On Wednesday, July 2nd, after a tumultuous year of bargaining, Full-Time and Partial-Load faculty have at last been awarded a three year Collective Agreement by William Kaplan. This new Collective Agreement will be in effect from October 1st, 2024 through September 30th, 2027.
Some portions apply retroactively, such as the first 3% wage increase retroactive to October 1st, 2024, while others will only come into effect later, such as automatic registration for the Partial-Load Registry taking effect for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The general highlights of our new collective agreement are as follows:
| Wages | A 7.5% general wage increase as follows: – 3% retroactive to October 1, 2024; – 2.5% effective October 1, 2025; – 2% effective October 2, 2025. Retroactive wages shall be paid by the colleges to current and former employees within ninety (90) days. Expanded discretionary steps – the College may grant up to seven (7) additional steps on hiring appointments provided the resultant rate does not place the individual above the maximum salary. |
| Partial-Load Faculty | Article 26.10 – Automatic registry for partial-load priority hiring consideration for the following semester (effective 2026-2027 academic year). Article 26.11 – Compensation for all mandatory meetings and training not associated with the academic deliverables of the partial load contract at $65.00 per hour. Article 8.04 A, 8.04 B, 8.06 – Securing 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. |
| Benefits | Article 26.06 – Bridging partial-load faculty onto benefits (Dental, Vision Care, Hearing Care, Critical Illness/Catastrophic Event Insurance, and Life Insurance). This opens the door for further gains. Article 19 – Vision Care coverage up from $400 to $550 every two years, 75% employer paid for full-time faculty, 25% employer paid for partial-load faculty. Eyewear coverage up from $400 to $550 every year, 75% employer paid for full-time faculty, 25% employer paid for partial-load faculty. Hearing Care coverage up 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. |
| Workload | Article 11.01 D3 – new preparation factor (additional time) for teaching for the first time in a new delivery mode (effective the 2026-2027 academic year). Letter of Understanding re: College Bargaining Information Subcommittee (CBIS) – amended to continue data collection and evaluation regarding workload. All below are effective January 1, 2026. Article 11.01 F 1, F 2 – Increased allowance of 1 additional hour for routine out-of-class student assistance. 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 must equal a whole number. Article 11.04 A2 – Overtime for counsellors and librarians where assigned to work overtime in excess of 35 hours (effective January 1, 2026). Article 11.01 E 1 – Increase in essay or project evaluation time. 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. To be implemented on a college-by-college basis in consultation with the Local union by January 1, 2026. |
| Bargaining unit integrity | Article 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 security | Retraining: 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 property | Letter 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. |