Coffee cups
We need your help. All our coffee cups have disappeared. If you should see any, please return them to the union lounge C-101.
- Enjoy the coffee and return the cup!
Executive Release Time: John Abbott College
It is useful to be reminded that other unions are fighting and sometimes winning the very same battles we face. We have had our VCTA Executive release time cut two years ago by our Administration by 0.5 FTE. This has drastically affected our budget, by reducing our available funds by $35 000 – 40 000 (or 50% of a replacement salary). This has meant we have reduced or eliminated our funding of worthy educational and social causes (including Student Aid, Women’s Week, Donations, and Contributions to guest speakers) and local mobilization (including Happy Hours).
Similarly, in early spring 2018, the Administration of John Abbott College unilaterally announced to the JACFA (John Abbott College Faculty Association) that their union release would be cut from 2.75 FTE to 2.5 FTE. Then the JACFA engaged in a multi-prong battle with their College’s administration in a campaign they named Respect JACFA with one of its targets the restoration of JACFA release.
Their last pressure tactic took the form of:
- a June GA mandate for JACFA members to boycott the August 2018 Welcome Back Breakfast to be accompanied by a rally
This planned boycott and related tactics finally reaped success! And the JACFA reached a compromise deal with Administration in time for the Welcome Back Breakfast: the union release was to be increased from 2.5 FTE to 2.67 FTE. In addition, the Admin signed a local agreement to guarantee that this increase would be indexed in the future to the total FTEs for the College at 0.5 FTE union release per 100 College FTE in excess of 400! Congratulations to our colleagues at the JACFA!
While we do not have a Welcome Back Breakfast to boycott, we have been excluding the Admin participation in our Happy Hours. Our Admin, unlike JAC, perhaps less concerned with employee satisfaction and community building, has not changed their mind by these measures. But the JACFA success inspires us to continue in our own fight for the return of the VCTA release.
Program Management Policy: Committee Update
As many of you know, our PMP committee has been working hard to come to a consensus with the Administration on any revisions to the Policy. Because of our teachers reps’ respect of the GA mandate not to work on Quality Assurance mechanisms (which tend to serve private industry prerogatives and may threaten the actual quality of teaching in the public education sphere), the committee seemed to be at an impasse. Recently, the dialogue has improved somewhat and priorities are being negotiated for this year’s revision. Key among these are maintaining the composition of the program committee to be teachers, as according to the Collective Agreement and in the current PMP, with other members of employment being invited as needed.
Your VCTA Executive has also spoken with the Academic Dean to express our vision for a respectful and effective consultation period, which would allow time for: departmental discussions, coordinators’ meetings and a General Assembly. She has listened to our concerns and we hope to have a timeline for this consultation on the horizon.
Program Committee Composition
Whether or not you are currently sitting on a program committee, please know that the committee members, i.e. teachers, have the right to decide when to invite others (e.g. ped counselors and even deans). We have been informed that some Vanier employees are approaching committees asking for a permanent place at the meetings. This could have a deleterious effect on the free-flow of discussion and independent determination of the best direction for program development.
- Make sure that your committees are aware and should consider inviting outside assistance only when needed and by consensus.
Stand up in support of public schools and teachers
Let us support education and our colleagues in preschool, elementary and high school! They are asking for that the government value and strengthen public education by: a lower ratio of students per teacher, enough support personnel and resources, adequate assistance for new teachers and the right to speak freely in public about their conditions.
- Sign the petition to show your support for education: https://ecole.ca.edu/petition/
Website: CI calculator
One recent addition of note to our website is the CI calculator (FAQ). We hope this may help you facilitate your understanding of your CI from semester to semester.
- thevcta.qc.ca
Insurance summary
Please find attached the new summary of what is covered by our various insurance plans for 2019 (also posted on our website for your future consultation).
Tenured before 2001 and Long term Disability
This is for you if you were tenured by 2001 and opted out of the La Capitale Long Term Disability plan and would like to reconsider. As of 2001, LTD is obligatory for all newly tenured teachers.
- See the attached information sheet #21 from our RSA.
Changes to Teachers’ Pensions with RREGOP
A few changes regarding pensions, from our last negotiations, are about to come into effect. In particular, after July 2019, teachers will have to retire after having reached 61 years of age in order to not have penalties (the cut off is currently at 60). So if you are considering retiring next year and will be 60 years of age, do so before July 1st (see p. 10 of the guide). The exception to this is if you already have 35 years of service.
If you wish to retire before the age of 60, you can get your RREGOP retirement pension with no actuarial reduction if you have 35 years of service or; with an actuarial reduction of 4% for each year of advance retirement (as long as you are over 55). This reduction is permanent and applies for as long as you receive the pension. And be forewarned – as of July 1st, 2020, with less than 61 years of age, the actuarial reduction becomes 6% per year. See below the FNEEQ guides to retirement: