“If an employee feels like they can go to their supervisor or manager when they are experiencing job stress — that they will be heard and that action will be taken to address the core issues causing stress — they are less likely to experience psychological distress on the job and can demonstrate resilience in the face of demanding work situations.

Training managers to engage with their employees in this way is often critical. Managers may have moved into the role because they were good at the specific function they were performing, not necessarily because they are well-equipped to manage people. Soft skills like empathy, active listening, collaborative problem-solving and emotional intelligence are core management competencies that should be sought out or developed in those that have the responsibility of leading teams.”

As we all know, we’ve been facing a worsening crisis in post-secondary education with the election of the Ford government. His continued attacks on students and precarious faculty, while deeply unpopular, are continuing. The gains we made ensuring equal pay for equal work and paid sick days for our contract faculty have been rolled back via Bill 47, and some colleges are rescinding the modest gains that took contract faculty wages up to the rate of their partial load colleagues’ wages.

Most disturbing is that the CEC is using all means available to block the contract faculty vote to unionize from being counted, including spending impossible sums of money querying every single ballot in order to delay and stall the process. If we cannot move this organizing drive forward, our next round of bargaining becomes that much harder for FT and PL faculty.

We need your help right now to push back. If we have learned nothing else this past year, it's that the Ford government caves to public pressure.

OPSEU, together with our allies in 15 & Fairness, has launched the following electronic petition which will be delivered to the College Employer Council, and the Presidents and Board of Governors at all the Colleges. A message will go to all members from OPSEU centrally later today.

PETITION LINK
ENGLISH:https://www.15andfairness.org/fairness_for_contract_faculty
FRENCH: www.15andfairness.org/equite_colleges

OPSEU, Local 240, representing faculty at Mohawk College, is appalled by the violence being directed at the LGBTQI2S community in Hamilton. There is no place for the ugly expressions of hatred we have witnessed recently against our fellow Hamiltonians.

OPSEU’s Statement of Respect demonstrates our commitment to tolerance and inclusion. We do not accept unwelcoming words or actions against anyone, regardless of their background. Therefore, Local 240 stands in solidarity with those who are victims of racist, sexist or homophobic intolerance or violence.

We must stand united for a peaceful and inclusive community!

Geoff Ondercin-Bourne, President
OPSEU, Local 240