Part-time members, join us for coffee and a chat!
Stop by Wednesday, July 19, for a casual chat and meet your union representatives and other members. We’ll be talking about the upcoming Part-Time Collective Agreement bargaining and demand setting and answer any questions that you may have.
When: July 17, 11 am – 1 pm
Where: Fennell Campus, Room i102
What: Coffee and Snacks
Please RSVP to the event so that we can be sure to have enough coffee on hand.
Feel free to share this message with your Part-Time Support coworkers. We’d love to see you there!
Wear blue on Tuesday July 11
We have some important updates to share regarding our ongoing negotiations with the College Employer Council (CEC).
As you may know, Bill 124, which capped our wages at 1%, was struck down as unconstitutional in November 2022. This development means that our re-opener clause is now in effect.
The CEC and our College of Applied Arts and Technology Support Full-Time (CAAT-S FT) Bargaining Team are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on July 11, 2023, along with our mediator, William Kaplan. Our team has been diligently preparing to negotiate a fairer agreement for all our members.
We are all deeply concerned about the rising cost of living and how it is becoming increasingly difficult to afford basic necessities. We understand that a 1% wage increase is not sufficient given the escalating costs of food and other basics like rent.
We also acknowledge that there is a need for better provisions for mental health support and the ability to step in and provide care for our families.
We have been loud and clear on the importance of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and the necessity to actively engage in Reconciliation with our Indigenous communities, and we are committed to addressing these issues in our negotiations.
So, how can we help our team negotiate a better wage re-opener deal?
Here are a few ways:
- Wear Blue on Tuesday July 11 to show support on campus, working from home, or on vacation.
- Send pictures of you and your co-workers to this email: caatsftbargaining@opseu.org
- Share pictures with your local president, and on social media with the hashtags #BlueForCAATS #OPSEUSEFPO
- Send a letter to your College President letting them know that you expect the Colleges to come to the table ready to negotiate a fair deal
Be part of an inclusive Hamilton
Hamilton for All is a public education campaign that aims at stimulating dialogue and opening minds by encouraging Hamiltonians to stand up against prejudice, exclusion and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, religion, country of origin, disability, sexual orientation and other differences.
Hamilton for All celebrates diversity and encourages residents to be part of Hamilton’s vision to be a Hamilton For All.
Hamilton for All envisions an inclusive Hamilton by starting conversations among residents and paving the way to unlearning assumptions about people who are different and at the same time promoting community-wide changes.
Learn more: https://hamiltonforall.ca/
Apply now for OPSEU/SEFPO scholarships
OPSEU/SEFPO is now inviting applications for annual scholarships.
- The Fred Upshaw scholarship will be awarded to a dependent of a racialized OPSEU/SEFPO member in good standing who is pursuing studies in labour relations and/or social justice and human rights and is studying at a publicly-funded, publicly-run post-secondary institution in Ontario.
- The Karen Millar Memorial Scholarship is open to dependents of OPSEU/SEFPO members in good standing who are enrolled in a Social Services program at a Canadian college or university in the 2023-2024 school year.
- The Amy Stiles Scholarship is open to the dependents of any contract faculty who is an OPSEU/SEFPO member in good standing, and who is confirmed as having worked on a contract at one of Ontario’s public colleges within the six months prior to the application deadline
- The Larry Cripps Scholarship is open to dependents of OPSEU/SEFPO members in good standing who are confirmed as enrolled in either a Police Foundations Course or a Law and Security/Corrections course at a publicly-funded, recognized Canadian university or college in the 2022-2023 school year.
- OPSEU/SEFPO offers ten Global Solidarity scholarships annually to support our goals of social justice and global solidarity. These scholarships are open to dependents of OPSEU/SEFPO members in good standing who are studying at a publicly funded, recognized Canadian university or college in the 2023-2024 school year.
Please be sure to apply before the July 30, 2023 deadline. Learn more
June 3 Rally and March
Members of Mohawk’s Local 241 and 240 joined the rally and march in Hamilton on the province-wide day of action June 3. From wages that aren’t keeping up, to sky-high housing costs, to longer and longer hospital wait times, communities across the province came together on Saturday to say “Enough is Enough.”
May Town Hall follow up
Thank you so much to those that attended the Local 241 Town Hall on May 17.
There were many great questions that were raised and if you were unable to attend, please check out the Q&A summary.
We also shared a new support resource for FT Position Description Forms (PDFs). The PDF is a standardized document detailing the job’s aspects and duties.
We want to hear your feedback! Let us know what you would like to see for your local by filling out a quick survey.
June 3 is the province-wide day of action to say: “Enough is enough!”
Workers in Ontario have had enough.
- We’re fed up with low wages, sky-high rent, and bills we can’t afford
- We’re fed up with attacks on our health care system and crumbling public services.
- We’re fed up with the rich getting richer, while workers struggle to make ends meet.
When workers come together, we can win. That’s why, on June 3, we’re taking it to the streets.
Here’s how to get involved:
1. Find an action on Saturday June 3rd near you here
2. Join us for a sign making party at the Hamilton Regional Office-Thursday June 1st 5-7pm at 505 York Blvd.
3. Take part in the rally and march at Gore Park at noon on Saturday June 3rd province-wide day of action.
For more information check out Enough is Enough Day of Action-OFL
We need to step up and make our workplaces better, hope to see you there!
The 2023 Johnson Scholarship Program is now open
Johnson Insurance is proud to offer 50 scholarships, valued at $1000 each, to eligible students completing high school in 2023 and starting post-secondary education in the fall of 2023. Since Johnson Insurance is our preferred home and car insurance provider, any qualifying child/grandchild of an OPSEU 241 policy holder, member or employee, is eligible to apply.
For more information or to obtain full requirements and submission instructions, visit johnson.ca/scholarship.
Part Time Pre-Bargaining Conference Update
The recent pre-bargaining conference was a great success, as evidenced by the enthusiastic engagement of the delegates, alternates, and observers. Special guests included 1st Vice President Laurie Nancekivell, the Chairs of the CAAT-A and CAAT-S DivEx, a number of EBMS and, of course, our hardworking OPSEU staff who helped make the weekend fantastic.
The highlight of the conference was the successful election of a student and member to complete the 2020 (Bill 124 negotiations) Bargaining Team. The 2024 Bargaining Team was also elected, and the 2024 EERC. This was a significant achievement and bodes well for future negotiations.
With just under six months remaining until the final demand-setting conference, there is a concerted effort to engage as many part-time members as possible in the 24 colleges.
Overall, the conference was a resounding success and has provided a solid foundation for future bargaining.
To introduce the 2020 Bargaining Team that will complete Bill 124 negotiations:
Noor Askandar, Chair, L557
Duncan McFarlane, Vice Chair, L416
Doreen Follett, L416
Torsten Hamelin, L557
Dale Gartshore, L124
Mercy Ayesha Alohan-Eke, L561
Nicole Fera, L656
Along with 7 Alternates.
To introduce the 2024 Bargaining Team:
Duncan McFarlane, Chair, L416
Doreen Follett, Vice Chair, L416
Noor Askandar, L557
Torsten Hamelin, L557
Patricia Cooper, L563
Fatima Yusuf, L563
Aliza Kassam, L557
Along with 14 Alternates.
Last but not least, we introduce the 2024 Employee/Employer Relations Committee (EERC):
Dale Gartshore, Chair, L124
Doreen Follett, Vice Chair, L416
Torsten Hamelin, L557
Patricia Cooper, L563
Nicole Fera, L656
Along with 10 Alternates.
Full-time and Part-time Support Staff – May Town Hall
OPSEU Local 241 is hosting an Informational Town Hall meeting via Zoom for all Support Staff members on Wednesday, May 17, at noon.
We’re holding the Town Hall to inform new and old members on what the union is, what it can do for you, how it’s structured, who your Stewards are, what all the acronyms mean, and how to make a strong union overall.
We also want to take the time to answer your questions! Please submit any questions when registering, and we’ll be happy to answer them at the meeting.
Click here to RSVP. You must register with a non-Mohawk email address. We’d appreciate your questions and RSVP before Friday, May 12 at noon.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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About Local 241
OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 proudly represents all Support Staff at Mohawk College.
Local Stewards and elected Officers are volunteers. We help our members navigate the unionized workplace and understand, exercise, and enforce our rights under the collective agreement.