withhold the grades until the due date, which now translates into not handing-in the grades by that day. We think of that action as surgical, a warning shot. For the Autumn semester, if the negotiations haven’t progressed, we will be proposing real disruption.
There is no prior precedent to the bargaining context we find ourselves in: no common front, a historical pandemic, and post Saskatchewan Supreme Court decision recognizing the right to strike. Not to mention a government with no track record of public sector negotiations. We will not let go of our demands, in particular of a fixed pay raise for low-wage earners and of decent working conditions for precarious workers, at par with permanent workers.
We would like to remind all who haven’t done so yet to send an alternate email address to the mobilization email, so you can be contacted for mob events, as well as for contact on strike days, when we are not using our employers’ IT platforms:
vctamobilization2020@gmail.com
Media Coverage of the Strike
We have collected a review of the media coverage of our May 11th to 13th strike across the réseau. Have a look:
We would like to thank all of you for showing up on the picket line! It was great to see each other in real life, wasn’t it? Here is a selection of photos Hugo took throughout the 48 hours:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/134011814@N03/albums/72157719164199977/with/51177901863/
INFO-insurance #30
The newsletter contains lots of useful information: (see attached)
– Retirement prep – new partnership between FNEEQ & La Capitale
– Who to contact when you have a question regarding insurance.
– FAQs – COVID-19, including: travel & mandatory quarantine and psychological assistance
– New professional services performed by pharmacists
– Removal of massage therapy provider
– Changes to reimbursement of devices for diabetic individuals
– Reminder – Important information for future retirees
Sanitary Measures During Exams
We would like to inform teachers who still have exams scheduled that they may need to remind students to wipe their station after they have completed their exam. Cleaning products are provided on each desk.
Meeting Owl Pro
In the May 17th Intercom, you may have noticed a message from the PSI Office and IT in which they present the Meeting Owl Pro. They describe the product providing means to teach students who are on-line and in-person simultaneously. This is sometimes referred to as blended learning, but it is also referred to as bi-modal or co-modal teaching. You will find, in one of the attachments, a synthesized version, in English, of some of the findings of FNEEQ’s “Comité école et société” in relation to these forms of learning.
Teachers should know that they are not obliged to use this technology or the type of learning associated with it. We will keep you informed of any further discussions the VCTA Executive has with the senior Vanier administration regarding learning delivery systems.
Bill 96
The Quebec government is proposing legislation that, if it is adopted, could have a significant impact on anglophone colleges. The VCTA Executive still has questions about the legislation, but we have received reassurances from the College and from FNEEQ that the number of students we would admit would correspond roughly to our current “devis pédagogique” – the legal limit of students that each college is allowed to accept. Anglophone colleges will also be obliged to adopt an admissions policy that favours students eligible to receive instruction in English as per Bill 101. Finally, students attending anglophone colleges would have to write “l’épreuve uniforme de français” the French Exit Test.
« En classe, c’est mieux! »
FNEEQ has organized a Facebook Live event under the theme of « En classe, c’est mieux ! », “Better in class!” on Wednesday, 26 May, between 1:00 and 2:00 pm. Four teachers, from all three regroupements, will discuss the recent transformation of teaching and the post-covid transition. Attendees will also be able to ask questions and participate in the discussion.
https://www.facebook.com/events/480290366556109/
Professional Development
Remember that the deadline to apply for PD activities in the summer, or to request a rollover of your PD funds, is the last day of availability: June 11th. Forms and details can be found on our website:
Vacation Period
This year, the summer vacation period will extend from Monday, 14 June to Friday, 13 August.
Last day of availability: 11 June, 2021
Return to work: 16 August, 2021
First day of classes: 23 August, 2021
We hope you have an excellent resting time. And if you are teaching this Summer, we wish you a fruitful semester.
Upcoming events
Academic Council — 28 May — 13h00 — Zoom
TEACHERS STRIKE — 2 June
Academic Council Extra — 7 June — 13h00 — Zoom
Last day of availability — 11 June
Board of Director — 15 June — 18h00 — Zoom
The FNEEQ Congrès will take place from June 1st to 4th.