VCTA member on FNEEQ Comité Environnement
We are pleased to announce that Katherine Collin (English) was elected to the Comité Environnement at the FNEEQ Conseil Fédéral in December 2019. She will join new member Nicolas Talbot from Cégep Saint-Laurent on the committee, which meets for the first time this semester on March 13.
If you have specific concerns or ideas you’d like to relay for discussion, Katherine encourages VCTA members to get in touch with her. As a member of the Association Council’s Sustainability Mobilization sub-committee, she will be able to include comments from the community in her report to Association Council.
Showing consideration for colleagues between class periods
Following the college’s memo about a 10 minute period at the end of class, we ask teachers to be considerate during the transition.
The teacher in the room is responsible for it for the whole period of the scheduled class. Students of the next class should not be allowed in before the previous teacher has left the room. This is especially true when a test is ongoing, to avoid distractions.
Out of courtesy, whenever possible, we suggest that teachers allow incoming colleagues to let them get setup at the computer and board, to assure they can start their class on time.
IPESA Consultation
The consultation on the new IPESA is happening at the moment. Departments must contribute and file their comments and concerns to make sure the IPESA reflects the reality of everyone.
A consultation module has been added to Omnivox for each department to submit their feedback. Talk to your coordinator if you have comments you wish to communicate with the IPESA committee.
Data breach at the MEES
You may have heard that there has been a data breach at the MEES which has exposed personal information of Québec teachers. This includes all cégep teachers: regular part-time, full-time as well as in continuing education.
For the moment, we have not been given a lot of details. But according to the government: “Those concerned will receive a letter informing them of the measures to take and the resources available.”
More information is available on this page:
You can also read the government’s press release here (en français):
Opinion letters from Continuing Education teachers sought
At the Regroupement cégep of February 6 and 7, a visibility plan for the sensibilization campaign about the unfair working conditions in continuing education was presented. This plan includes opinion letters from teachers aimed at the media.
If you have such letters, whether they have already been published in the media or not, you can send them to the VCTA. We will forward these letters to the Regroupement cégep for posting on their digital media.
Keep your eyes open for a Special ContEd Newsletter to be published shortly. Much is happening in line with the negotiations and the mobilization of the continuing education teachers at Vanier, so we decided to dedicate a newsletter to ContEd information. The first issue should be released in the coming days.
Want to be paid if we strike?
All teachers pay their dues and are represented by the VCTA. But in order to vote at union meetings, including general assemblies, you must sign a union membership card.
Another important benefit of getting your union card is to be paid during strikes. Of course, when we strike, we are not paid by the employer. But we, the VCTA, are lucky to have some limited funds that allow us to provide a minimal pay to picketing members on strike days. Only members who have signed their card can claim this strike pay.
Collective Agreement negotiations have begun. Don’t wait. Come sign your card.
Insurance News
See Info Insurance #24 (attached in both English and French) for a variety of useful information:
• Save money by filling prescriptions every 3 months
• Life insurance premium holiday
• Our College has an agreement to provide us a La Capitale financial advisor for free
• FNEEQ has an updated Retirement Guide on their website which is available here (in French only for now):
Ped Day Attendance
A memo was sent recently from the office of the Academic Dean about attendance to Pedagogical Days. We would like to remind you that attending Ped Day activities is a contractual obligation. (8.4-01 a)
The VCTA has brought to CRT the important precision that some teachers have been absent for legitimate reasons like family responsibilities or sickness. The college acknowledges this. Therefore, it is important to signal your absence in Omnivox if you cannot attend a Ped Day, just like other regular teaching days.
We will have further questions for the college at the next CRT. We can expect more details from the administration before the next Ped Day.
March Break: Transfer of Availability
March Break is coming soon. Be sure to submit your transfer of availability to the college if you are going away during the week of March 16th.
End of availability: 12 June 2020
We calculate the end of availability for the winter semester by going backwards 45 days from the start of availability in the following year. These 45 days are our summer vacation. We can only establish the date once the calendar for the next year has been approved by the Board of Directors. It has been, last Tuesday.
According to the calculation, this year will end on Friday, 12 June.
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Upcoming meetings
Association Council. 5 March. 13h15. F216
General Assembly. 11 March. 18h00. F216
Academic Council. 13 March. 13h00. F216
Academic Council. 3 April. 13h00. F216