Inside this

issue__________________

Jim’s Desk 1–2

Insurance

Renewal 3

Our New Contract

Resum 3, 14, 15

Legal Issues 4, 13

Special Insert

CARACAS 5–12

Special Dates

to Remember 12

John Abbott College Faculty Association

From Jim’s DeskIn Memoriam:

April 2006 Volume 5, Number 2

rump group of JACFA members who styledthemselves as the internal opposition to theJACFA executive who were pro FNEEQ. Thosepost-disaffiliation vote JACFA General Assem-blies tended to be raucous affairs as the“opposition” appeared to be trying to refight thedisaffiliation battle. In a move toward reconcil-iation, Ruth was asked to run for the JACFAexecutive. She joined the executive in the fall of1994. In the early days of her mandate, therewas some lingering suspicion that she was anagent provocateur who could not be trusted.Those concerns were soon dispelled as Ruthcame to recognize that the executive was a teamof idealists devoted to defending the interests ofindividuals in particular and the faculty ingeneral. This idealism appealed to Ruth’sromantic nature. She became an executive teamplayer.

One of her major contributions was as afaculty representative on the Labor RelationsCommittee (CRT). Specifically, I will always be

(Cont’d on p. 2)

We were deeply saddened by the news ofRuth’s death on February 18th, 2006. I wasclose to Ruth over the last ten years. I first knewher as a student in my political science class inthe winter term of 1979. She came back toJohn Abbott as a replacement teacher in theEnglish Department in April 1986. She wasquickly recognized for her passionate spirit andher vivaciousness. She became devoted to thesense of community that she found at Abbott.She was a hard working member of theAcademic Council. As vice-chair of the Council,she forcefully pursued the revival of the commit-tee structure of Council.

Ruth could be difficult to deal with. Shecould be moody and petulant. She is the onlyfriend I have ever had, that if you pissed her off,she would write a nasty poem about you. Iwould get back at her by calling her Ruthiewhich she hated. If Ruth was in a playful mood,she would present you with a comical poemcelebrating her connection with you.

Ruth could also be a supportive friend.When I was feeling down about turning 50, andlamenting my graying beard and decliningphysique, she tried to cheer me up.“You’re looking more and more”, shesaid, “like Sean Connery.” “ButRuth”, I replied, “Sean Connery isnearly 70.”

In the late 1980’s, Ruth was avigorous supporter of our uniondisaffiliating from FNEEQ. When thatproposal was defeated, she was part of a

Ruth Taylor

Student, poet, teacher, colleague,unionist, friend...

jacfanews

2

jacfanews

grateful for her support during a difficult time when theadministration was trying to fire a teacher. It was duringthe 2000 spring break. The other two faculty members onthe CRT were not available, leaving Ruth and I to cope. Onher own, Ruth engaged in some behind closed doordiscussions that led to negotiations and a settlement of thematter.

Ruth’s forte was her critical eye and her editing skills.Until I met her, I never knew the value of editing. Ruth wasable to take union documents that I wrote, tighten them upand make my message crystal clear. She claimed she gotto know how I thought. She would sometimes snicker at myuse of a thesaurus. Ruth’s command of the language wassuch that she never needed one. I would have appreciatedRuth’s editing of this piece about her.

Ruth left the executive at Christmas, 2000. Sherealized that the increasing burdens of her life made it toodifficult for her to continue on the executive. Marriagebreakup, the death of her father, the accidental death ofher dear friend Bert Young, and chronic health problems,all served to drag her down. She had a morbid fear ofhospitals and indeed all types of confinement. The demonsthat haunted her would not leave her alone. She went onsick leave in March 2005. At the end of June, I helped herpack up and move from Ste. Anne’s to N.D.G. She waslooking for a fresh start. We talked a couple of weeksbefore her death. She was planning to return to work on aprogressive basis in August. We spoke about her returningto the executive after she was back full time. She seemedmore like her old self.

Ruth loved the Abbott Community and its institutions.Ruth had ambitions to serve the community as President ofJACFA and Chairperson of the Academic Council. I’m sorryshe will never get that chance.

Mark Review CommitteesIn accordance with the collective agreement and the

college IPESA, departmental mark review committees arecomposed of three teachers including the teacher whoassigned the mark being reviewed. A mark reviewcommittee must be legitimately constituted for itsdecisions to be valid.

Faye Plans to Return to JACFA

Faye Trecartin was re-elected JACFA President last May butwas unable to take up her mandate because she has been onsick leave because of breast cancer since the beginning of theacademic year. Faye is eager to return to work in the fall andhas agreed to offer her candidacy as President at the May 10annual JACFA election meeting. We have missed her this yearat the helm of JACFA.

Austerity Measures for JACFA

As a result of the $160,000 spent on strike pay in 2005,the JACFA Executive is trying to cut expenses in order to rebuildthe treasury for the next round of negotiations. For example, forthe recent sugaring off party, members were asked to pay halfthe cost instead of the full cost being borne by the JACFAtreasury. This resulted in a savings of $2500 compared to lastyear’s budget.

Contracts & SummerVacation

Non-permanent teachers who will be away from theirpermanent residences during the summer vacation period formore than a couple of weeks should give Human Resources anemail address where they can be notified when their contractshave been mailed to their home address. Teachers can adviseHuman Resources by return email of their acceptance of thecontract. Upon return to their residences, the contracts mustbe signed by the teacher and returned to the college.

New Members of FNEEQThe teachers at Collège de Valleyfield have left FAC and are

joining us in FNEEQ Regroupement-Cégep as its 36th member.Also Collège André Grasset has joined FNEEQ’s regroupementprivé as its 30th member.

Jim Leeke

Ruth...April 22006

3

by Stephen Bryce

It’s that time of year again…

On May 31, our health and life insurance withIndustrial Alliance will be up for renewal again. Al-though we have not yet received a renewal offerfrom them, our broker estimates that from ourpast experience (given that our “loss ratio” ofclaims to premiums was close to the company’starget set last year), we can expect to receive aproposal for increased premiums for next year, asthe industry projects inflation in drug costs (about60% of our health costs) of about 13% next year.

Last year some members suggested that wetake a more serious look at the FNEEQ insuranceplan. For those who were not around at the time,in 1993 JACFA withdrew from the FNEEQ groupinsurance plan and set up its own. The mainissues were the high cost, poor coverage ofparamedical expenses, lack of flexibility in theplan, and the difficulty in getting answers toinsurance questions from FNEEQ.

Members of the JACFA executive recently metwith the current FNEEQ syndical counselorresponsible for insurance. In the past few years,because of changes in the payment of longstanding LTD claims, FNEEQ has accumulated asignificant surplus. This has allowed it to improvecoverage of paramedical expenses while freezinghealth and LTD insurance rates until at leastJanuary 2007. As a result, health insurance andLTD rates are about 10% higher for the JACFA planthan they are for FNEEQ; life rates are over 40%higher. There are differences between the twoplans – FNEEQ provides more drug coverage andtravel cancellation insurance; JACFA providesbetter coverage for some paramedical expensesand more basic life coverage.

When we receive our renewal offer fromIndustrial Alliance, we will provide all memberswith a detailed comparison and analysis of thetwo plans. There would also be transition issuesabout individual coverage levels that would needto be resolved if we were to move to the FNEEQplan. At our next JACFA General Assembly on April26, the JACFA Executive will present a recom-mendation and we will debate and vote on wherewe are heading with our insurance plan for nextyear.

Insurance Renewal

insurance April 22006

Our NewContract:by Peter Solonysznyj

As we all know, last December the provincial government passed Law142 which imposed salaries and working conditions on public employeesin Quebec until the year 2010. At the same time as the law was beingpassed, FNEEQ-CSN was able to reach a limited agreement with thegovernment/federation of cegeps on a limited number of issues. Currently,FNEEQ is also consulting local general assemblies on ratification of theparts of our contract covered by Law 37 (“local issues”). When all this isput together, we will have the contract that will regulate our workingconditions for at least the next four years.

Here is a brief summary and explanation of some of the keycomponents of our new “contract”:

N.B. These explanations are contingent on the final, legal wording, whichhas not yet been finalized.

Salary:Law 142 set the annual wage increases for everyone in the public

sector at 2%. For years now, FNEEQ cegep teachers have received their payincreases on the first day of the Fall semester, much later than theprevious system where we got our increase two months after the rest ofthe public sector. This delay in our increases was a “recurrent cost saving”for the government to pay for our job security system which createspermanent teaching posts as soon as numbers justify. FNEEQ-CSNmanaged to negotiate an end to this “recurrent cost saving”. Therefore, wewill receive:• 2% on December 1, 2006; • 2% on October 1, 2007; • 2% on the first day of the Fall semester 2008; • 2% on June 1, 2009.

Therefore in 2009, we will be back where we began, receiving ourincrease two months after the rest of the public sector.

Continuing Education:Hourly-paid teachers will receive their pay increases on:

• October 1, 2006, • August 1, 2007, • June 15, 2008, and • April 1st, 2009.

For hourly-paid teachers, 450 hours of teaching will now count for oneyear of seniority (previously it was 525 hours). (Cont’d on p. 14)

fneeq

4

This is a digest of the legal arguments theCSN will raise to obtain the annulment of Law142, the law that decreed our workingconditions and breached our fundamentalrights guaranteed by the Charters. Thecomplete opinion, with references andcitations, now appears on JACFA’s web site.

The CSN will raise five arguments: (1)breach of our right of association guaranteedunder the Québec Charter, (2) breach of ourright of association guaranteed by theCanadian Charter, (3) breach of our right ofcommunication guaranteed under bothCharters (4) discrimination against the FSSSand finally (5) breach of international treaties,protecting the citizens’ right to unionise signedby Canada. As an association, the CSN has thelegal standing to plead for its members theunconstitutionality of the law breaching theirrights guaranteed by the Charters.

The government has to justify the breachof a guaranteed right by proving that the breachwas justified in a democratic society. If thegovernment fails to justify the breach, the lawis ruled unconstitutional and consequentlyannulled. For example, the legal obligation towear a safety belt in an automobile is a breachof our guaranteed right to our liberty, but isjustified by studies establishing that wearing itreduces bodily injuries in automobile accidents.

Relevant sections of the Charters

Section 22 oof tthe CCanadian CCharter ::

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, includingfreedom of the press and other media of communication;(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; (d) and freedom of association.

Sections 33 aand 446 oof tthe QQuébec CCharter:3. Every person is the possessor of the fundamental freedoms,including freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of opinion,freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom ofassociation.46. Every person who works has a right, in accordance with the law, tofair and reasonable conditions of employment which have proper regardfor the health, safety and physical well-being.

Breaches of the guaranteed rights may be justified undersection 1 of the Canadian Charter and section 9.1 of theQuébec Charter: 1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rightsand freedoms set out in it only to such reasonable limits prescribed by lawas can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.9.2 In exercising his fundamental freedoms and rights, a person shallmaintain a proper regard for democratic values, public order and thegeneral well-being of the citizens of Québec. In this respect, the scope ofthe freedoms and rights, and limits to their exercise, may be fixed by law.

(1) Breach of our right of association guaranteed by the Québec Charter

The Supreme Court indicated in the 2005 Chaoulli case that wherethe Canadian Charter appears too restrictive, the parties would be welladvised to invoke the more extensive Québec Charter. Jacques Chaoulli isthe Québec physician who successfully invoked section 1 of the QuébecCharter (right to life, and security of the person) and section 7 of theCanadian Charter (right to life) to challenge medical legislation set againsthis home-delivered medical care service. The Québec Charter expresslyprotects the economic rights of the citizens of Québec. Our right to strikewould then be protected under the Québec Charter.

(Cont’d on p. 13)

legal

Why the CSN will win this case by Pierre M. Gauthier

April 22006

5

Recently (from January 23 to January 29, 2006), along with aFNEEQ-CSN delegation of teachers, nine John Abbott teachers respondedto the appeal and went to the 6th World Social Forum in Caracas,Venezuela. For this occasion the WSF was polycentric, it was held in thethree poorest continents of the world: Caracas (South America), Bamako(Mali-Africa) and in Karachi (Pakistan-Asia, at the end of January). Theexperience was found (by many) to be extremely energizing andparticularly stimulating when you are concerned by the impact ofglobalization in every day life. From that part of the planet, we could feelthe motto of the WSF: Un Otro Mundo es Posible.

It was the first time that the forum was polycentric. Usually (exceptin 2004 in Mumbai) the forum is held in Porto Alegre (Brazil). Thedecision to have the WSF in Caracas was deliberate since Venezuela isgoing through important social changes.

The World Social Forum (WSF) is an annual meeting of thealternative globalization movement to coordinate worldcampaigns, share and refine organizingstrategies, and inform eachother about movements fromaround the world and theirissues. It tends to meet inJanuary when its “great capitalistrival”, the World Economic Forum,is meeting in Davos, Switzerland.The WSF is an immense gatheringof groups, non-profit organizations,unions and individuals that areconcerned and worried about the paththe world is being engaged in. For thisreason, it is a great place to be at leastonce in a lifetime! It is also a perfect starting point for people to engage increating networks on common issues shared differently in differentrealities.

Other than the members of FNEEQ, the Mission Québec gathered300 people from the province. We were one of the biggest delegations atthe forum. People came from ATTAC-Québec, Alternatives, students,feminists, activist organizations, other unions: (FIIQ, SFPQ, CSQ), etc. Wewere also part of the 80,000 people that converged to Caracas for theevent.

Physically, the forum took place on different sites in the city. Thesubway, impressively efficient, allowed forum participants to access thedifferent meeting places. The organization of the forum and workshops,sometimes chaotic, was friendly and highly sympathetic. There is still along way to go to change the dominant discourse of Davos, but visibly we

could witness a real desire for change and a true movement to solveproblems of exclusion and social inequality. In fact, from Caracas, we couldfeel that the world is changing.

The choice of Caracas has been questioned by many. SinceVenezuelan politics is very explosive and President Hugo Chavez verypopular, his contribution to the WSF was feared to be a threat to its integrity.The WSF has always claimed itself to be autonomous and outside politicalparties. Despite what the medias have expressed, the WSF stayed themaster of its own destiny. We could say that the Venezuelan realitytranspired from the forum independence. On one evening, Chavez made aspeech in front of 10,000 festive listeners. Chavez speech was refreshing,funny, spiritual and intelligent. (I was thinking about Paul Martin during the

speech…).Consequently, it was impossible for theparticipant to ignore the Bolivarian reality.The Venezuelan Republic is funding,mainly with its petrodollar, a truerevolution: the Bolivarian Revolution.In Venezuela, 10 millions (among apopulation of 27 millions) are living inextreme poverty. The slums, calledbarrios, are anchored precariously tothe mountains slopes surrounding

the city of Caracas. We went to visitone of these barrios: La Vega. We could witness

what the Bolivarian revolution is doing concretely for thesepeople. The government has developed social programs, called themisiones, to promote, among other things, food cooperatives (Mercal:people can buy quality products for 70% of the price), health prevention andeducation projects (Mision Robinson: 10, 000 cubans doctors andprofessionals spread around the country to implement health programs),and elimination of illiteracy programs. The last four years, 1.5 millions ofVenezuelans have learned to read! The Bolivarian revolution has improvedeach level of the system of education: the Bolivarian university is public andfree; there exist assistance programs (free food and transportation) for theless wealthy; the Bolivarian primary schools are providing the children threemeals a day; etc.

In conclusion, any militant who fights for a better world should live aWSF experience. We felt our participation as a unique, mobilising, enrichingand energizing experience. We have learned from Caracas. It shows theimportance of creating international networks but also to be active at thelocal level. The discussion must continue. The world must change. While weelect conservative parties, it is comforting to see the elective contrasts inthe countries of the South. Undoubtedly, from Caracas we could feel thatun otro mondo es posible.

Another World is Possible... by Michel Milot

JACFA-FNEEQ Delegation to the World Social Forum

caracas April 22006

6 caracasApril 22006

Caracas ISa dangerous

place by Daniel Gosselin

Since each participant was expected to write a few thoughtful,wise and profound lines about the WSF experience, this individualthought he’d give a somewhat different and perhaps lighter perspective. This is not to say that thisindividual doesn’t share the views of his distinguished colleagues.

It was all over the place. In tourist guides, in discussions with people who’d been before, on theInternet, with friends, in meetings at JAC, etc.: Caracas is a dangerous place. The most dangerous city inthe Americas we could read between the lines. One can even vividly recall the smart remark at theAssembly about wearing our bulletproof vests…

Actually, we were still in Montreal, when we got our first echoes of turmoil. The highway from theairport to downtown Caracas, a 40 minute ride, was now impassable. The army was to accompany usfor hours through sinuous rocky mountain roads. Then the military informed us that they wouldn’tescort us by night (too hazardous), so we’d have to change our flight schedules.

Once in Caracas, all natives cautioned us, in hotels, in restaurants, in shops, not to go here orthere, everywhere, mostly during hours of darkness. And every so often, even at daytime. At least, theywouldn’t be caught dead trying. In fact, nocturnal ventures were a definite no no.

At one point, in the Parque del Este, a huge and gorgeous park overlooked by the grandiose MountAvila, where live parrots patrolled above your head, and where some of the WSF activists had their tentsset up in the parking lot, this walking writer was actually followed annoyingly by a strange anonymouspersonage… As we slowed down, so did he, as we sped up, the predator’s pace hustled accordingly…Closing up on its prey... It took a discreet halt in a packed area to bring this uncomfortable trail to aclose.

Essentially, far from the hostile mob of brood thirsty brigands, under the never-ending constantwarm rain, all residents were incrediblywelcoming and warm. Some colleagues werepickpocketed in the metro, but had it comingfor them as they didn’t attempt to hide theirbulging wallet from their back pocket.

Just a few hours before leaving, between abeer and a mango juice, with some of the JAChorde, two colleagues from Edouard-Montpetit were in fact attacked by armedbandits, who took away their valuablebelongings. Thankfully, no one was injured.So it turned out, alas, that Caracas was,indeed, for a few unlucky travelers, adangerous place.

7caracas April 22006

Reflections... on the World SocialForum by Sarwat Vigar

The 6th World Social Forum, is an annual event which attracts onthe average 100,000 participants from social movements from all overthe world. Considering its size and the global reach of its agenda,which covers all aspects of social, political and economic life, it is oneof the most under-reported events in the mass media. This fact alonereflects the disturbing absence of discussion of social justice issues inthe mainstream media which has subsequently led to its absence fromdominant social discourse, including education. It is for this reasonthat the opportunity to participate as teachers in the forum, verygenerously provided by FNEEQ and the College ProfessionalDevelopment Fund, was timely and valuable.

To me, the WSF is mainly about an attempt at inclusion which israrely seen elsewhere in comparable meetings and events. Whether itis inclusion on the basis of regionalal representation, class, gender orrace, there is a strong will to address questions of representation andrecognize that it is the key to building any democratic movement.

Another key element of the WSF is the absence of institutionaland corporate actors. This is a deliberate choice and is reflective of theCharter of the WSF which rejects the exclusive legitimacy of centralizedpower in determining our collective future. That being said, the Forumis by no means perfect. The fact that this time, it was held in Caracas,Venezuela with the enthusiastic backing of Hugo Chavez's left-winggovernment did mean that there was a lot of institutional support. Tomany, including me, that is not such a bad thing. In a world, especiallyours in North America, where governments are increasingly shiftingtowards a conservative, right-wing agenda, getting the support of amore progressive government for an event like the forum can be ofvalue. Within the Social Forum itself, this was a considerable issue fordebate and led to many contentious discussions and expression of agreat diversity of opinion. This is also one of the strengths of theForum.

The World Social Forum was initiated as a response to the WorldEconomic Forum which is held in Davos, Switzerland every year. It wassupposed to provide an alternative vision of organizing for socialchange to the model of top-down economic progress which is dominantin the World Economic Forum. One of the questions which is oftenasked is 'What is the goal of the WSF?' The answer has been for yearsthe subject of debate in successive forums. There are those who rejecta goal-oriented approach as being too prescriptive and leading to the

danger of a homogenized alternative vision of theworld. On the other hand, after six consecutiveforums, there are serious questions that have beenraised about the changes that have actually comeabout as a result of the WSF.

Through countless workshops, discussionforums, panels as well as concerts, exhibits andcultural events, there is no doubt that the Forumwas an astounding venue for the expression of manydifferent alternative visions of the future. From waysof social organizing, alternative and moreparticipatory models of education to confronting warand militarism and creating a different discourse ofglobal politics, there was a great diversity of topics.The organization of such an event, while trying tohold on to the principle of participatory organizationis no small achievement and was perhaps one of themost important learning experiences for me.

Coming back to John Abbott with thisexperience, my first instinct was to try and recreate a'forum' in my class or at least try to introduce someof the same principles of bottom-up participatoryapproaches in the classroom. This has led to someinteresting situations and discussions in theclassroom, mostly positive. One of the lessons of theWSF, for me, has been that developing a moreinclusive and democratic approach in decision-making, though a worthy goal, is an on-going andpossibly difficult process. It is not easy to dislodgedeeply entrenched ways of organizing which rely onhierarchy, top-down control and ideas of 'leadership.'In the classroom, however, giving students some sayin their education process and valuing theirknowledge can have surprisingly rewarding results.

8 April 22006jacfanews

9caracas April 22006

10 caracasApril 22006

If only I could have begun my story like this... But I can't. Contraryto those who assumed that my January trip to Venezuela must havebeen a holiday, (why else would anyone go to Latin America at thattime of the year?) my attendance at the World Social Forum was farfrom that.

Why did I go? Having taught about social inequality for over threedecades, much of what I knew – especially about global inequality –was theoretical, paper-based. It was time to go and see for myself. Andso I became part of a teacher's delegation to the sixth World SocialForum in Caracas.

Some of my goals were to bear witness, to show solidarity, and tolearn. Another goal was to meet and exchange ideas with variousgroups struggling against the destructive effects of neo-liberalism andglobalization. These groups are working at various levels to address theyawning global inequities between the minority of rich at the top andthe great numbers of poor and destitute at the bottom.

What did I see? Extremes of enormous wealth situated cheek-by-jowl with grinding poverty. The steep mountainsides that surroundCaracas are home to grand, extensive villas interspersed withunofficial 'favella' (shantytown) brick houses that perch, seeminglyprecariously, one top of the other. The favellas seem to reflect, in part,a lesser degree of regulation (and servicing) of certain aspects ofsocial life: stray dogs roam about, casually sampling refuse that isheaped up on the sidewalk; garbage is tossed gratuitously out ofwindows into a rivulet below that also serves as a sewer; pollution isrampant which makes breathing difficult; inthe city, every available piece of sidewalkbecomes valuable real estate to be occupiedby those trying to eke out a living by hawkingevery possible type of product on hastily set-up outdoor stands. With no apparent concernfor sanitation, one vendor carefully lays outlarge, transparent plastic bags of spices onthe sidewalk immediately in front of an open,dusty storage room holding broken bags ofwhat appears to be dry cement powder, someof which has spilled onto the floor.

What did I learn? That even the most extremeand degraded conditions do not necessarily breakthe human spirit. People can, and do, continue tostrive to maintain their dignity and improve theirlives and those of their children through collectivesocial action. Banding together, they establishcommunity daycares, schools, and healthcarecenters, along with food depots in order to improvepublic services and meet basic needs. Communitynewspapers are established to both assurecommunication on issues of common interest and,along with local committees, can act to help furtherbuild community institutions and resources.

One immediate and larger lesson of being inCaracas is that people may inhabit the same planetat the same time point in time, but we neverthelesslive in entirely different worlds. The balance istipped so unfavourably to benefit the West andNorth that it almost seems that there is a chutefunnelling wealth, goods, and resources from 'them'in the poorer parts of the world to 'us' in the richerparts. In the West, we seem to be lulled into apathyregarding these inequities and social problems suchas child and adult poverty, native misery, etc.,possibly mesmerized by the profusion of goods

which fill shelves and everydayconsciousness and leave so little room forcritical questions, such as: what do weneed all of this stuff for? What is the cost,human and material (and to the planet) ofproducing it all? And, how long can we goon this way? How do we get past our ownblind spots that camouflage thecontradictions in our own lives, and helpour students to do the same?

__‘What I did on by Marcia Kovitz

My Vacation’ __ (in a nutshell)

11caracas

I have built my Humanities Knowledge course (“Reel History: History,Film,Politics”) around the principle of collaborative process because I amcommitted to creating classroom spaces where participatory democracy is a facton the ground. Please allow me to elaborate.

As future workers, citizens in a democracy, and members of an increasinglyinterconnected global civil society, our students’ ability to communicate clearlyand effectively to diverse audiences is indispensable. Without these skills orknow-how, they will lack a voice in matters concerning all facets of their lives andrisk becoming disposable, disempowered, and disaffected, which is howincreasingly large numbers of citizens in North America are being made to feel.This is a feeling that people in the “global 2/3 world” have been all too familiarwith for some time now.

If our students seize opportunities to conduct independent research, sharetheir findings and views with student peers and teachers, and develop the abilityto engage challenging social and political issues, they will have a reservoir ofsocial confidence and experience to draw from in their lives beyond graduationfrom college. Instead of being overwhelmed and frightened by the world outsidethese doors, they will instead, I hope, feel as if they can make a contributionand, more importantly, respond with humility and creativity to the complexproblems shaping up outside our (sub)urban bubbles of consumption. This is aproject I have committed myself to since our trip to the WSF in Caracas lastJanuary.

On a pedagogical note, students are able to remember and apply what theylearn in their courses much better when they are actively engaged in activitiessuch as independent research, hands-on & interactive discussion, and preparingfor and giving in-class presentations. As many of you may know, anyone iswelcome to give a workshop or panel at the World Social Forum. There is notoverarching selection committee which vets individual or group proposals. Bymaking presentations a continuous feature of my Humanities course, I provideregular opportunities for anyone who wishes to practice public speaking,listening (really listening and not simply biding one’s time until one can thenspeak again), and learning from the diverse opinions represented in the class.Students are much more likely to overcome the fear of speaking before a groupand/or expressing controversial views when they have had chance to practice.This reduces the likelihood of groupthink or sentiments such as, “I was justdoing what everyone else was doing,” which has been the hallmark of the majorwars and genocides we’ve witnessed in the past century. And it is in keepingwith the first principle of the WSF Charter:

April 22006

On Collaborative Process:Applying Lessons from WSF in the JAC Classroom_____by Mark McGuire

“The World Social Forum is an open meetingplace for reflective thinking, democratic debateof ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchangeof experiences and interlinking for effectiveaction, by groups and movements of civil societythat are opposed to neoliberalism and todomination of the world by capital and any formof imperialism, and committed to building aplanetary society directed towards fruitfulrelationships among Mankind and between it andthe Earth.”

Studies from the Concordia Center forLearning and Teaching suggest that, on average,students can remember 80-90% of what they SAY &DO themselves. When you compare this with thepercentages of what they can recall and apply fromwhat they HEAR & SEE (more passive learning)

(Cont’d on p. 12)

during presentations or traditional lectures by their teachers (20-30% accordingto the same study), the decision to give opportunities for group collaborationbecomes obvious.

Some examples of group collaboration that students do in our classes:

_ Discussion in small groups at the beginning of the semester to select whichfilms we will view during class and for which groups will make presentations;

_ Creative collaboration to produce fake ads (a la Adbusters) & uncommercials.

_ Group presentations of films & interactive discussions. Students assign shorthomework assignments & readings to each other.

_ Shopping for organic and fair trade food, drinks, and other products; sharing ameal together to discuss the high costs of low price and the effects upon theenvironment and human community and natural environment of biotechnology(GMOs) and chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.

_ Interviews and fieldwork around the JAC campus to identify and analyze thepresence of corporate messages and how they work in educational settings.

_ Producing short documentary films on subjects of students_ choosing in orderto get a hands-on understanding of representing other people and their stories.

_ Interactive, on-line discussions using the course forum in Omnivox. We usethese both as a springboard for class discussions (I bring in excerpts ofinteresting exchanges) and as a way to process leftovers from heateddiscussions that never came to full boil. Or as a way for lessvocal class members to have a forum to express their thoughts.

I am the first to admit that group collaboration can be quite time-consuming, messy, frustrating, and can occasionally lead to passionatearguments. But so is participatory democracy and collective bargaining. In fact, Iwould argue that exactly these kinds of concerns and outcomes ought to give usstrong reasons for embracing collaborative process, just as they are evidence forwhy we strive for a participatory democracy and organized labor struggles.Collaborative groupwork also requires more thought and effort to plan for andfacilitate than straightforward lectures or Powerpoint presentations. You neverreally know what will happen because every class is different. Every day isdifferent.

These are only some of the obstacles to introducing new possibilities in theclassroom, workplace, or your community. Proceeding in this way with anopenness and respect for collaborative process, that is, commitment toexperimenting with new possiblities even when one is not assured of theoutcome, is far more interesting and productive than top-down decision making

or delivery of knowledge and skills to docilestudents too inert to think for themselves or takeresponsibility for their own education.

At the World Social Forum in Caracas we metinspiring, courageous, and creative people of allages, backgrounds, genders, nationalities, andoccupations who insisted that “Another World isPossible!” In my relationships with students andcolleagues here at John Abbott, I have been strivingto embody this ideal and make it a viablealternative for the future.

In closing, I offer the eleventh principle of theWSF Charter as another signpost for exciting futurepossibilities in the way we organize ourselves in ourvarious communities, local and global.

“As a forum for debate, the World SocialForum is a movement of ideas that promptsreflection, and the transparent circulation of theresults of that reflection, on the mechanisms andinstruments of domination by capital, on meansand actions to resist and overcome thatdomination, and on the alternatives proposed tosolve the problems of exclusion and socialinequality that the process of capitalistglobalization with its racist, sexist andenvironmentally destructive dimensions it iscreating internationally and within countries.”

In solidarity.

12 caracasApril 22006

On Collaborative Process:Applying Lessons from WSF in the JAC Classroom_____

13

(2) Breach of our right of association as guaranteed by the Canadian CharterThe CSN faced the Supreme Court of Canada in 1987 with three

former rulings where it was decided that section 2 of the Canadian Charterguaranteed the individual right of association only, not collective rightssuch as the right to strike. With respect, the proper ruling should have beenthat by restricting the right to strike, we are in fact restricting the citizens’guaranteed right to unionise by joining an association.

But the door now seems open for a recognition of our right to strikeunder the Canadian Charter. In the recent 2001 Dunmore case theSupreme Court stated that the former rulings could evolve with the times,in other words that former cases might be decided otherwise today. InDunmore, the Supreme Court held that a law forbidding Ontarioagricultural workers to be unionised was unconstitutional. Then the Courtsubmitted a new 2001 test to ascertain the constitutionality of the (labour)laws:

“Has the state precluded the activity because of its associative nature,thereby discouraging the collective pursuit of common goals?”

(3) Breach of our right of expression guaranteed by both ChartersThe purpose of the strike and picketing is to solicit the support of the

public in order to put pressure on the government.The right to publicise their demands protects powerless workers. The

publicity of the collective demands has two aspects: the message itself andthe message revealed when the workers exercise their right to strike. Theweight of public opinion in public negotiations counterbalances the powerof the government and is an important part of collective bargaining. Thepurpose of Bill 142 was to put an end to the protests and public unrest.The right to strike is still the best if only tool to bargain reasonable workingconditions.

The Supreme Court recognised the importance of publiccommunication in labour disputes was in the 1999 KMart and the 2002Pepsi-Cola cases where secondary picketing (picketing outside theemployer’s premises) was considered a right guaranteed by the right ofexpression, enlisting public support as an essential aspect of collectivebargaining. In KMart, striking employees were peacefully distributingleaflets in other KMart stores, and in Pepsi-Cola, strikers were picketingretail outlets.

(4) FSSS discriminated against: the law can not discriminate. Bill 142 decreed on the Fédération des

services sociaux et de santé (FSSS)-CSNmembers (100,000) lower working conditionsthan those obtained by workers doing similarwork but belonging to different unions becausethe FSSS failed to reach an agreement on time.This is discrimination against the FSSS. The lawcannot discriminate.

(5) Violation of international labour laws and treaties.Canada signed a number of international

treaties respecting the right to negotiatecollectively and the right of its citizens to strike.Dunmore enumerates a few of theseinstruments forming part of internationalhuman rights law.

Will the government succeed injustifying Bill 142?

The government will have to prove anunprecedented financial crisis as in the 2004Newfoundland case where the Supreme Courtwarned that invoking simple budgetaryconstraints will not suffice to justify lawsbreaching the guaranteed rights.

Why the CSN will win& have Law 142 annulled

legal April 22006

Our New Contract: by Peter Solonysznyj

14

has a post, and is therefore eligible to be movedto another college in the same zone as thecollege of origin. A “voluntary MED” can chooseto move both within and beyond their zone, toexercise their priority over an available post.

Also, a teacher who has been MED for atleast two years can be moved to a college withintheir sector (a larger area than the zone). If theMED teaches in the main discipline of a closedprogram, then after two years they can bemoved anywhere in the province. Theseprovisions are, however, better than thosepresent in Law 142, which would have greatlyextended the government’s power to move MEDteachers across Quebec.

Additional Allocation:John Abbott College will receive an annual,

recurrent allocation of 5.2 FTEs (full-timeequivalent). This additional allocation must beused each year to help in the realization of theCollege’s Strategic Plan in the area of programactivities, professional development, organizingstages and workshops, improving studentsuccess, technology transfer, and researchprofessional upgrading. This allocation coversteacher workload in volets 2 and 3. Thisadditional allocation may also help take somepressure off volet 1 tasks, i.e. teaching students,and put some additional teachers back in theclassroom. (Cont’d on p. 15)

Departments will name a representative toparticipate in Cont. Ed. hiring in their discipline.

Department Assemblies:The functions of departments remain

basically the same. They now have to take intoaccount the College’s Strategic Plan, theStudent Success Plan, and the InstitutionalPolicy on Evaluating Student Learning (IPESA), intheir activities. Also, the contract will stateclearly that departments designaterepresentatives on program committees.

Withdrawal of Hiring Priority for New Teachers:

Previously, hiring priority could bewithdrawn from a new teacher, without thatteacher having the right to grieve, if that teacherhad less than three years seniority. Now, theteacher can grieve withdrawal of hiring priority ifany one of the following three conditions is met:one-year full-time workload, or 50% workloadover two consecutive contractual years, or 1.5years seniority. The College must then show justcause for the removal of priority.

Job Security / M.E.D.s:The government has succeeded in

introducing a new category in the list of hiringpriorities for a post, called a “voluntary M.E.D.”A “MED” is a permanent teacher who no longer

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jacfanews 15

• the parties recognize the importance ofevaluating the teaching done by teachers;

• the local parties (College and union) areencouraged to develop and apply formativeevaluation whose objectiv is to facilitatetasks related to teaching, integration andparticipation in departmental affairs and inthe life of the institution, and to permit theprofessional development of teachers;

• evaluation should include the contributionsof all those involved, including teachers,department coordinators, academicadministration, and students.

Other changes of less immediatesignificance have not been listed here, but theabove points cover the principle modificationsto our contract. Overall, we can say that whatwe now have is better than the provisions ofLaw 142 concerning cegep teachers, but is avery long way from being a “satisfactorycollective agreement”. We will have to live withthis situation for the next few years, while wecontinue with the legal and political challengesto Law 142, the struggle to regain our freecollective bargaining rights, and the continuingfight for quality college education for ourstudents.

Some Highlightsby Peter Solonysznyj

Professional Development Funding:The annual amount per FTE has been

increased by $25.00.

Arbitration:Only the union can file a grievance for

arbitration. A process of accelerated arbitrationto settle grievances will be established forcertain cases. Also, with the agreement of localparties, mediation will be available. For allarbitration of grievances filed after the signatureof the contract, with the exception of grievancesconcerning disciplinary measures, the loser(union or employer) will pay the arbitration costs.

Academic Council:Currently, the rules concerning the

mandate, composition, and function ofAcademic Council are subject to a “localarrangement” that ends with the expiration ofthe contract. The new agreement places this“local arrangement” fully into the collectiveagreement, assuring the continuing existence ofthe Academic Council as currently constituted ineach college.

Evaluation of TeachingA new Annex on evaluation is included,

where:

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Fédération nationale desenseignantes et enseignantsdu Québec

John Abbott College Faculty AssociationPenfield-105P.O. Box 2000Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue (Québec) H9X 3L9

Phone: (514) 457-6610 ext. 5506

Fax:(514) 457-9799

Email:jacfa@johnabbott.qc.ca

Website:www2.johnabbott.qc.ca/~jacfa

Mark these dates in your calendar...

you will find more information at the JACFA office.

April 3 — 21 JACFA Omnivox Survey for all teachers

April 12 Demonstration in Montreal to mark the 3rd year since the election of the Charest government.– “J’AI JAMAIS VOTÉ POUR ÇA”

April 26 JACFA General Assembly – Insurance Renewal

April 27 & 28 Journées de réflexion: (organized by FNEEQ)– sélection élèves;– école publique/privée;– financement enseignement supérieur.

April 29 May Day Demonstration in Montreal

May 10 JACFA General Assembly – Elections;

May 24, 2006 JACFA’s Annual BBQ

April 22006

Over 160 Declarations of Resistance were returned. A big thank you!

It is still possible to return yours...