Season Two opens with a clear-eyed look at the SLC–Fleming merger and what it means for faculty, support staff, students, and communities across Eastern Ontario. Local 417 President Gillian Axten and Local 418 President Amanda Shaw talk about workload risks, campus stability, student experience, and the urgent need for transparency. Then, bargaining team vice-chair Greg Dickson joins to unpack the latest developments in part-time and sessional negotiations — including new equity proposals and a troubling “comprehensive package” from the employer.

This episode grounds listeners in the realities of the SLC–Fleming merger: shrinking programs, increased online delivery, oversized asynchronous classes, and the threat to smaller campuses. Gillian and Amanda outline how cuts and instability are already affecting support staff, student services, and community economies — and why union representation must be present at every planning table.

In the second half, Greg breaks down the August 19 bargaining session, highlighting the precarity facing part-time and sessional faculty, the union’s non‑monetary proposals, and the employer’s attempt to frame a minimal document as a “comprehensive package.” The conversation underscores the stakes for members and the importance of staying informed, asking questions, and standing together.

00:00 – Opening Message

02:25 – What’s Happening? Gillian explains the “shrinkage merger,” cost‑saving pressures, and risks to program quality.

05:17 – Support Staff Under Strain - Amanda outlines cuts, understaffing, service closures, and rising instability.

09:17 – Community Impact - How secretive planning affects Kingston, Brockville, Cornwall, Peterborough, Lindsay, and Haliburton.

12:20 – Access, Equity & Regional Economies - Amanda and Gillian discuss barriers for low‑income families, feeder programs, placements, and workforce development.

15:01 – Faculty Representation Matters - Gillian explains the risks when faculty are excluded from academic planning.

17:08 – Key Demands for Transparency - Amanda outlines what locals need: seats at planning tables, full disclosure, and public advocacy.

18:21 – What Members Should Do - Town hall details, sign union cards, ask questions, and stay informed.

21:27 – The Bigger Picture - Gillian warns about attempts to divide locals from provincial OPSEU/SEFPO.

22:29 – Greg Dickson Joins the Show Greg describes the employer’s first proposals after five days of bargaining.

25:14 – Precarity Hurts Students Too - How inconsistent assignments and late hiring undermine student experience.

28:48 – Why Dues Reporting Matters - High turnover and inconsistent lists across colleges.

29:52 – Protecting Members During Strikes - A new clause ensuring no discipline for respecting OPSEU picket lines.

31:12 – Equity as a Cornerstone - Half the unit is from equity-deserving groups; systemic barriers must be addressed.

31:28 – The Employer’s “Comprehensive Package” - Greg breaks down the document’s omissions: seniority, assignment rights, layoff protections, harassment language, and union access.

34:00 – Why Silence Is Dangerous - Greg explains how missing articles default to management rights.

36:00 – Final Reflections - The stakes of accepting a weak first collective agreement.

• Part-Time & Sessional Bargaining Hub

Behind the polished press releases and town hall slide decks lies a reality St. Lawrence College hasn’t said out loud. In this episode, host Julie White sits down with OPSEU Local 417 President Gillian Axten and OPSEU Local 418 President Amanda Shaw to unpack the emotional and operational chaos surrounding the SLC–Fleming merger.

While business plans frame the merger as “integration,” the audited financial statements reveal something far more serious: SLC is scheduled for legal dissolution on April 1, 2027.

Workers describe instability, layoffs, missing transition plans, digital overhauls that don’t align with a merged future, and a growing collapse of trust. With municipal elections underway and provincial legislation pending, this episode explores what’s at stake for students, staff, and the rural communities that rely on their campuses.

• The emotional fallout of a merger announced with no consultation
• Why the business plan avoids the word dissolution
• What the audited financial statements actually say
• Layoffs, involuntary transfers, and fear across all campuses
• Digital transformation as a quiet merger strategy
• The collapse of trust between workers and leadership
• Collective agreement protections that should already be activated
• Why municipal elections may be the last line of defense for rural campuses

• “Our members have been thrust into continuous instability and stress.”
• “It never mentions the word dissolution… but the financial statements lay bare the truth.”
• “There is no plan. And that’s the terrifying part.”
• “When there’s a lack of information, I mistrust all the information being said.”
• “It felt like a gut punch to read that St. Lawrence College will cease to exist.”

• 00:00 — The merger behind the messaging
• 01:00 — Workers blindsided
• 03:00 — Layoffs & instability
• 04:30 — The missing word: dissolution
• 06:00 — Legal reality vs. public narrative
• 11:20 — The gut punch
• 14:00 — Digital overhaul contradictions
• 18:00 — Efficiency audit signals
• 20:00 — Closed‑door decisions
• 23:00 — Workforce “stability” vs. deficits
• 26:00 — Collective agreement protections
• 29:00 — Trust collapse
• 30:00 — Municipal elections & community power

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A long summer episode with a lot to unpack. Julie sits down with newly elected Local 417 President Gillian Axten on her first official day in the seat to talk about the SLC–Fleming merger, the province‑wide restructuring of Ontario’s college system, and what these shifts mean for faculty, students, and the future of academic work. From disappearing full‑time positions to industry‑driven training models, Gillian breaks down the risks, the unknowns, and the urgent need for transparency and organizing. A deep, timely conversation at a critical moment for colleges across Ontario.

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