Informal Drop-In Meeting — College Restructuring Questions and Concerns

Last Friday at 4:26 pm, several coordinators and full-time faculty members received an email and Teams link on behalf of the Vice-President Academic, requesting they join her for a “program updates information session” the following Monday at 8:30 am. No further information or agenda was provided. Understandably, some members reached out over the weekend indicating that the tone and lack of information provided in this email was extremely distressing, particularly given the potential impact of the pandemic on student enrollment.

Monday morning at 8 am Local 417 (faculty) President Grant Currie and Local 418 (staff) President Lynda Ashauer met with VP Academic Eileen DeCourcy, and Associate Director Labour Relations, Will McMillan in preparation for the 8:30 meeting with faculty. It is only at this time that Local Union Presidents learned of the context of the faculty meeting, and used this opportunity to express, on behalf of membership, the unacceptable and inconsiderate nature of the Friday email, and convey the impact of such messaging on members.

It is important to note that in response to the concerns raised, the VP Academic has apologized for the unintentional tone of the Friday email. Organizational changes impacting select programs were announced at the 8:30 am meeting, none of which are anticipated to impact programs or jobs. A finalized organizational chart will be released to the college community pending final consultation with faculty of the impacted programs.

We understand that this may be a confusing or challenging time for our Local. Change, even when positive, can result in many questions and cause uneasiness. It is important that you share any concerns at this time, particularly if you are uncomfortable going directly to management, so that we can put forward these concerns on your behalf. Your Local Executive Committee, Local 417, will hold an informal drop-in meeting on Wednesday, June 2, 7-8 pm, to hear member concerns and provide updates on Local activities. You can access the Zoom link if you are on the SLC Faculty Local 417 email list, on the private OPSEU Local 417 Facebook page, or by contacting christina.decarie@slcfaculty.ca

Your voice and opinion matters.