We are happy to provide you with an exciting update on the long journey toward union certification for part-time and sessional Ontario college faculty.
Background:
Part-time and sessional faculty voted on OPSEU/SEFPO representation in October, 2017. As we all know, the College Employer Council’s (CEC) ongoing objection to counting the votes has been the primary barrier preventing the conclusion of our union certification process for nearly seven years. For more on the background of the certification drive, see this past update from OPSEU/SEFPO.
Where We Stand Today:
While the CEC maintained that there were still membership cards with “issues,” on July 12, 2024, it agreed to have the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) conduct a review of the membership evidence that excluded any cards with issues. The OLRB conducted that review and it determined that the threshold of 35% of the prospective bargaining unit had been met.
Subsequently, a decision issued by the OLRB yesterday (July 30) has given the go-ahead to open the ballot boxes and count the votes (see the attached OLRB decision below). After nearly seven years—and a myriad of CEC delay tactics—dedicated part-time and sessional faculty will finally have their collective voice heard. Once the vote has been counted and the certification confirmed, these faculty members will officially be represented by OPSEU/SEFPO. Negotiations can then begin with the CEC to establish this bargaining unit’s first collective agreement.
It has been a long, and often frustrating, road to get to this point. Its ultimate success is the result of years of effort on the part of many organizers and activists, including the OPSEU/SEFPO Member Organizing Division. It is also a reminder that when we organize and stand together, we win. This is a hard-won, well-deserved victory! Union membership will improve the working conditions and the lives of these faculty members. We look forward to welcoming our part-time and sessional college faculty colleagues as fellow OPSEU/SEFPO members.
We will provide further updates as we receive them. Feel free to share this information with your members. Please also note that OPSEU/SEFPO will be sending out an official (bilingual) message to all members shortly.
In Solidarity,
Your DivEx Team