Brothers and Sisters:
From now until the beginning of negotiations in June 2012 you have an opportunity to exercise your democratic rights as a member of your Union. With full participation and solidarity, demand-setting is one of the most democratic events in any union. It is your turn to have your say. In June 2012, negotiations for a new Collective Agreement will begin. To ensure the greatest effectiveness of this collective process, we need your input and participation.
We have started the process that will bring us to a new Collective Agreement. In the union movement, this process is known as pre-bargaining. Securing/exercising your democratic rights through participation in your local’s demand setting meetings can bring about tremendous beneficial changes in the Collective Agreement.
By the time you receive this Newsletter, your Divisional Executive will have requested a report from all the committee chairs outlining their recommendations for bargaining. The committees look after matters of concern that have a direct effect on you the membership.
They are the Joint Educational Qualifications Subcommitte; the Joint Insurance Committee; CAAT Retirees Group Insurance Advisory Committee; the Heath and Safety Coordinating Committee; the Employee/Employer Relations Committee; the Collective Bargaining Information Services Advisory Committee; the Joint Greivance Scheduling Committee; the In-Service Teacher Traiing Certificate Task Force; the Pension Trustees; the Sick Leave BuyoutCommittee; the Canadian Association of University Teachers.
The DivEx will have made a similar request to all Local presidents to outline their priorities for this round. The Union’s research staff will prepare reports on ideal language from other jurisdictions and analyze the economic environment. All of this will be added to the material collected since the last round of bargaining and will be provided in a resource booklet to the participants of the Pre-Bargaining Conference on October 15 and 16 in Toronto.
This year, for the first time, the bargaining team will be elected at the Pre-bargaining conference. Under the new collective bargaining procedures that were passed in June 2010 and ratified by the annual OPSEU convention in April 2011, the newly elected bargaining team and the Divisional Executive will provide help to your locals, if needed, during the Demand Setting process.
The collected pre-bargained conference material, along with the input received (work done/issues brought forth) at the pre-bargaining conference will be provided to your Local as resources for a productive local Demand-Setting meeting. At your local meeting you may bring forward any idea that will help your sisters and brothers achieve a better working environment.
How do you participate?
The local Demand Setting Meetings have the following main objectives:
At the Provincial Demand Setting Meeting, delegates from the 24 Community Colleges will vote on the demands that have been presented by each local and standing committee and rank the priority of demands passed at the Provincial Demand Setting Meeting.
Your input at the local level is important in shaping the demands that will ultimately make it to the bargaining table and finally into the Collective Agreement. Ideally, demand –setting is one of the most democratic process in any union. Exercise your democratic right to be heard. Participate fully!
In Solidarity,
The CAAT-A Divisional Executive