"I consider it important,
indeed necessary, for intellectual workers to get together, both to protect
their own economic status ... and to secure their influence in the political
field." |
Who
we are:
The faculty union at Seneca
College is Local 560 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).
The
Role of OPSEU Local 560:
Local 560 represents academic
staff consisting of all full-time and partial-load professors,
all full-time counsellors and librarians, and all instructors. Persons
holding these positions are eligible to join the union.
OPSEU
was selected by academic staff as its union in the 1970s. It represents
you in negotiations and in day-to-day contract administration, with respect
to working conditions, salary, and benefits. You are automatically entitled
to these services under the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act. Dues,
which are tax deductible, are already deducted by the College from your
pay, whether or not you join the union, as all who receive these services
share the cost of providing them. |
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Albert Einstein,
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explaining his decision to
join the Princeton faculty union
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The
Benefits of Union Membership:
You don’t have to be an Einstein
to know you should join the faculty union at Seneca College. We encourage
you to do so. Here are some of the benefits.
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Union members participate in the
development of union policy, contract demands for provincial bargaining,
etc., and attend and vote at union meetings.
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Union members may run for union
office and participate in the election of stewards and officers who direct
the activities of the union local .
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In the event of a lockout or strike,
union members are entitled to strike pay.
Application
for Membership:
If you have never signed an
OPSEU membership card, you are not registered as a member. Likewise,
when you are away from the college on unpaid leave, your membership lapses
and is not reinstated until you have filled in another membership form.
Should
you choose to join (or re-join) the union, you will need to complete and
sign an Application for Membership card, available
from Local 560's secretary, Patricia
Clark. Please return your completed card by inter-campus mail to Local
560’s Secretary, Patricia Clark, at Newnham Campus.
The
Collective Agreement:
When you were hired, the Employee
Relations Department should have provided you with a copy of the Collective
Agreement. This is your contract of employment, and it is important that
you have one. If you have not received your copy, please let us know right
away.
Starting
Salary:
There is a formula
in the Collective Agreement for determining starting salary.
In some cases that have come to our attention, a new employee’s starting
salary has been lower than it should have been. You should contact
the union office and arrange an appointment to review your salary placement
to ensure that you have received your full entitlement.
Location
of Union Office and Officers:
The union office is at 2942
Finch Avenue East, Suite 119, just east of Victoria Park Avenue.
Please call us at the union
office, (416) 495-1599, whenever you have any questions about work-load,
salary, benefits or other contract and labour-relations matters.
Also, you can reach your Local
560 officers and stewards directly at your campus.
If you have any questions about
your membership application, contact the Local
560 Secretary, Patricia Clark, at the union office (416 495-1599) or at the College (416) 491-5050, Ext. 2208.
You can reach me, the local
president, at (416) 495-1599.
In solidarity,
Ted
Montgomery
President,OPSEU Local 560
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