The Vanier College Teachers’ Association
Update on Negotiations
The latest negotiation reports are attached to this newsletter. So far, four working meetings were held at each table, during which the unions and their governmental counterparts began to outline and explain their demands and wishes.
At the central table, the government has recently made misleading media announcements, accusing the unions of not being present and ready to discuss. It is trying to force division in the Common Front by favoring discussions at separate tables, which is not working at the moment. The initial offers (including the unacceptable 9-11% increase in salary for the next 5 years) were not improved yet.
At the sectoral table, the harmonization and approval process of our demands is still ongoing. Discussions took place on February 23 and 24, and will continue this week in order to refine the demands on pay scale, continuing education and distance education.
On the Law 14 front, you remember that the joint FNEEQ-FEC negotiation team strategy was to “wait and see”, as the current collective agreement was deemed good enough to protect us from potentially harmful implementation guidelines. However, we (and most of the other English cégeps) feel that some specific demands could probably be added at this stage, for instance a guarantee that the same course offered in two different languages will count as two different preps. This is already a local practice in cégeps like Sept-Îles and Gaspé who offer bilingual DECs, but it is not officially part of the collective agreement. So far, we were not successful at adding it explicitly in the bargaining demands. Also, we already know that our non-certificate holding students, who will have to write the French Exit Exam starting next year, will not benefit from the same preparation as the students in French cégeps (only three 45h French courses in the English network, compared to four 60h courses in the French one). There will clearly be a need for extra resources (centres d’aide en français or similar resource centers) if we want to offer our students the same level of preparation, and this could be the purpose of an annexe in the next collective agreement. But again, we are facing resistance to include such elements in the current demands as it is not the strategy favored by the bargaining committee – nor by the majority of the other local unions. For now, it is through the Law 14 committee and through direct discussions with the ministry that our federation is raising flags and asking for resources in relation to Law 14. However, as a first sign of openness from the bargaining committee, we have obtained, last week, that the federation’s demands be accompanied by demands within the framework of the negotiations.
Profs en Nego Campaign
Negotiations are underway, and as you may have heard, the ’Alliance des syndicats des professeures et professeurs de cégep (ASPPC)`, unanimously rejected the Government’s offer which was tabled on December 16, 2022.
The VCTA Exec and the Fneeq-Feq nego team will keep you up to date on the negotiations front, but you can also show your support for better wages and working conditions (and dissatisfaction with the Government’s offer) by wearing your Prof-en-Nego t-shirt every Wedenesday to work.
Not at Vanier on Wednesdays? Not a problem. This year, we will be on the common front with our colleagues from the Vanier College Support Personnel Association (VSPA) and from the Association of Vanier College Professional (AVCP). Show your support to demand that the Government make major investments which will significantly improve the working conditions for public sector workers by hanging a front commun poster on your office door.
Below are the different posters that we have on offer (click to expand if necessary). Swing by the union office (C-101) to grab one before we run out!
SVPR Training
Following from last year’s experience, the College has deployed several options this year to respect its obligation to offer training on sexual violence. Every employee is required to attend one training activity per year.
Teachers, and all employees, are expected to pick one of the available options to cover their training activity for this year. It is our understanding that the options listed in the College’s email will remain available for the next few years so teachers can attend one each year. There are live training sessions as well as asynchronous self-paced options. It is even possible to propose a project that would serve as training. So there are many possibilities. You can pick the one that is most convenient for you. Hourly paid teachers should be remunerated for the time of the training they chose to follow.
If you have not yet completed the training that was offered last year, It Takes All of Us, you should start with this one. Should you have any questions or if you would like to be advised as to your best option, contact Kallie Davies at daviesk@vaniercollege.qc.ca
Call for Clothing Donations
The Mishuap Raphael-Napa-Andre Shelter has just opened its doors, and is now accepting donations of warm clothing, socks, t-shirt, coats, long-sleeved shirts, pants, etc… of all sizes for men, women, and children.
[http://Image by <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-clothing-donation-illustration_12065298.htm#page=2&query=donating%20clothes&position=47&from_view=keyword&track=ais“>Freepik</a>]Source: freepik.com
You can drop off your donation at the VCTA’s Office in C-101 or bring it directly to the Shelter’s main door at 2154 rue Sainte-Catherine West. The shelter accepts donations 7 days a week starting from 7:30 pm.
For more information about the shelter and some of its initiatives, please contact Alexandra Ambroise at (418) 350 -1324.
Thank you for your generosity!
How Things Work
On occasion we will be adding a “How Some Things Work” column as an attachment to the News Bulletin. In this issue, we are focusing on the General Offer of Service and Double Employement
GOS & Double Employment
In order to exercise their priority on available workloads, non-permanent teachers should submit a General offer of services (GOS) every year, in April, to declare their availability to accept any teaching work in their discipline for the coming year. This takes the place of applying to individual postings. It remains possible to apply to each posting, but the GOS provides a more convenient option.
Many early career teachers work in multiple institutions, or even in other fields. According to the Collective Agreement (ANNEXE II-6), a teacher must inform the College if they have employment somewhere else than at Vanier. You are required to declare being in double employment if you hold an external job that equates to full time, for the whole duration of the semester for which you apply. The job can be teaching somewhere else, but it can also be self-employed work and in any sector.
If it applies, you declare your double employment on the same form as the GOS. However, as long as you do not have a full workload in your other job(s), or as long as it does not last for the whole semester, you do not need to declare double employment.
Upcoming Meetings
- Association Council – March 2 (1:30 – 4:00) in F-217
- General Assembly – March 9 (6:00) room TBD
- Academic Council – March 10 (1:00 – 4:00) in F-217