Grievance Win: Payment of Professional and Licensing Fees by the College
We are pleased to announce that your union local recently settled its grievance regarding the payment of professional and/or licensing fees by the college. The union brought a grievance against the college because the college had adopted a policy wherein faculty members were required to pay for individual professional fees, membership dues and/or licensing fees to an external body even where such membership or professional designation was a requirement for any faculty teaching in certain programs. The union took the position that the college was violating its obligation to pay faculty at the steps set out in article 14.
The settlement reached is that the college will pay for any professional fees that must be paid to an external body for programs that require any faculty teaching within a program to be a member of the external body or otherwise pay a fee, dues, etc. to an external body.
This settlement is effective as of January 2014. However, the college has advised that it will draft a new policy to detail this payment in September 2014. For those faculty who have paid or will pay such fees or dues prior to September 2014 the college has advised that it will honour the spirit of the settlement and faculty will be reimbursed for such payment. The union will advise its members once the college has posted this new policy.
This settlement will positively impact a number of our faculty. If you are unsure whether this policy applies to you please contact your Chief Steward, Nicole Zwiers at nicole.zwiers@durhamcollege.ca.