The Vanier College Teachers’ Association
Welcome to 2022!
The first two weeks of the semester are already behind us but we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the very best for 2022!
While it was nice to see many of you online in various meetings, we hope that the return to campus will be as uneventful as possible. There are many dossiers on the books for the VCTA this semester, but our first priority will be to ensure that the College fulfills its responsibility to assure the safety of all teachers, staff, and students at Vanier as we return to the college.
On this note, we would like to thank everyone present at the General Assembly. We had a good debate, and we came out with a motion that expresses our collective concerns. The executive presented the motion to the College administration on Wednesday afternoon. We will keep you informed of any development.
Our next planned GA will be in March. To make sure most people are available, we are suggesting two possible dates: Wednesday, 9 March, at UB or Thursday, 10 March, in the evening. We have prepared a survey, at the link below, for you to express your preference. Please do so before the end of Friday, February 4th.
https://forms.office.com/r/EUXRQ6VCbQ
Contacting the Union
If you ever need to speak with someone from the Executive, feel free to contact our Administrative Assistant, Sheree Sitahal, at vcta@vaniercollege.qc.ca, and she will arrange an online or in person meeting with someone on the VCTA as soon as possible.
Our Office Hours will be posted on the door in C-101, and on our website www.thevcta.qc.ca next week.
The VCTA Website
This semester we are planning to give the VCTA website a makeover – so that information will be easier to find and the site will be easier to navigate. If you have any suggestions on how to improve the user experience of the VCTA website, please send us an email at vcta@vaniercollege.qc.ca with subject line: Website Suggestions, and we will do our best to incorporate it into the design. This will be a work in progress, so ideas and suggestions are always welcome.
CSN Stress Management Workshop
How about a little less stress? The CSN will be holding a virtual conference on Wednesday, February 2 on stress management with prizes to be won 😊
If you would like to register for the workshop or require more information contact Susie Richard at srichard@centrestpierre.org
Nego News:
2020-2023 Collective Agreement
As of this time, we have been told by our representatives tasked with the clause by clause redaction of the 2020-2023 collective agreement that it should be ready for ratification at the end of this month! Arguably, the Comité patronal de négociation des collèges (CPNC) had been canceling and postponing multiple scheduled meetings in December and January, delaying the completion of the CA. When we have confirmation of the signature, we will be able to provide a timeline for the signing bonuses and backpay.
Future Negos
By the law of public sector negotiations, all cahier de demandes, both for the central table (salary, pension, etc.) and the sectoral tables (working conditions) have to be deposited by the end of October. Look forward to being on the street in Quebec City when our nego team crosses over to the Ministry to officially deposit these demands. This is still done physically! Until that culminating instant, much will have to be debated in local unions, regroupements, fédérations, and confédérations. The two starting questions we have to address is whether we want to enter into an alliance with our sectoral counterpart of the Confédération des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the Fédération des enseignantes et enseignants de cégep (FEC), and whether we want to be part of a common front of the grandes centrales syndicales québécoises. We will be seeking your input on these questions in the next couple of weeks.
The CSN is surveying its entire public sector membership to get input for the upcoming discussions of priorities for the central table (salaries, pensions, etc.) You can either go online directly or use the QR code in the poster below to access the survey in English. A lucky participant will win an iPad.
New Film About Unions at The Vanier Library
The College Library has received a DVD of the film “Betrayal: When the Government Took Over the Teamsters Union“. If you are interested or, if you happen to teach anything about government control, unions, law and order, we encourage you to have a look. More information about the film: https://betrayalfilm.org/#ABOUT
New to The College or to the VCTA?
If you are a new teacher at Vanier College or would like to join the Vanier College Teachers Association (VCTA), then come visit us in C – 101 or send us an email.
The VCTA protects the rights of all teachers established in our Collective Agreement. But we can also answer questions that you may have about: contracts, leaves, absences, insurance, retirement; funding for professional development; and health and safety issues at the workplace.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you are summoned by the administration to meet with them; if you feel that your rights have been violated; or would like confidential advice on your personal issue.
If you would like to join the VCTA, you can do so by paying a one-time membership fee of $2.This gives you the right to vote in General Assemblies and elections. Each member gets one vote, and our General Assemblies are scheduled as needed.
Contact the VCTA (vcta@vaniercollege.qc.ca) for the form and payment instructions.
We can also process membership fees electronically.
Upcoming Events
Association Council – February 10th
CRT – February 24th
Association Council – March 3rd
General Assembly – March, date to be determined