Bargaining Bulletin #9: This time, we’re all at the table

We’re in it now. After six full days of bargaining under the oversight of the B.C. Labour Board, it’s been…a lot. Progress was slow at first, but we’ve now had a couple of frank, “pens down” conversations with the Employer about our priorities and expectations.

We are moving into “package bargaining”—where nothing is agreed to in isolation, and every item is weighed against the whole. This is the only way we can create real movement on our key pillars, especially workload and transparency.

Come to our All-Member Open Bargaining Caucuses

April 21 (Lansdowne) and 22 (Interurban)

We think we have found a way to convince the Employer to give ground in areas it has historically refused to concede. We’re preparing responses in articles where the Employer is seeking clarity and simplicity: Right of First Refusal, the grievance procedure, and Scheduled Development.

To be clear: we are not interested in giving up ground. We will not weaken rights for term faculty, nor reduce our hard-won Scheduled Development time. But we do see opportunities to address some Employer concerns in ways that also improve clarity, reduce administrative burden, and—critically—give us leverage to advance our priorities.

That said, some of the changes we’re considering are significant. Our goal is to preserve the core principles of our Collective Agreement while making it stronger and more workable.

We need your input on Scheduled Development, Faculty Appraisals, and Right of First Refusal. We need to confirm your priorities on Workload, Transparency, and Collegial Governance.

These decisions will shape working conditions at Camosun faculty for years to come. We need to get this right.

April 21, 1:00–3:00, Wilna Thomas Hall, Lansdowne Campus
April 22, 1:00–3:00, Liz Ashton Centre Lecture Theatre, Rm. 124, Interurban Campus

Check your email for the CCFA invite. If you can’t find it, just reply and we’ll resend it.

This time, we’re all at the table

If you’ve ever wondered what you can do for the Union or for your Contract, this is it.

Join us for our bargaining sessions with the Employer: April 24, April 27, and May 5–8.

Your presence matters. We can speak on your behalf, but nothing is more powerful than filling the room with faculty members who have had enough. We can tell them these issues are important, of course, but we can only convince the Employer to give us so much. If we want what we deserve, we have to show them we won’t take no for an answer.

That’s it. We’ve been preparing for the next few weeks for the past two and a half years. It’s our contract, and it’s our union. Let’s make it one we can be proud of.