Global News: Ontario teachers one-day strike could be sign of things to come

This past Wednesday, secondary school teachers across Ontario struck for one day, Global News reports. Though teachers were back in school and classes resumed Thursday, it is far from a sign that negotiations will carry on smoothly; prior to the strike, negotiations had been stalled for four days around issues of class size, mandatory e-learning, and teacher compensation.

With 40,000 teachers and 15,000 support staff across the province on strike on Wednesday, the union considers the action a warning to the province's leadership, illustrating the unity and support for the action among education professionals and a signal that failure to negotiate with the teachers could lead to a full blown strike down the line. Already, the union is preparing for another one off on the 11th according to a separate Global News article published over the weekend.

OPSEU Launches Radio Campaign

With 24 colleges in Ontario in contract negotiations and strike authorization in place should negotiations fail, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union has launched a radio ad campaign to inform the public of one primary issue at stake in bargaining -- the needs of contract (or adjunct/part-time) faculty.

"The union’s first radio ad will focus on the plight of thousands of contract faculty who are paid far less than the negotiated rate for full-time permanent faculty and have no job security beyond the next semester."

Read and listen at:

https://opseu.org/news/college-faculty-union-launches-ad-campaign-bargaining-issues

In addition, on October 2, contract faculty began voting on whether or not to join OPSEU:

http://www.contractfaculty.ca/vote-q-a-2/

Ontario Community College Contracts Expire Today

Either a union strike or a management lockout are on the contingency plans at 24 community colleges in Ontario as the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union contract expires Sept. 30.  Librarians are part of the bargaining unit.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3775140/students-and-administration-at-fleming-college-watch-contract-negotiations-closely/

http://oshawaexpress.ca/college-faculty-union-approves-strike-mandate/

Ontario College Faculty Issue Strike Vote

Their contract expires September 30 and so, after ten weeks of negotiations with no movement from management, 68% of union members vote to strike if a settlement isn't reached. Twelve-thousand college faculty members, including librarians, are represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/7564115-ontario-college-faculty-hand-bargaining-team-strike-mandate/

Ontario College Union Calls for September Strike Vote

The union representing academic staff at Ontario’s public colleges says it has made a request for a strike vote to be held after the start of classes next month.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has asked the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which is responsible for scheduling the vote, for a date in the second week of September....

article by Kerri Breen

http://globalnews.ca/news/3649312/ontario-college-faculty-union-calls-for-strike-vote-in-september/

Christmas Day 2016 — Six months on strike in Ontario

Meet the defiant library workers waging one of the region's longest strikes ever

by Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star

“…Wightman celebrated her 50th birthday on the picket line. Someone else celebrated a wedding anniversary; her husband joined her. At least one member lost her mother. Another lost an aunt.

The strike has been one of the toughest things many of these people have ever done.

Neumiller, who has two young children, pickets three times as many hours as she works — for less pay. One woman collapsed from heat stroke last summer. Now, ‘it’s pretty flippin’ cold out there,’ said Johnson. They all got glove warmers last week.”

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/jarvis-meet-the-defiant-library-workers-waging-one-of-the-regions-longest-strikes-ever

Tentative Agreement Reached for Mississauga Library Workers

A tentative agreement has been reached between CUPE Local 1989, the union representing library workers in Mississauga, and the city. Details of the agreement won't be available until it is ratified. The workers have been on strike since July 4.

Mississauga Library Workers on Strike

Library workers in Mississauga, ON are on strike, closing all 18 library branches. The workers are represented by CUPE Local 1989.

Strike Vote in Mississauga

Library workers in Mississauga have voted in favor of strike action and may be on the picket lines July 4. The workers, members of CUPE Local 1989, have cited low wages and the precarious nature of many library positions as issues needing to be addressed in the collective agreement currently under negotiation.

Essex County Library Workers on Strike

Workers at Essex County Library in Ontario have been on strike since Saturday, June 25. At issue for the workers are proposed changes to policies related to short-term disability and sick leave. The library system has 14 library branches and 58 workers who are represented by CUPE Local 2974. According to the union unit chair:

"Management and the county created a phantom issue to push workers out on the picket line – sick time is not a problem at our workplace and the employer and the county know this and have acknowledged it."

New Contract for Sudbury Library Workers

Library workers in Sudbury, Ontario are among the city's inside and outside workers who have ratified a new three-year contract after bringing in a provincial conciliator. The workers are represented by CUPE Local 4705.

CUPE Local 4705 Requests Provincial Conciliation

CUPE Local 4705, the union representing library and other city workers in Sudbury, ON, has requested a provincial conciliator after negotiations with the city proved unsuccessful. The workers have been without a contract since March 31.

Pay Equity Payout for Peterborough Public Library Workers

Women workers at Peterborough Public Library are set to receive a payout totaling $845,400 in a pay equity settlement after the completion of a review comparing their wages to those of men in male-dominated jobs with the city. The library workers are represented by CUPE Local 1833.

Toronto Library Workers Request No Board Report

Toronto Public Library Workers Union (CUPE Local 4948) has requested a no board report with the Ontario Labour Ministry after failing to come to an agreement on a new contract with the library board. The library workers may soon be in a strike position.

Read-In At Toronto Reference Library

Members of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union (CUPE Local 4948) held a read-in at the Toronto Reference Library earlier this week. Authors, library patrons and library supporters also participated in the event. The union is currently in negotiations with the library board. One of the most pressing issues facing workers in the Toronto library system is the high rate of precarious employees.

Deal Reached at Windsor Public Library

Library workers at Windsor Public Library, members of CUPE Local 2067, have reached a tentative agreement with the library administration, averting strike action. The union and administration met with a provincial mediator before reaching the agreement.

Information Picket at Windsor Public Library

Workers at Windsor Public Library held an information picket earlier this week amidst ongoing contract negotiations. If an agreement is not reached with the library administration today, the library workers may be on strike tomorrow. The workers are members of CUPE Local 267.1.

Toronto Public Library Workers Vote for Strike Action

Members of Toronto Public Library Workers Union (CUPE Local 4948) have voted in favor of strike action as contract negotiations with the city continue. As previously noted on this blog, one of the major issues for the union is the increasing number of precarious positions in the library system.

The Precarity Monster

The Toronto Public Library Workers Union has created a video addressing the issue of precarious work in their library system (see below). This issue is of central concern to the contract negotiations currently ongoing between the union and the city of Toronto. Maureen O'Reilly, president of the union, has stated:

"We're a female-dominated workplace. Precarious work hurts women, racialized workers and youth the most. We have given generously to the City's fiscal responsibility -- saving money off the backs of the most vulnerable workers in the library is just no longer acceptable."

Library supporters are encouraged to email the Chair of the Toronto Public Library Board to voice their concern with the lack of stable, full-time positions at Toronto's libraries.

New Contract for Peterborough Library Workers

Library workers at Peterborough Public Library have a new four-year contract with city administration. The collective agreement includes a wage freeze for 2016, with increased wages in subsequent years. The workers are represented by CUPE Local 1833.