This is not the message we had expected to post today, but we are very happy for that and grateful for the hard work of the CAAT-A Bargaining Team in finding a path to avert a strike that could have started as early as midnight tonight. Their task is often a thankless one, but incredibly important to preserving and improving our working conditions, and the learning conditions of our students.
You can also thank yourselves for the strong strike mandate given to the team this year, as well as the behind-the-scenes work of the 24 locals who have been preparing strike manuals, meeting with management over picketing protocols and organizing trailers, portable toilets and other strike necessities. We’re told the CEC was surprised and ultimately motivated by the solidarity and urgent work that was taking place.
I’d also personally like to thank our own local executive committee and our administrative assistant Darlene Gill for the countless hours spent meeting and planning to prepare for all eventualities. That work and experience was not in vain and will come in handy next time around.
What happens next?
We are expecting more details to come from the bargaining team eventually, but in the meantime, here is what we learned in brief late last night after the memorandum of settlement was signed by our team and the College Employer Council (CEC).
A great many of the 30 plus concessions were negotiated away in the final hours of bargaining, including some that impacted the academic calendar/vacation and two-tiering of trades and academic upgrading. Wins already secured include improved benefits for partial load employees. Other remaining concessions and union proposals will be decided at mediated arbitration. Wages, contract length, hours for asynchronous classes and the introduction of accreditation and credential language to lay-off provisions are still to be negotiated.
The outstanding issues will be decided through mediated arbitration wth arbitrator William Kaplan again, who is very knowledgeable of our sector and was the arbitrator of our last settlement as well. Three days will be scheduled for the arbitration and a new agreement should be signed before the end of June.
Contrary to what the CEC is saying, the coming talks are NOT the binding arbitration they had been seeking this time around. The binding interest arbitration route would have forced Kaplan to choose one side or the other in a take it or leave it scenario for all remaining proposals and concessions, meaning any concessions left on the table for arbitration could have been drafted into our next contract unchanged. Mediated arbitration is an approach where Kaplan will listen to each side, encourage compromise and ultimately decide how each proposal or concession will be included or excluded.
Kaplan has told both sides already that he does not view this round of bargaining as a time for concessions, nor a year for breakthrough advances for our side. Instead, we can probably expect modest gains and the elimination of the most egregious concessions. Given all that is happening in the college sector at the moment, this is a good victory earned without the sacrifice of a strike.
In solidarity,
Phil Raby
President, Local 354
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