Final strike vote results still not in
The final votes on the college's offer to faculty have yet to be calculated.
The official count, once all segregated and mail-in votes come in, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, reported the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union.
It is estimated that over 500 ballots still need to be counted, stated OPSEU's website. So far, 8,360 valid ballots have been counted and the unofficial numbers are 4,285 accept the offer and 4,075 reject it.
OPSEU has postponed their plans for a strike indefinitely until the final outcome has been determined.
OPSEU is also accusing the college of “irregularities” in the voting process. They claim that the colleges are hiding the mail-in voters' list from the union.
Regular procedure for votes is that both parties know where the ballots are and who casts the ballots, said chief steward of OPSEU Local 110, Darryl Bedford.
“It's standard practice so everyone can check if the mail-in ballots are going to the right people,” said Bedford. “To people who can legitimately cast ballots.”
However, president of Fanshawe College, Howard Rundle, denies the colleges are trying to hide anything.
“This vote is supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Our job was to provide lists to them,” he explained. “It's not our role to be giving lists to other people.”
“They (OPSEU) should be...requesting the lists from the OLRB.”
OPSEU is also claiming that colleges were promoting the vote as a “final offer” vote in order to influence voters, making it sound like the colleges weren't going to negotiate after the vote.
Making this type of statement goes against the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act's section 17(2), which states the vote is really on “the last offer received.”
“It was a PR tactic, a spin tactic,” said Bedford, of the college's description of the vote. “They would've had an obligation to come back to the table.”
While Rundle said he could not comment on “irregularities at other colleges,” he did state that Fanshawe described the vote as “exactly what the OLRB said it was — a vote on the final offer.”
OPSEU's complaints are stemming from frustration over the vote results not going in their favour, said Rundle.
“They're disappointed about not getting a strike and they're picking at any...straw,” he said. “It's too bad they can't be pleased our students won't be put through a strike.”
He also added that there have been no complaints brought to his attention in regards to the aforementioned issues.
The union is currently bringing these discrepancies forward to the OLRB.
The official count, once all segregated and mail-in votes come in, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, reported the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union.
It is estimated that over 500 ballots still need to be counted, stated OPSEU's website. So far, 8,360 valid ballots have been counted and the unofficial numbers are 4,285 accept the offer and 4,075 reject it.
OPSEU has postponed their plans for a strike indefinitely until the final outcome has been determined.
OPSEU is also accusing the college of “irregularities” in the voting process. They claim that the colleges are hiding the mail-in voters' list from the union.
Regular procedure for votes is that both parties know where the ballots are and who casts the ballots, said chief steward of OPSEU Local 110, Darryl Bedford.
“It's standard practice so everyone can check if the mail-in ballots are going to the right people,” said Bedford. “To people who can legitimately cast ballots.”
However, president of Fanshawe College, Howard Rundle, denies the colleges are trying to hide anything.
“This vote is supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Our job was to provide lists to them,” he explained. “It's not our role to be giving lists to other people.”
“They (OPSEU) should be...requesting the lists from the OLRB.”
OPSEU is also claiming that colleges were promoting the vote as a “final offer” vote in order to influence voters, making it sound like the colleges weren't going to negotiate after the vote.
Making this type of statement goes against the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act's section 17(2), which states the vote is really on “the last offer received.”
“It was a PR tactic, a spin tactic,” said Bedford, of the college's description of the vote. “They would've had an obligation to come back to the table.”
While Rundle said he could not comment on “irregularities at other colleges,” he did state that Fanshawe described the vote as “exactly what the OLRB said it was — a vote on the final offer.”
OPSEU's complaints are stemming from frustration over the vote results not going in their favour, said Rundle.
“They're disappointed about not getting a strike and they're picking at any...straw,” he said. “It's too bad they can't be pleased our students won't be put through a strike.”
He also added that there have been no complaints brought to his attention in regards to the aforementioned issues.
The union is currently bringing these discrepancies forward to the OLRB.
