LOU #13 KFA Update for January 26, 2021

Dear colleagues,

We want to provide you with an update on the status of the LOU #13 Joint Committee on Class Size Past Practice.

Summary

The Parties have agreed to extend the deadline for LOU #13 until February 28th. There has been agreement by the parties on maintaining current class sizes for some specific courses; in other areas, we continue to discuss courses with the Employer and to consult with faculty.

The Parties have agreed to arbitrator Ken Saunders should arbitration prove necessary under this LOU, and tentative holds have been placed for dates in September 2021. While the Employer is looking for a hard deadline of February 28th for the work of the committee, the KFA is advocating for work to continue until the potential arbitration dates in order to reach agreement on as many courses as possible.

The Employer has started to present some information for their position on class size, and the KFA is continuing to request the Employer provide fulsome rationales for the significant class size increases they are seeking.

The KFA firmly believes that class size ought to be determined on the basis of recommendations from faculty, who are the content area and educational experts.

Further information and context informing the KFA position are as follows:

Timelines

• The work of the committee continued up to January 15, 2021.
• On January 15, the Parties agreed to extend the deadline to February 28th.
• If arbitration is needed, tentative date holds have been put in place for September 2021.
• The KFA position is to continue to do the work of this committee up until the point of arbitration.
• The Employer’s position is currently focused on a deadline on February 28th.
• The parties have agreed to take a break from meetings between January 16th and February 7th to allow the KFA to consult with faculty areas affected on information provided by the Employer

Committee Work to Date

• The KFA has presented most of the rationales for courses under consideration by this committee.
• There are a few areas that have not yet been discussed by the committee.
• For some specific courses, the Employer has agreed to maintain current class size based on the rationale provided by the area.
• So far, no class size registration limits have been changed through the LOU #13 process.

KFA Actions

              The KFA is continuing to

• Follow up with faculty in each area with information provided by the Employer
• Urge the Employer to continue the work of this committee up until the point arbitration may become necessary
• Prepare for a potential arbitration

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte, on behalf of your KFA LOU #13 Caucus:

Mark Diotte      

Gillian Dearle    

Diane Walsh     

Romy Kozak

Tim Armstrong (FPSE Staff Rep)