Labour Board Complaint
Labour Board Complaint
The LCFA would like to provide some information about a recent development.
During the current semester some of you have been aware that administration has decided to alter compensation for casual contracts. This was not agreed too, nor bargained by the LCFA.
The decision to change how casual contracts are compensated has negatively affected some of our members, and after numerous attempts by the LCFA to have this brought to the bargaining table, management has not agreed to halt these changes.
As a result of their decision to press forward with these changes the LCFA felt the need to file a Labor Board Complaint under section 147 which dictates no changes to conditions of employment can be implemented while bargaining. There is an opportunity for faculty to provide independent information to the labor board, please contact the faculty office if you feel you have pertinent input.
We are hoping for a positive outcome from the Labour Board, and will continue to work to ensure your rights are protected.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the LCFA offices at ext. 3217.
Thank you,
Kevin Wiber, President
Kerry Edwards, Vice President of Welfare and Negotiations
Ron McDonald Fundraiser - Used Book Sale
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
In support of the Ron McDonald fund, faculty from the Center of Health & Wellness are working with Employee Engagement to host a Used Book Sale in conjunction with the December 6th Pub Night.
All faculty are invited to donate gently used fiction and non-fiction books (NO textbooks please) for the sale.
Please drop your donations off at the Buchanen Library. You have until Dec. 3rd.
Thank-you for supporting this fundraiser.
ACIFA Climate Survey
On Behalf of ACIFA
Dear Faculty Member:
Welcome to the 25th annual ACIFA Climate Survey.
The Climate Survey is a highly valuable tool for your Association:
It enables your local FA to hear members’ views concerning working conditions and attitudes within your institution.
This knowledge provides your FA with a strong foundation to assist them in discussions with administration regarding key areas of concern.
The continuity from year to year of the 13 core questions allows associations to track changes.
A comparative, cross-institutional score chart shows system-wide results from across the province.
The survey is SECURE:
Utilizing SurveyMonkey.com, leading survey tool on the Web.
The survey is completely anonymous. IP addresses are NOT being logged nor are any personal identifiers.
The survey is SSL protected so that data is collected in a totally encrypted environment.
To operate the survey form:
Cookies should be enabled on your web browser. This is usually automatically set up on your computer. If not, and you are unsure how to do this, please visit http://www.google.com/cookies.html
The survey works with either the Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers.
You can complete the survey only once.
Once you have begun the survey you must complete all questions, including any local association questions, in order for your responses to be counted.
Deadline:
The survey is open only until Friday, December 7th, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact your faculty association office or the ACIFA office at 780-423-4440.
Thank you for participating.
Borrow a Text Book project by LCSA - Reminder
Borrow a Text Book project by LCSA - Reminder
The general idea of the project: This pilot project called Borrow a Textbook, will be implemented January 2019 (winter semester). These textbook will be a selection from our various required course textbooks. These textbooks will be on library shelves and monitored by the librarian. The student will be required to present an up to date college ID which will give three hours with the book on loan free to students.
The project goal: This Borrow a Textbook project in our library on campus will help students who are struggling financially and cannot afford to buy their required textbook(s). This will help the student to gain confidence in getting better grades due to availability of such resource. This will also help to better our student's mental health not having to worry or stress about their affordability or resources while on campus.
If you are interested in assisting with this project please drop off any textbooks you may have to the Student Association by October 31st, 2018.
If you would like further details about the Borrow a Textbook project please contact Nicholas Coley (nicholas.coley@lethbridgecollege.ca) the LCSA President.
Please click the link below for full details.
A request from the Students Association.
The Lethbridge College Students' Association is launching a new project, and asking for your help.
At the last LCFA General Meeting, the LCSA did a presentation on their new project centered around assisting students facing financial hardship by lending them textbooks. The project is called "Borrow a Textbook".
The LCSA has stated the following:
The general idea of the project: This pilot project called Borrow a Textbook, will be implemented January 2019 (winter semester). These textbook will be a selection from our various required course textbooks. These textbooks will be on library shelves and monitored by the librarian. The student will be required to present an up to date college ID which will give three hours with the book on loan free to students.
The project goal: This Borrow a Textbook project in our library on campus will help students who are struggling financially and cannot afford to buy their required textbook(s). This will help the student to gain confidence in getting better grades due to availability of such resource. This will also help to better our student's mental health not having to worry or stress about their affordability or resources while on campus.
If you are interested in assisting with this project please drop off any textbooks you may have listed in the link below; to the Student Association, by October 31st, 2018. If you would like further details about the Borrow a Textbook program please contact Nicholas Coley (nicholas.coley@lethbridgecollege.ca) the LCSA President, and/or click the link below.
General Meeting Recap
On behalf of Kevin Wiber
General Meeting Notes September 24, 2018
I was asked at the general meeting last night if I could send out a recap of the events at the general meeting last night, here goes.
We called the meeting to order at 4:15.
There were two guests invited to speak to us.
Nicholas Coley, president of the Students association introduced two initiatives he is working on. The first initiative is to put a copy or two of text books in the library to ensure students can have access to those text books. He is asking for support of faculty to determine which text books should be included and even for support by helping acquire the books. The second, which is in the early stages is an Open Educational Resource project, Nicholas will communicate more as that develops. Please contact Nicholas through the student association for more information or to offer help.
The second guest was Bonnie Farries, accompanied by Line Gagne, who provided a very informative presentation on the new Code of conduct. The code is available on the college web site and I would encourage you to read through the policy. Any questions should be directed to Line or Bonnie.
Thanks to our guests for the information.
Cheryl presented three motions. The first confirmed the appointment of the President, Vice president Finance, Vice president negotiations/welfare and VP administrative. Since the election occurred after the last general meeting there was no official record suitable for the bank who required minutes indicating the results. The second motion confirmed our banking institution and the third identified executive members as signing authority on LCFA accounts.
The president’s report included a brief update on the Faculty Professional Development Committee, indicating we are working on reworking the handbook to clean up the language and simplify the procedures. The procedure for purchase of electronics and software has been simplified. I reported that communication with the executive leadership team has been open and productive. Jennifer Davies could not attend but provided the following board report;
There is not much to report from the Board. I have attended two meetings so far.
A couple of background details that I thought might be worth mentioning for those who don’t know:
One thing the LDFA membership should be aware of it that while I am the faculty representative on the Board of Governors, it is not my mandate to represent the LCFA on the Board. That role is Kevin’s. Just to be clear, any issues membership has that they wish to bring forward need to go through Kevin.
Another thing to be aware of is that the mandate of the Board of Governors is to focus on policy and strategic planning, and explicitly not an operations. This means that the Board will generally not attend to complaints or issues brought before it that are operational in nature.
Other than that , there isn’t much to say at the moment. We are still awaiting Provincial appointments for three vacant seats. We have a retreat scheduled for the end of October. I should have more to say after those things are accomplished.
Cheers,
Jennifer
We discussed the Ron MacDonald emergency fund which is getting low. Thanks to Dic Charge and a dedicated group of volunteers who agreed to hold a Taco-in-a-bag in support of the fund. Watch for details to follow.
Ryan discussed new training requirements for members of the safety committee. He then discussed a search for a new law firm to represent the association.
Cheryl presented a yearend report from last year and a very positive first step toward our current budget. The review of our books has been completed and it was also very positive.
Kerry provided a report on negotiations. Negotiations took place for two days in June, while the first day was not encouraging the second day was much more cordial. Negotiations are set to resume the next two days (September 26thand 27th).
On the welfare front Kerry reported it has been quiet but there have been issues. Faculty will notice casual contracts are now based on 15 weeks rather than the accepted practice. Discussions are ongoing.
Dic reported the progress of the by-law committee who continue to work through revising the bylaws. It was reported that we will call a special meeting to approve changes to the by-laws in order to keep the meetings to a reasonable time.
There are three vacancies that will require a by-election. Constituency 6 (child and youth care, therapeutic recreation, massage therapy etc,) requires a representative on the executive council. Academic council requires an alternate and the student appeal committee has an opening for an alternate.
The meeting adjourned about 6:15
Please do not consider these as official minutes, simply an effort to provide a concise recap of the events for your information. Hope to see you at the next meeting January 29th
Board Report - Sept 11th, 2018
Faculty Report to the Board of Governors September 11th 2018
Faculty have returned to find new faces, new processes and new procedures. With change comes nervous uncertainty. Faculty has concerns about workload and the implementation of the new shared management system. We have reminded faculty that these are developing as the process unfolds. There will be some extra work, and patience required on the part of members, as new people in strategic positions learn the college and develop the new management system.
Faculty have noticed increasing class sizes indicating progress toward the 4500 by 2020 initiative. It is also encouraging to see added seats in programs such as CIT, and the renewed retention efforts adding to our student numbers.
Negotiations have paused through the summer but the atmosphere seems to be collegial and cooperative. Our negotiating team is looking forward to getting back to the table.
The new faculty executive has had very good communication with the senior management team and we look forward to working together to face the challenges of the upcoming year.
Kevin Wiber
President
Lethbridge College Faculty Association
Board Report - June 12th, 2018
Faculty report to the Board of Governors June 12th 2018
The year has ended for members of the faculty association with a measure of uncertainty mixed with anticipation for the upcoming year.
Faculty are concerned about the change from the post-secondary learning act to the Labor relations act and the effect it will have on the negotiations process. The current economic climate creates uncertainty for everyone. Faculty are apprehensive about a changing leadership structure and the process to put new people in place and establish suitable assignments. The process has left many faculty wondering what their assignments will look like in the upcoming year.
At the same time we have elected a new team to faculty leadership. Cheryle Meheden will once again serve as the Vice president of finance, Kerry Edwards will return as the vice-president of negotiations and welfare, Ryan Kaupp has been elected to the position of Vice President Administration and I have been elected to serve as the president of our association. In addition there are new representatives on the executive council who will contribute a great deal. Faculty are excited to take the best work done by the previous leadership and build on those accomplishments. We look forward to excellent relationships between college leadership, including the board, and our association. As the faculty leadership team we will work towards a thorough understanding of the implications of the changes. The faculty administration will work to strengthen communication with the college administration to help our members understand the impact of the economic conditions and the new distributed leadership model.
Although there are concerns, the faculty are eager to serve our students in the upcoming year and help the college realize our mutual goals.
Thank You for the opportunity to speak to you on behalf of the faculty.
Kevin Wiber
President-elect
Lethbridge College Faculty Association
September 2018 - News Letter
A message from your LCFA President.
Faculty News Letter
On behalf of the faculty executive council let me welcome you back, I hope you had a relaxing summer that prepared you for the year ahead.
This newsletter is intended to be a monthly communication from the faculty office to keep faculty informed. We will attempt to include information on what we, as an executive, have been up to on your behalf, as well as upcoming efforts. The newsletter will be used to distribute information prior to general meetings so you will have an idea what is coming up at the meeting. Please feel free to respond to items you see here, phone us, e-mail or just stop in with concerns, questions or comments.
IMPORTANT DATES
September 24th General Meeting 4:15 pm IB 1104
Negotiating is just getting back to the table. We have October 23rd and 24th booked to meet with administration, and we have two dates ahead of that for the committee to meet in preparation. As most of you know, we cannot distribute a lot of detailed information during the process but I can tell you our latest conversation was cordial and cooperative. While neither side is willing to rush to any agreements we are talking. There are members of the committee affected by the spring election, executive council has recommended Ryan Kaupp stay on the committee to complete this round of negotiations, as provided in the by-laws. I will be in caucus, available as a resource but as the president I will not be in the room to negotiate. Normally the role of the president is to be available in case negotiations break down to meet with Dr Burns. Kerry will provide you what detail he can at the general meeting.
Cheryl is working hard on your behalf to put our association in a better financial light. The dues increase has worked to inspire confidence in the future which Cheryl will report at the general meeting.
The bylaws committee has put in many hours to rewrite the bylaws to satisfy the requirements of the labor relations board. Progress seems slow but steady as they work toward a new document. The executive suggested this is too big an issue to present revisions at the general meeting. We will schedule a meeting to address the bylaws specifically, and provide information and notice according to the current bylaws.
The executive has started a search for a new law firm to serve our needs. We have narrowed it down to two candidates, both with extensive experience with the labor board. We expect that experience to be a great help as we navigate the changes imposed by the change from the post-secondary learning act to the Labor relations act.
The Faculty Professional Development Committee has been working to streamline the handbook and make the process clearer. The committee has been working on clarifying who has to approve spending and what information needs to be included in any application in light of the change in the governance model. The chairs may be consulted but the deans will have to sign the application (They can designate the associate dean).
There has been significant confusion around the purchase of hardware and software. Faculty may spend up to $2000 in a year (July 1st to June30), keep in mind it will be a taxable benefit. The process for continuing faculty is very similar to any 17.8 purchase;
Contact Nancy Barajas Jaimes to confirm you have adequate funding in your PD account.
Determine what the appropriate hardware (or software) is, which may include consulting IT for advice.
Fill out the PD application form including an explanation of the rationale behind the purchase.
Attach a copy of your current PD plan and submit the document to your dean.
Once the dean has signed it purchase your items and submit the claim to Nancy.
It is a long process to clarify the handbook but it should be clear and understandable once it is done.
We will have guests at the general meeting. Nicholas Coley, president of the students union will be presenting an initiative he is spearheading. He hopes to make a copy of required text books available in the library for students who have trouble getting text books, for example those who have not received the student loan funding yet. Nicholas and his team will provide us with information and answer questions at the general meeting.
The Ron MacDonald fund needs our help. Last year the faculty association was not able to contribute to the fund and as a result the fund is significantly depleted. Any ideas for an event or a fundraiser in support of the Ron MacDonald fund and other emergency grant funding?
We have positions open that will require a by-election. We will need a representative for constituency 6 on executive council, a student appeal alternate, and an academic council alternate. We will try and do the election following the general meeting.
Jennifer has agreed to provide us with an update from the board at our meeting.
If anything you see here is confusing or troubling, please feel free to contact me or any member of the executive for clarification. While we will answer any questions we can at the general meeting, it is our hope that opening up communication prior to the meeting will allow us to move through the business of the meeting smoothly and efficiently.
I hope to see many of you at our meeting September 24th.
Welcome Back
The start of something new!
On behalf of the LCFA, we want to welcome all faculty back to campus for an exciting new year. We look forward to working with you!
Executive Officers
Your Executive Officers for the 2018/19 accademic year are:
Kevin Wiber - President
Ryan Kaupp - VP Accademic
Kerry Edwards - VP Negotiations & Welfare
Cheryl Meheden - VP Finance
Mike Mayo - Faculty Relations Officer
Your Executive Council Representatives for the 2018/19 academic year are:
Lance Semak - Constituency 1
Tim Fyfe - Consitutency 2
Shoja Mazidi - Consituency 3
Henry Komadowski - Consituency 4
Sheri Wright - Consituency 5
Vacant - Constituency 6
Please click the button below for a copy of your 2018/19 Quick Reference List for all your Executive Officers along with Committee Members information.
Negotiations for a new Collective Agreement are still ongoing. Until a new agreement is signed, the most recently expired contract is still in force.
Please click the link below for a copy of the most recent Collective Agreement.
Questions regarding your rights according to the Collective Agreement can be directed towards LCFA Executive Officers.
Academic Schedule
Please take a moment to review the academic schedule.
Upcoming Events
Please take a minute to review the executives meeting schedule.
Dates are subject to change.
Some helpful links to assist you during the year.
Negotiations Update
On behalf of LCFA Negotiations Committee.
Good day Faculty,
As you are aware LCFA and Lethbridge College are entering negotiations for a new Collective Agreement. The LCFA Negotiations Committee would like to provide a quick update related to the current bargaining climate.
Recently LCFA and Lethbridge College Administration exchanged proposals(June 7 & 8). The Proposal presented by Lethbridge College Administration offered some challenges that LCFA Negotiations Committee could not accept. However on the second day both sides engaged in productive discussions and have found some common ground, while holding firm on important issues.
There is a break in negotiations for the remainder of the summer, with discussions resuming in September and if required October and beyond.
Periodic updates will be provided throughout the negotiations process. Have yourselves an exceptional summer, and we look forward to seeing you back in August.