Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - REPORT_NO350, June 2008

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 41. The Committee last examined this case, which concerns the provisions of a statute (Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.15) that denies all public colleges part-time employees the right to join a union and engage in collective bargaining, at its November 2007 meeting [348th Report, approved by the Governing Body at its 300th Session, paras 50–52]. On that occasion, the Committee, noting that the issue was under review between the Minister and Deputy Minister of the Government of Ontario and the complainant Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union (OPSEU), expressed the hope that the question of ensuring that academic and part-time support staff in colleges of applied arts and technology in Ontario fully enjoy the rights to organize and to bargain collectively will be fully examined, and requested the Government to keep it informed of any legislative measures taken in this respect.
2. 42. In a communication dated 17 December 2007, the Government indicates that on 30 August 2007, the Government of Ontario announced that it intended to amend the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act to extend collective bargaining rights to part-time academic and support staff workers at Ontario’s colleges of applied arts and technology. The proposal is part of a broader review of collective bargaining at Ontario’s colleges. A written report setting out the Review’s findings and recommendations would be submitted to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities by the end of February 2008. This would be followed by legislation to implement the Government’s commitment.
3. 43. The Committee takes note with interest of the Government’s announcement that it intends to amend the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act to extend collective bargaining rights to part-time academic and support staff workers at Ontario’s colleges of applied arts and technology. It requests the Government to keep it informed of progress made in the adoption of legislation on this issue so that part-time academic and support staff in colleges of applied arts and technology in Ontario fully enjoy the rights to organize and to bargain collectively.