Comments for One Ontario College Prof's Blog

Comment on Reactions from Support Staff Supporters by Respectfully

Respectfully — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:25:01 +0000

Here’s what I wrote on my picket sign:

“Every 32 years or so, we demand a little respect”

Thank you for your thoughtful and well-balanced musings.

Comment on Some Musings on the Support Staff Strike by Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:13:59 +0000

As a college faculty member I completely agree with your comments. Their work is often invisible when it’s done right, and therefore is easily overlooked.

Comment on Some Musings on the Support Staff Strike by Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:02:26 +0000

And don’t forget about the people in support who prepare your pay cheques, manage your benefits, and work in finance. Without them your pay cheque doesn’t get to your back account on Friday!

Comment on Some Musings on the Support Staff Strike by Support Staff

Support Staff — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:32 +0000

Thank you for understanding – from a college support staff employee.

Don’t forget the Administrative Assistants who manage the day of the Associate Deans and Deans along with advising students on registration issues, classes, semester promotion, aiding faculty, talking to future, current and past student issues, Advisory Committees and the list goes on. Don’t forget about Health Services whose nurses and staff help with student and employee health issues. Don’t forget about the Councillors who advise with student disability issues and the people who sort and deliver mail and receive deliveries of all kinds that require distribution, or the facilities staff who make sure everything is safe and working, or the groundskeepers. The Information Technology staff who make sure all programs and data bases and learning tools are up and running continuously and smoothly. The Co-op Job Advisors who market programs and find job opportunities for the hundreds of students who take a co-op program. Or the recruiters who go to high schools to let those students know what programs are available to them in college. All lab techs for all of the engineering technology programs, Admission Advisors, Registration staff, Financial Aid staff, Student Advisors, library staff, Security, parking, scheduling staff ( which includes student timetables, faculty timetables, room timetables, exam and testing timetables etc). I could go on. Everything I mentioned requires an extensive knowledge base that is shared between all Support Staff so the college as a whole runs smoothly.

Comment on One Theory to Account for the Vote Results by prof

prof — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:50:54 +0000

Hmmm. I think we’re venturing into the realm of conspiracy theory here prof. 856 new partial loaders, all hired within 3 weeks, on the condition that they would give a yes vote, in a secret ballot, on a contract that threatens partial loaders more than other voters? Come on… That’s really pretty insulting to the intellegence of OUR collective wisdom! (Not to mention the ethical intent of our part-time colleagues.)

I think the logic is pretty simple. 7% of those giving the mandate, did so very tentatively and reluctantly, with the hope that it would not eventuate in a strike. When management presented their ‘final’ offer, and the strike appeared imminent, they balked and changed their minds.

Comment on January 13, 2010 Strike Vote Results by ontariocollegeprof

ontariocollegeprof — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:53:17 +0000

My initial guess was that GTA-area colleges would be lower on average, but I don’t think that the numbers bear this out. It might just have to do with the level of organization and activism for a “NO” vote on each campus. I think that the average when negotiations began was somewhere slightly less than 70% yes — the question was then well a NO side could mobilize.

I’m planning on devoting a post to the various lies that the NO side had to resort to, later on.

Comment on January 13, 2010 Strike Vote Results by prof

prof — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:28:33 +0000

It would be very interesting to analyze and discuss the possible reason(s) for the wide spread in results from the colleges. Does it have anything to do with the percentage of partial load vs. full time and was there reason for them to vote differently? Did it come down to the OPSEU locals and their presentations to faculty in their respective colleges? What other explanations are there?

Now the real fun begins! Let’s see what surprises the college bargaining team has in store!