OPSEU Local 655 represents full-time and and partial-load professors, librarians, and counsellors at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario. We currently have over 200 members.

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Fair Workplace

Local 655 works democratically with the aim to improve working conditions for members. Better working conditions mean better learning conditions for our students.

Collective Agreement (CA)

All college workplaces in Ontario are governed by a collective agreement (CA), which describes the conditions under which faculty, librarians, and counsellors do their work. The CA is an important document for all members, and the union uses it extensively to support members.

Find our Collective Agreement

Democratic Organization

Local 655 strives to be a grass-roots, democratic organization. We elect stewards to represent the welfare and working conditions of our members across the college. From those stewards, we elect a local executive composed of a president, chief steward, finance officer, secretary, social liaison, and communication’s officer. Together, the stewards and officers work as a unit, defending the CA to support to protect and improve our members’ working conditions.

Steward Office
Neil Shyminsky (President) 1230
Sara Frampton (Vice President) 1234
Chris Vuorensyrja (Chief Steward) 3133E
Kari Rivest (Chief Steward) 3212
Kyla Roy (Secretary) 2274
Meghan Corcoran (Treasurer) 3133H
Jessica O’Reilly (Communications Officer) 4049A
Jason Hilborn 2726E
Colin Pardoe
Jeff McLaren
Robert Montgomery

For Members

Full-time and partial-load faculty, librarians, and counsellors are automatically represented by the union. Union representation means you have certain protections and benefits beyond most workplaces – these include:

  • Our collective agreement (CA)
  • A Standard Workload Formula (SWF) that places limits over working hours (avoids exploitation)
  • Ability to grieve working conditions and get remedy
  • Progression on a salary grid and seniority
  • Pension & health care benefits
  • Medical absences and sick days
  • Accommodations
  • Ability to voice safety concerns
  • Greater job security & vacation time

To know more about your rights, responsibilities, and benefits, or to check up on your seniority, have a look at the resources on this page. If you have questions – which is likely, given the sometimes-complex contract language and sheer depth of information – please get in touch with a steward. Their work is your work.

OPSEU Member Perks

Get member discounts on a variety of products and services including phone plans, museum visits, travel, and more.

OPSEU PERKS

The Collective Agreement

The union relies on the language in the collective agreement (CA) to ensure fair and equitable treatment for faculty with respect to working conditions. Getting to know your contract is a worthwhile undertaking. If you’re interested in learning more, as a starting point we recommend familiarizing yourself with Article 11: Workload, which is the foundation for how your workload is determined.

As always, if you have any questions about the CA, your nearest steward is happy to help.

Find our Collective Agreement

Contact Us

We are at your service. If you have questions or concerns about your SWF, workload, working conditions, classroom assignments, or rights as a faculty member, librarian, or counsellor, please get in touch.

We want (and need!) to hear about how you’re doing.

Send us an email using your personal email account:

President, Neil Shyminsky
(General questions)

Come talk to us

Stewards are familiar with our collective agreement and can help you sort through questions or concerns about your workload or working conditions as they apply to the CA. Visit your nearest steward!