BENEFITS COMMITTEE
The Benefits Committee oversees the benefits plans (Extended Health and Dental Plans, Life and Accident
Insurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability) of Langara employees.
The Committee also funds pre-retirement seminars for employees and their spouses and encourages employees
to participate in the group RRSP plan.
In the past year, the Committee met twice to recommend renewals of benefits plans.
Premiums for several of the benefits plans were increased significantly: Short Term Disability premiums,
which are generally College-paid, were increased by 45%; Long Term Disability premiums, which
are faculty-paid, were increased by 15%; and Extended Health and Dental Plan premiums, which are generally
College-paid, were increased by 13%. Substantial premium increases are also expected in coming years.
The Committee wishes to remind faculty of the College's Employee and Family Assistance Program, which
provides confidential, professional counselling services and referral to appropriate community resources.
If the faculty wish to raise issues with the Benefits Committee, please contact an LFA Board member or the
LFA representative (5763).
Respectfully submitted,
Fulton Tom
CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE
This committee was inactive.
CONTRACT REVIEW AND BARGAINING COMMITTEE
This past October we concluded contract negotiations with the College and settled a Collective Agreement that
brought us important, if modest, improvements in terms of more equitable distribution of salary and benefits.
Given the tangible constraints against free collective bargaining which were imposed upon us this last year, our
total compensation (including benefits for part-time regular faculty) package may be reckoned as a significant
achievement. We also managed to obtain some other improvements in language governing such matters as
salary-step placement and Leaves for Excellence.
Respectfully submitted,
Lawrence Warren
CONTRACT MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE
The year has ended badly, with reductions in two programs. The LFA is working with the affected faculty to
make sure that as much as possible is done to assist them during these difficult times.
Over the last twelve months, in my capacity as your Chief Steward, I have as usual attended the CIEA meetings
with the other shop stewards from around the province. This year, our CIEA staff rep, Jeff McKeil, has been
invaluable to us in dealing with some extremely difficult and sensitive cases.
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The maternity arbitration finally made it before Stephen Kelleher on April 29. We should know very soon if
faculty on term contracts who would have been offered additional work will be eligible for mat leave.
Starting last June, Larry worked to ensure that new retirees were not overly disadvantaged by changes to the
College Pension Plan.
Since the conclusion of bargaining, I have been working on getting the revised collective agreement finalized
and into the members’ hands. This work is well underway and should be completed soon.
Linda Holmes is still waiting to hear if the LFA Board supports the College Human Rights policy, from the
perspective of using the Policy’s processes when grievances are filed. The new Board will consider this.
There have been several workload complaints over the past year. It is important that, particularly in the career
programs, we continue to monitor workload to make sure that people are treated equitably.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl McKeeman
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
The LFA Environment Committee continues to devote its resources to supporting Langara Environment
Committee (LEC) of the College and remains committed to conducting an environmental audit, to
transportation alternatives and to improved recycling.
The objective of the environmental audit is to compare the current situation with the 1996/1997 audit, to
document shortcomings and improvements, to make recommendations and to report to the Langara
Community. Since work-study funding is no longer available, the LEC has requested funding from Linda
Holmes for 400 working hours to perform an environmental audit in the 2002/2003 budget year.
Catherine Glass has developed a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan with funding from the
Greening Communities Initiative Fund. Her report was submitted in March.
Recycling of cans, bottles and tetra paks makes environmental AND economic sense. All proceeds go toward
student bursaries. The president’s office has assisted the LEC with its awareness campaign by putting notices
in the By the Way and by providing funding for table stickers and ceiling posters in the student cafeteria. The
recycling bursary fund currently stands at $2,146.48.
Respectfully submitted,
Leni Gelten
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
This year some time was spent in setting up systems to facilitate the work of the LEDC. These include the use
of the LEDC web site for communication to employees, and session registration through the services of the
Continuing Studies Banner system. To begin the year, the new coordinator, with input from the Advisory
Committee, established a new vision, mission and goals for the Employee Development Centre, and updated
the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee. These are all available on the LEDC web site. The vision,
“A Culture of Employee Learning” focuses on actively highlighting learning in our daily work practice.
A number of offerings in the fall and spring terms were focussed on faculty needs as identified in the fall
survey and through discussions with the Advisory Committee faculty members. There were a series of lunch
time discussions related to teaching and learning, workshops on instructional technology, wellness sessions,
and workshops on technology applications. The Professional Development Days were offered in April
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including three plenary sessions related to concepts of our changing student culture, strategies for improving
instructional effectiveness, and dealing with and planning for change at professional and personal levels. The
Education Technology Days in May (continuing this week), include workshops on the use of software for
distributed learning (WebCT), and multimedia applications in course resources.
Next year the LEDC plans to tailor more offerings to more specific needs, to serve some of the education needs
identified by follow-up to the Technology Task Force report, and to increase ownership and participation in
LEDC supported activities. Some of that faculty participation that needs to be recognized this year is the
committed work of the Advisory Committee in identifying, planning and supporting the work of the Centre,
and the tireless support of Jacqueline Bradshaw and Mike Holmwood as Education Technology Advisors.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Pawlak
Coordinator, LEDC
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Last year, the Social Committee organized a number of events that are now fixtures on Langara’s social
calendar, while also introducing some innovations. The year began with the Retirees’ ceremony and social in
May. The Halloween Party on October 30th was an occasion for fun and fund-raising, a memorable highlight
being fortune-telling by Kay Lukes (in the guise of Madame Zora), who donated all proceeds to Langara
student bursaries. I predict that I shall be inviting Kay to reprise her role this year! Late November saw the
annual pre-Christmas social, featuring the vocal and musical talents of Susan Calvert, Dave Mitton, Glenn
Isaak, Roger Holdstock, and Edgar Avelino. As usual, a rich array of hors d’oeuvres was prepared and served
by students in the Nutrition and Food Services Management program. The Display + Design Department’s
students once again decorated the Lounge for our holiday season, most brilliantly. Our Committee capped the
year by arranging music by Robert Leaf, Mel Fearman, and other members of Big Road Blues for the
Presidents’ Bar and Dinner.
On March 27th, we held a “Spring Fling” and Langara authors’ event in collaboration with the LEDC. Special
thanks are due to Robert Leaf and Ken Pawlak for making this event such a success. We also used the
occasion to promote that evening’s performance of the “Hotel Play” at Studio 58, the proceeds of which were
donated to student bursaries. Needless to say, these funds will be sorely needed by working class students
following Victoria’s lifting of the tuition fee freeze.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge Lois Joudrie, who did a great deal of work behind the scenes. I am grateful
as well to Valerie Lloyd and Mary Goldie for their invaluable assistance in the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephen Phillips
GIFTS AND FLOWERS
The Gifts and Flowers Committee had another exciting year with six new additions to the Langara family. A
set of twins was an additional bonus. Thanks to Lois who has continued to order flowers for those
faculty members who have been hospitalized.
Respectfully submitted,
Audrey Tolhurst
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HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
This committee was inactive.
NON-REGULAR FACULTY COMMITTEE
This committee remained inactive.
PENSION COMMITTEE
As the LFA Pension representative, I attended the two week-end, CIEA Pension Advisory Committee meetings
as well as the CIEA AGM Pension Workshop this past year. I have also endeavoured, by means of bulletins
throughout the year, to keep all faculty current regarding changes to pension regulations, policies and
opportunities for purchase of pensionable service.
You may anticipate that we will continue to keep you informed about all issues related to pensions.
Respectfully submitted,
Darlyne Farrell
STATUS OF WOMEN COMMITTEE
This Committee was inactive.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
There are three major issues that we have dealt with over the past year.
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Our first concern goes to the very heart of our Association’s existence, involving, as it does, the work and
employment of our members. I refer to the fact that, as I write this report, two of our instructional programs are
faced with cancellation of their September intake of new students. These programs are Realtime
Reporting/Court Reporting, and Nutrition and Food Services Management. These programs constitute integral
components of our College, each is unique within our system and each is acknowledged for its excellence.
The immediate consequences of cancelling student intakes will include the layoff of our LFA member who is a
part-time Regular Contract instructor in Realtime Reporting and the layoff of two of our members who are
part-time Regular Contract instructors in Nutrition and Food Services. Immediately, the effects will also
include significant reduction in the amount of work available to another of our members who is a part-time
Regular Contract instructor in Nutrition. Not so far down the road, if these cancellations of student intakes
occur and if they lead to Program terminations, our three members who currently hold full-time Continuing
Regular contracts in these Departments will also be faced with loss of their jobs.
At the same time as the Association is acting to ensure that our Collective Agreement is applied correctly with
respect to each of our members affected by this crisis, we remain hopeful that the resources necessary to turn
things around and save these Departments, their programs and our members’ jobs, will be found. At least with
respect to the proposal to cancel the September intake into Realtime, the College Board has deferred its
decision until June.
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II
Our major accomplishment this past year was the ratification of our new Collective Agreement. The new
Agreement includes substantially improved equity in terms of compensation (both salary and benefits) to
faculty and the new Agreement also maximizes total compensation within the framework of the external
constraints against free collective bargaining which were imposed this past year.
We acceded to modest gains at the bargaining table. Subsequent events suggest that we were wise to settle
when we did and on the terms we did. For example, a scant three months after we concluded our agreement,
the Provincial Legislature enacted Bill 28 which, among other things, specifies that “Despite any other Act or a
collective agreement, an institution has the right to...establish the size of its classes, the number of students
who may be enrolled in or assigned to a class and the total number of students who may be assigned to a
faculty member in a semester, a term or an academic year”.
Consequently, with the support of the LFA Board of Directors, I have advised Langara College Board
members and senior management that Bill 28 constitutes unreasonable interference with our lawfully
negotiated Collective Agreement, and that Bill 28 is not merely unhelpful but threatens to contaminate and
spoil the ability of Langara faculty and the Faculty Association to work to the best advantage of our students. I
have similarly advised Premier Campbell, Ministers Bon and Bruce and our local, Langara MLA, Val
Anderson.
III
The final major issue seizing our collective attention this year was our affiliation with the College Institute
Educators’ Association (CIEA). This crucial matter of our continued membership in CIEA was dealt with at
our most recent General Meeting (Feb.20th), with the following motion carried by a large majority of members
present: “THAT the Langara Faculty Association reaffirms its membership in CIEA and its commitment to
maintaining and strengthening CIEA as an effective provincial federation of college faculty associations.”
IV
Recently, we have been occupied with our annual LFA elections, which this year have included active
competition and campaigning. Certainly, Vice-President Lynn Carter and I look forward to working
effectively, along with the other 7 members of the LFA Board and our one and only and always faithful LFA
Executive Assistant, Lois Joudrie, as well as those many other LFA members upon whom we all depend to
secure and preserve our interests as Langara College faculty.
Respectfully submitted,
Lawrence Warren
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