Union Social: Snakes & Lattes, August 5

Join your Seneca Faculty colleagues on Wednesday, August 5, at 6:30 PM for games, snacks and drinks at our summer social event, at Snakes & Lattes (600 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1K4). 

There is no charge, and you are welcome to bring a guest. In particular, we encourage Part-Time and Sessional faculty to attend. It will be a chance to share our stories, as the process of bargaining the first Part-Time/Sessional Collective Agreement is underway (see the item below).

Union socials are a great way for members to meet each other, and connect with the union. 

RSVP here:
https://forms.gle/v3T4mrVTTyZfwJym7

Part-Time & Sessional Bargaining Update Town Hall: August 19 and August 20

On August 19, the College Employer Council (CEC) indicated that they will bring a full non-monetary package to the bargaining table. While we will not know any further details until that day, we know this could have significant implications for your working conditions and the future of part-time and sessional work in Ontario colleges.

In the spirit of transparency, we are holding a town hall immediately following the end of our day at the table.

Please join us: Aug 19 – 7pm town hall
REGISTER: https://opseu-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/_3ViTH60Rk2kSZwvHi1YewWe will host a second session on Aug 20 at 12pm for those who cannot make it on August 19.
REGISTER: https://opseu-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/iryYdGKHQJ6fBSyngowkcA

New Full-Time and Partial-Load Collective Agreement: 2024-2027

The Collective Agreement linked below (available in English or French) covers all Full-Time and Partial-Load Faculty (CAAT-A FT), effective from October 1st, 2024 to September 30th, 2027.

2024-2027 Academic Full-Time Collective Agreement – English

2024-2027 Academic Full-Time Collective Agreement – French

The general highlights of our New Collective agreement are as follows:

WagesA 7.5% general wage increase as follows: 
–       3% effective October 1, 2024
–       2.5% effective October 1, 2025
–       2% effective October 2, 2026

Expanded discretionary steps – the College may grant up to seven (7) additional steps on hiring appointments, up to the maximum salary step.
Partial-Load FacultyArticle 26.10 – Automatic registry for partial-load priority consideration for the following semester (effective 2026-2027 academic year). 

Article 26.11 – $65/hour compensation for all mandatory meetings and training not associated with the academic deliverables of the partial load contract.

Article 8.04 A, 8.04 B, 8.06 – Provisions for partial-load participation in union business, including book-offs, without loss of pay or registry rights.

Article 26.10 G – Extended leave rights.
BenefitsArticle 26.06 – Bridging partial-load faculty onto benefits (Dental, Vision Care, Hearing Care, Critical Illness/Catastrophic Event Insurance, and Life Insurance) as per Article 19 – 25% employer paid. This opens the door for further gains.

Eyewear coverage increased from $400 to $550 every 2 years (75% employer paid for full-time faculty, 25% employer paid for partial-load faculty), or $550 every year for those under 18 years of age.

Hearing Care coverage increased from $3,000 to $3,500 every three years (75% employer paid for full-time faculty, 25% employer paid for partial-load faculty).

Benefits changes secured in the January 2025 Memorandum of Agreement.
WorkloadArticle 11.01 D3 – Additional preparation time for teaching a course in a new delivery mode for the first time (effective the 2026-2027 academic year). 

Letter of Understanding re: College Bargaining Information Subcommittee (CBIS) – amended to continue data collection and evaluation regarding workload.

Article 11.01 F 1, F 2 – Increased allowance of 1 additional hour (5 hours instead of 4) for routine-out-of class student assistance on SWFs.

Article 11.01 C – Ensuring no teaching block will be scheduled for less than one hour. Teaching blocks may be extended by half hour increments. Total weekly teaching contact hours in a course must equal a whole number.

Article 11.04 A2 – Overtime for counsellors and librarians where assigned to work in excess of 35 hours (effective January 1, 2026).

Article 11.01 E 1 – 17% Increase in time attributed for evaluating and providing feedback on essay- or project-type assignments

Letter of Understanding re: Counsellor overtime – each college shall have a procedure to address overtime where it is not possible to obtain pre-approval when a student is in crisis. 
Bargaining unit integrityArticle 14.03 A3 – Coordinator role assignments will prioritize qualified and interested bargaining unit members in affected program areas prior to contracting work outside the bargaining unit.
Job securityRetraining: Letter of Understanding re: using the Joint Employment Stability Reserve Fund (JESRF) for job retraining – the College shall advise bargaining unit employees who have received notice of layoff and/or who have been identified as a candidate for retraining of the availability of JESRF funds and invite affected bargaining unit employees to apply (effective July 2, 2025 through September 30, 2027). 

Financial disclosure: Changes to Article 28 now mandate “that data which are relevant to employment stability shall be made available to both parties, including pertinent staffing and financial information.”

Enhanced severance: Letter of Understanding re: enhanced severance for full-time employees with two years or more of service, effective date of award (July 2, 2025).
Intellectual propertyLetter of Understanding re: establishment of a subcommittee dedicated to discussing and making recommendations regarding intellectual property in the Ontario College system – to be established within 30 days following the signing of this agreement.