Welcome Back!
The VCTA would like to welcome teachers back to Vanier for the 2022-2023 academic year! It feels great to see the campus full of life again, and we would like to wish you a safe and healthy return to the College.
This year our focus will be on negotiating a new Collective Agreement and finding ways to respond to the new provincial law which will change the nature of work at the College. To stay up to date on these and other important issues, keep an eye out for our News Bulletin, emails, and notice of General Assemblies.
Finally, do not hesitate to come see us if you have any questions or concerns. Our office hours for this semester are posted on the door of the union office C-101 and available on the VCTA website: http://www.thevcta.qc.ca/
We hope that your semester is off to a great start!
Coffee and Union Lounges
Our Union Lounges (C 101 and N 217) are now open, Mondays to Fridays, from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. Come enjoy the Machu Picchu Fair trade coffee and filtered water that we have on tap. A toaster, microwave oven and tea kettle are also at your disposal. Please help keep the areas clean.
The VCTA Turns 51! 🍾🍾🍾
We were accredited on August 27, 1971 and have been representing the teachers of Vanier College for a little more than half a century. In fact, we were one of the first cégep teachers unions to organize. Hooray!
This year, we would like to celebrate the VCTA turning 51 - and would love to hear from our members as to what we can do to commemorate this milestone.
Send in your ideas and suggestions to vcta@vaniercollege.qc.ca with the subject line “VCTA Turns 51” and we will do our best to make it happen!
Negos for The 2023-2026 Collective Agreement
Fifty years after the establishment of the first Front Commun in 1972, our centrale syndicale, the CSN, has formed an alliance with CSQ and FTQ. The objective is to speak in a single voice in the interest of their more than 355 000 members.
The demands at the central table focus on increasing wages, enhancing pension plans, as well as group insurance and parental rights. More specific demands are related to regional disparities and skilled workers. We ask that you please have a look at the “proposed central table demands” ahead of the next GA, on September 22nd. We will need to vote on these proposals.
In terms of wages, the objective is to achieve an actual wealth increase over the next three years for all workers of the public sector. The first request is therefore to establish a permanent protection mechanism to face inflation. All salary scales would be indexed yearly to reflect at least the inflation of the previous year, if positive. On top of this protection, we are asking for increases of 2% for the first year (or a 100$/week increase if higher than the indexation and 2% increase), 3% for the second year and 4% for the third year.
Regarding the sectoral table, the FNEEQ (our federation, representing 45 cégep unions) has worked in collaboration with the FEC (representing 16 cégeps) to create the Alliance des professeures et professeurs de cégep – ASPPC. The initial submission that was drafted by the joint bargaining committee is attached, and we will have to evaluate it at the next GA (September 22nd). This initial proposal identifies a series of issues related to our working conditions and, without proposing solutions yet, summarizes them under six broad topics that require improvements. Before the end of October, following this first round of consultations across all unions, the demands will be submitted to the CNPC (Comité patronal de négociation des collèges, our counterpart). A second round of consultations will take place to formulate more specific demands, starting in January.
The six themes highlighted in our initial submission:
- Precariousness and professional integration,
- Workload, resources and student success,
- Continuing education, distance education, and survival of the cégep model,
- Collegiality, teaching expertise and program vitality,
- Work organization and labour relations,
- Salary scale and remuneration.
To learn more about the sectoral and central table demands made by the CSN and Fneeq, please consult the attached documents.
Union Stewards
Following a recommendation from the negotiation post-mortem sub-committee of Association Council, in order to facilitate the transmission of information in the context of negotiations, we suggest that each department name a point person (a union steward), who will become the VCTA’s contact between General Assemblies.
This person will share information from the executive with their department and will report back to the executive. Coordinators are a natural option for this task, but it could be another member of the department considering that coordinators already have many responsibilities. We believe that the naming of union stewards will greatly improve the flow of communication between the executive and the members on union matters, especially during negos. Let us know who your steward will be, and we will contact them.
Call for Auditors
The VCTA is looking for three volunteers to review our financial statements, documents, and accounting entries. No experience is necessary, and we will train you!
Professional Development (PD)
This year, tenured and non-tenured teachers with a full load can access up to $800 in Professional Development funds. For part-time and hourly-paid teachers’ the amount of PD funding that they are eligible for will be pro-rated to their annual workload.
For a full list of eligible PD activities, please visit
FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY
If you have any questions about PD, need help with your Application Form or PD Expense Reports; we are here to help. Just email vcta@vaniercollege.qc.ca or swing by C-101 and we would be happy to give you a hand.
Changes to PD Expense Report Submission
Please be advised that the College will no longer accept Professional Development Expense Reports on paper. The decision was made to go green and to reduce the College’s carbon footprint.
This means that whenever a teacher applies for reimbursement for a PD activity that has been approved, they will now need to:
- Download and complete the e-version of the PD Expense Report form;
- Scan or take photos of their receipts
- Email their completed Expense Report with their receipts to
You can find an e-version of the PD Expense Report form here:
https://www.thevcta.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VCTA-PD-Expense-Report.pdf
It is important that you make sure that the Expense Report is signed. Otherwise, we will be unable to start the process of getting you reimbursed – which will result in delays.
We advise that you submit your Expense Reports for PD funds which were requested last academic year as soon as possible.
The deadline to do so is October 30th.
Applications for Professional Development
For the moment, Applications for Professional Development will still be accepted on paper and the form can be accessed here:
https://www.thevcta.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VCTA-PD-Application.pdf
Regardless of whether you choose to submit on paper or electronically, a request for PD funds needs to be submitted at least two weeks before the start of the activity. The “at least two weeks” window is to give the PD Committee sufficient time to review and approve the request.
Please also be advised that the College will not reimburse a teacher for a PD activity that they did not submit a PD Application for.
Upcoming Meetings
September 2 – Academic Council (F-217)
September 15 – Association Council (TBA)
September 22 – Special General Assembly on Negos (TBA)
September 29 – CRT (TBA)