Collective Bargaining FAQ

• We hope there will be no strike. Only the union control whether it will call for a strike. The CEC (bargaining agent for the Colleges) remains committed to finding a solution to negotiations that will not impact students.
• We want to avoid any interruption to student learning.

• There is the potential a semester could be interrupted.
• A strike could result in an extended semester or delayed exams or convocation.
• However, if the semester is impacted, Colleges will do everything possible to ensure that all students have the opportunity to complete the semester.
• Historically, no semester has been lost to a strike. Students have always been provided opportunities to complete classes and graduate.
• If a strike occurs and if it runs for a few weeks, then the end date / and subsequent starting date of the affected semesters might change. This would be communicated to you by your college.
• Visit your College website for updates on the impacts to your semester.

Before a strike can occur, 5 requirements must be met. Not all requirements have been met at this time.

• An example is binding interest arbitration where an agreed upon neutral third-party arbitrator makes decisions if the parties can't come up with a compromise.
• Interest arbitration has been used in the past two academic rounds of negotiations.

• If the Union decides to take its members on a strike, they must first provide the Colleges with 5 days' notice.
• Once the Colleges receive notice, they will then communicate to students, employees, and the greater College community.
• Notice will be available on your College website.

• A no board report recognizes that the parties are at an impasse (which means negotiations are not working) and that a conciliator could not help.
• Requesting a no-board report is a step in the negotiations process.
• 16 days after a no board report is issued, the previous collective agreement (The agreement with between the Colleges and the faculty union) is no longer binding.
• This means that the Union could give notice of labour action and engage in a strike.
• The CEC can also choose to change terms of the existing collective agreement or lock-out employees (Colleges have never locked employees out).

• At the Colleges, strikes are peaceful forms of protest
• Picket lines are formed by striking employees and people can be delayed from entering campus.
• A strike may take different forms. In general, it is a refusal to work in the normal way that is designed to slow down, disrupt, or stop college operations. A strike is organized by a Union as a form of protest typically in an attempt to force the employer to agree to their demands.
• Unfortunately, in the Colleges, when faculty members choose to apply pressure by slowing down, disrupting or stopping work, these actions lead to varying degrees of negative impact on the academic delivery.

• Labour action does mean a strike. Strike action can take various forms, which include: work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, all the way up to a full walk out.
• Only the Union can determine what forms of strike action will occur and when.

• Work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, and full walk-out are all forms of strike.
• In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.
• In a partial walk-out, employees refuse to perform some of their assigned duties.
• In a rotating strike, employees walk out entirely for short periods of time at different institutions.
• In a full walk-out strike, employees withdraw all their services and choose to walk the picket line.

• The Colleges cannot force faculty to go on strike.
• Only the Union team can determine what form of strike action it engages in (work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strikes, walk-out).
• The College will not lock the faculty out (which means the employer will not force a work stoppage.)

• They can last for a day or for an extended period of time.
• In 2017, the Union engaged in a full walk-out strike that lasted for more than 5 weeks. Students were still able to complete their semester.

• Yes, campuses will remain open.
• When picket lines occur, picketers cannot prevent access to those looking to enter campus (however, as mentioned above, they can rightfully delay access for up to 10 minutes.).
• In the event of a full walk-out which includes picket lines, information will be provided by your College on how to safely access campus.

• Go to your College website for updates on the labour dispute.
• If you plan to visit campus, leave extra time for travelling to the college as picket lines may be set up at campus entrances and limit traffic flow.
• If there is a full walk-out strike and you take transit to campus, be aware that transit buses will drop students off outside of the campus to respect picket lines.

• The CEC website contains information on the bargaining process and an ongoing archive of proposals from both parties.
• Additionally, all news updates are published across CEC social media channels and the website.
• Please visit www.CollegeEmployerCouncil.ca or follow the CEC on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.