Loading and the Collective Agreement
Greetings Faculty Colleagues:
I have heard from several faculty members that have received their loading and have been loaded either in excess of 6 CCH in a day, more than 4 CCH in a row or have been scheduled to instruct after 6 PM or on weekends.
As background info, SAIT had approached SAFA, back in May, with a request to enter into some sort of Letter of Understanding about “blanket” agreement to extend loading past 6 PM and on weekends. After some discussion, SAFA informed SAIT they had the ability to do so via existing language in the Collective Agreement (CA). In other words, they have to get agreement from you – the Instructor:
36.08 (a) A class contact hour shall be fifty (50) minutes of scheduled instruction to students.
(b) Class contact hours shall not exceed the following unless agreed to by the instructor:
(i) The greater of twenty (20) hours or three percent (3%) of the applicable class contact hours, in any given week averaged over a fifteen (15) week period,.
(ii) Six (6) hours in any given day, or
(iii) Four (4) consecutive hours in any given day.
36.09 Instruction on a Saturday or Sunday or after 6:00 p.m. will be by mutual agreement between the Dean or designee (non-academic staff member) and the instructor.
36.11 Assignable Work:
(b) Instruction which takes place after 6:00 p.m. may be taught by an adjunct instructor. Such instruction shall be by mutual agreement between the instructor and Employer. Instruction after 6:00 p.m. shall not count as part of class contact hours without mutual agreement between the instructor and Employer.
The reason we declined to participate in some sort of “blanket” mutual agreement was because we felt it was important to allow Faculty to decide what worked for them – as I believe was the intention of the language in the CA. But, by no means is getting “agreement” simply informing you of your loading. Your Academic Chair or Dean should contact you personally, give you the courtesy of explaining why you are being asked to instruct outside the parameters of the collective agreement, consider alternative scheduling if you have a legitimate objection – for instance teaching 8 CCH from 8AM to 7PM – and there should be something, in writing, that verifies you have agreed to the schedule. Simply signing your loading sheet does not constitute “agreement”.
I have informed SAIT they have to follow the collective agreement and have filed a policy grievance.
Please contact me if you have been have been loaded either in excess of 6 CCH in a day, more than 4 CCH in a row or have been scheduled to instruct after 6 PM or on weekends.
In solidarity and service to members,