CEC and OPSEU Return to the Table | MyNews | Seneca Students

The Colleges remain committed to negotiating with OPSEU to conclude a collective agreement for academic employees. Yesterday, we asked the OPSEU Union bargaining team to rejoin us at the table in light of the letter from Treasury Board Secretariat affirming our position that Union workload demands, given the one per cent wage increase already given, contravene Bill 124.

We know that workload demands have evolved over the past 10 years. We remain committed to a comprehensive neutral-led workload review, the findings of which will result in changes based on joint recommendations. Together, we can find the common ground needed to make meaningful workload formula changes.

Yesterday, we asked the OPSEU Union bargaining team to not harm students by going on strike and instead meet us face-to-face Friday, March 18, Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20. Unfortunately, the Union bargaining team advised us that they were unavailable due to other commitments.

Rather than meeting face-to-face, we will be meeting with the OPSEU bargaining team and a Ministry of Labour mediator virtually on Thursday, March 17 to engage in a discussion about where both parties can compromise to reach a reasonable agreement.

We are asking the Union bargaining team to acknowledge that while immediate workload changes can't happen now, we are committed to making changes jointly through a comprehensive consultative process. We look forward to concluding these negotiations for the sake of the students, faculty and the greater College community.