Morale is high in Greater Sudbury for the striking college faculty, said Nina Naumenko, a spokesperson for OPSEU Local 655, representing 12,000 members currently on strike.
More than 100 members walked from the New Sudbury Shopping Centre to Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault's office to raise awareness of their situation. They were calling on the provincial government to support them in settling a deal sooner rather than later.
“Since July 4, we've been in negotiations, but there haven't been any real negotiations taking place,” Naumenko said. “All of our proposals have fallen on deaf ears.”
On Nov. 2, the union and the College Employer Council resumed bargaining, this time with a mediator in place. The two sides were close to a deal on Sunday night, with one outstanding issue — academic freedom — to discuss on Monday, Naumenko said.
Academic freedom means faculty having the ability to make decisions for their course, including having a say in evaluation methods, delivery methods, final marks, textbook selection, course design, content and research. Currently, management has the final say, with no way for faculty to challenge any of the decisions.
Precarious work — where workers fill permanent jobs but are denied permanent employee rights — is also at issue, Naumenko said.
“It's happening across the education sector, and we see it eroding more and more with each contract,” Naumenko said. “This time, we are taking a stand against precarious work and to get some language in place to get more jobs at the college level and set up protection for full-time and partial-load faculty.”
But on Monday, the CEC called for a forced vote on an offer that, according to OPSEU, “largely peddles the same concessions that they have been pushing for months.”
Under the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, the employer can force a vote on its offer any time after 15 days before the collective agreement expires. But it can only do it once – this is council’s one and only chance to avoid a negotiated settlement.
“This was the last card they could play,” said Naumenko. “They are forcing a vote on a forced offer that contains the same concessions. From our perspective, we're voting no, and that's the message we're putting out today with this rally, and through our social media presence.”
Naumenko also criticized the ECE's plan for faculty once they get back to work.
“Their back-to-work offer is to have us go back and make up for the month we've been striking, for free,” Naumenko said. “We are not happy with it, to say the least, because who wants to go back and work for free on top of making more concessions in our contract.”
The vote will take place Nov. 14 starting at 9 a.m. The Ontario Labour Relations Board will announce the results on Nov. 16.
