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We're nothing without ewe. 

Sometimes it is hard to feel connected to the union when we aren't in collective bargaining. The mundane tasks of everyday take over and union activity slowly falls to the wayside. 

While it is true that our need for outward displays of solidarity don't seem quite as pressing as when our pay and benefits are on the line, we are still part of a larger whole. Our strength in bargaining comes from the fact that as CAAT-A members, we are part of the larger OPSEU umbrella representing approximately 180000 workers in the province.  That means when it is time for us to bargain, we come to the table with the full force of those 180000 members, just as all the other divisions within OPSEU benefit when they bargain. So though we may not be in bargaining right now, someone in our union is. For that reason, information is often shared through the digest to let you know how you can support our union comrades.

On an institutional level, your Local Executive Committee (LEC), made up of elected stewards, work steadily to support members and assist them in advocating for their rights under our collective agreement. But the union is more than conflict resolution- it's about working together to create a working environment where we all thrive. For that reason, it is important that all members engage with the union at the level they are comfortable. From simple hallway conversations with a steward or reading the digests, to contributing articles or signing onto grievances, we all have a place. The union, specifically Local 417, isn't a group of people on the other side of the province acting on your behalf. YOU are our Local. Your voices shape the decisions made at LEC, what we advocate for, and what is shared with our larger Division.

Thank you to members for the continued support of your LEC, and for reading, sharing, and contributing in the ways you feel comfortable. Be sure to join us in February for our General Meeting on Zoom (link to follow) to have your voice heard, and to hear others.

If you think you would like to learn more about becoming a steward, have an idea to contribute, or have any general questions, reach out to a union steward.

Visit our website to learn how.

Happy Lunar New Year!
The Lunar New Year (known in China as the Spring Festival), is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures. The New Year celebration lasts for several days. In 2023, the Lunar New Year began on January 22.

The date of the Lunar New Year is determined by the first new moon that occurs toward the end of January. The New Year observance continues for 15 days (until the full moon arrives).  
 
The year 2023 is slated to be the year of the rabbit, one of 12 zodiac signs. The rabbit was said to be among the 12 animals who raced to the Jade Emperor in a cosmic contest that ultimately determined the order of the Chinese zodiac signs. Though the rabbit could not swim well, it used its intellect, and crossed the river portion of the course by raft. The lesson being to approach everything in a smart, deliberate way. The Year of the Rabbit  tells us we should be focused on rest, introspection and working smarter not harder. 

In Vietnam,  2023 marks the year of the cat. Vietnam and China share 10 of the zodiac calendar’s 12 signs, but the Vietnamese honor the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox.

You can learn more about this holiday by clicking the link below.

Learn Fun Facts, Customs, Recipes and More! 

In OPSEU news...
Mohawk College job reclassification and wage cuts threaten nursing education

HAMILTON – An announcement by Mohawk College to change nursing instructors’ job classifications, and cut their wages, will have a negative impact on the quality of education and training provided to nursing students, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO).

Currently, students receive immediate feedback from faculty who provide hands-on, bedside education. The new model replaces that direct education model with clinical supervision, a checklist and no instruction.

“This new model is all about paying instructors less and dismissing the vital teaching role required in the clinical environment,” said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. “This wage cut robs students of a rich educational experience.”

Starting in 2023, part-time or contract instructors at Mohawk College who provide hands-on training to nursing and PSW students in hospitals and long-term-care facilities will see their job classifications change, and their hourly wage cut in half, as part of a revamping of those programs by the college.

The announcement has drawn concern from veteran medical professionals and members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 240 who have expressed their opposition to the change.

“Teaching is not just supervision,” said President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 240, Heather Giardine-Tuck. “You can’t replace clinical mentorship with a checklist. Faculty instructors provide hands-on teaching that helps students avoid errors before it’s too late.”

The college’s wage cut leaves the work of ensuring students give medications or treatments correctly and safety in the clinical environment to nurses and PSWs working at hospitals and long-term care homes. Nurses and PSWs already over-worked in a health system suffering from understaffing will be expected to oversee the work of the students and ensure there are no irregularities.

“Not only is this wage cut bad for students and nursing education, it is also dangerous to expect the nursing staff and PSWs, already busy and stressed, to fill the gaps,” said Hornick. “Faculty who work with students at the bedside ensure a high-quality, rewarding clinical education experience for all. It’s the learning experience students at Mohawk College deserve.”

N.S. university limits foreign student enrolment after recruitment too successful

By Lyndsay Armstrong  The Canadian Press
Posted December 30, 2022 10:57 am
Updated January 1, 2023 

Cape Breton University says it’s limiting enrolment to a popular business program following concerns the school is not equipped to handle the recent influx of international students.

The university is limiting admissions to its two-year post-baccalaureate diploma program — which is favoured by international students — starting May 2023 “as part of the deliberate strategy to manage the enrolment in that program downward,” Gordon MacInnis, vice president of finance and operations, said in an interview Thursday.

Based in Sydney, N.S., the university in the fall semester held classes for that program at the downtown Cineplex cinemas — about nine kilometres from campus — because of a lack of teaching space.
All but two of the 2,681 people enrolled in the post-baccalaureate program are international students, and 85 per cent of those foreign students are from India.

Read More

Teachers’ unions ready to ‘mobilize’ if Ford government legislates contract

All four teachers’ unions in Ontario—the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario; the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association; the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation; and the Association des Enseignantes et des Enseignants Franco-Ontariens—are currently in active bargaining with the Ontario government since contracts expired at the end of the summer. The unions are warning Ford that if the government imposes a contract on educators or uses the notwithstanding clause, they are ready to mobilize and take action.

Read More

This message has been shared on slcfaculty.ca, the SLC Faculty Local 417 Facebook public page and private group, Twitter, and via the SLC Faculty Local 417 email list.
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