By Haseena Manek “Our thing is that, as front line work is being cut, overall it affects the people of Ontario being served. I mean, what are they to do? If they’re being discriminated [against] in a human rights matter, what do they do? It’s not just impacting our front line people, it’s impacting the Continue readingHuman rights support centre workers fight back against provincial cuts
OPSEU
By Haseena Manek “The best thing about this whole process has been an awakening among the workers,” said Local 518 President Elizabeth Wickwire in an email to Rank and File. “It is from small moments like this that I think the broader movement for workers’ rights is built. So, when people talk about fighting ‘Doug Continue readingWorkers at Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto are fighting for decent pay
By Zaid Noorsumar Tanya d’Anger has been teaching at Ontario’s colleges since 2000. Her CV lists some of the most renowned institutions in the province as her employers. And yet, the 59-year old reapplies for work at the end of every semester. For 18 years, she has remained a contract faculty member who earns lower Continue readingContract faculty fight Ford’s attack on Bill 148
We Own It! is a campaign launched by OPSEU in coordination with community groups in 2016 to keep public services public. The campaign is focused on battling privatization and strengthening public services across Ontario. They have been holding community forums and protests across the province.
By Rick Telfer The Ontario college faculty strike ended Nov. 19 as the Ontario Liberals’ back-to-work legislation passed final reading in the province’s legislature. Outstanding issues will be referred to binding mediation-arbitration. The government sought to pass back-to-work legislation on Nov. 16, but was thwarted when the Legislative Assembly’s Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus Continue readingOPSEU continues fight to protect precarious workers at colleges after back-to-work legislation
By Joel Harden For the past five weeks, teachers in Ontario’s College system have been on strike. Two days ago, their employer compelled them to vote on an offer that was summarily rejected. 95 percent of college teachers sent the deal packing by a margin of 86 percent. This is because the deal the Wynne Continue readingCollege faculty deserve a fair deal not back-to-work legislation
By Paula Greenberg I am a student at Humber in the Child and Youth Accelerated program. I decided to return to school after years of precarious employment in the Arts. My return to school has meant so much for me, giving me new career opportunities and a chance for decent work. This strike has deeply Continue readingWhy students should support Ontario’s striking college faculty
By Simon Norris* A lot of attention has been paid to the part-time work during this round collective bargaining in the Ontario College system, and deservedly so given that 81% of teaching staff is made up of contract and part-time instructors. The hardships wrought on educational workers engaged in part-time work has been well documented. Continue readingWhat’s at stake in the Ontario College Strike
The failure to hire full-time faculty has led to a staffing crisis in Ontario colleges. Part-time, partial-load, and sessional faculty (collectively known as contract faculty) now outnumber full-time faculty nearly three to one, without accounting for the large number teaching in continuing education, online and part-time studies. Meanwhile, with tuition increases raising the cost of Continue readingWeekend Video: Ontario college faculty fight concessions
By Julius Arscott, OPSEU Executive Board Member, Region 5 Toronto Ontario Public Service workers, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), are being asked to ratify 4-year deals for the union’s 35,000 members in its OPS “unified” and corrections bargaining units. Presidents of locals from across the province were called to a special Continue readingNew OPS deal not negotiated by elected workers’ representatives
By Matt Corbeil Elliot Lake is a city with a history. Home to one of the world’s largest deposits of uranium, the city grew in tandem with the US military’s nuclear weapons stockpile. But if the purpose of the stockpile was to keep the “free world” safe from the threat of global communism, little thought Continue readingThe McIntyre Powder Project: An interview with Janice Martell
By David Bush OPSEU is in the middle of organizing as many as 17,000 part-time college workers right across Ontario. Currently the Ontario labour movement organizes roughly 3,000 to 5,000 new members a year. This union drive is one the most significant and largest in the history of the province. To learn more about this Continue readingInside OPSEU’s historic college worker organizing drive