FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PLEASE NOTE: The following information is provided without prejudice as useful guidance for members only. It cannot be used by management as an indication of union position, interpretation, or practice.
How do I sign up for the registry?
You will receive communication from the college via email/broadcast messages that the registry is open and a link will be provided. The Union will also send out communication during that time.
Registration is online and you will receive a confirmation email that your registration was successful. It is a good practice to send that confirmation email to your personal email for reference.
Is everyone eligible to sign up for the registry?
To be eligible for priority hiring through the registry you must have 8 months of partial load teaching service within the past 4 years at Centennial.
You do not need to currently be on a partial load contract (or indeed actively working at Centennial) to enroll.
If I work at multiple colleges, do I have to sign up everywhere?
Yes. Although the collective agreement covers all Ontario colleges, the registries are specific to each college.
Is the Partial Load Registry and the Partial Load Seniority list the same thing?
They are actually two different documents:
The Partial Load Seniority list is issued each January for everyone with partial load service. It is created automatically from past contract data.
The Partial Load Registry is an optional, enrolled list that requires you to sign up each April.
My manager said they are not offering partial load contracts next semester. What happens then?
The college cannot take actions that attack the bargaining unit, which include an obligation for partial load contracts.
However, article 6 of the collective agreement does provide the college rights as to which courses are assigned under partial load contracts.
If you are experiencing this, please reach out to your Local 558 Area Steward.
What if my manager only offers me 8 hours? I really need 12.
Through a recent improvement gained by our bargaining team, there is an obligation to maximize your contract hours before moving on to the next person. When you sign up for the registry, you will be asked to indicate the maximum hours you are willing to teach (up to 12 per week)
I had a 12-hour contract but one of my course sections was cancelled. Can my manager replace that course?
Yes, your manager can replace a course if operational needs change. However, the registry does not require them to do so if an assigned section is closed due to low enrolment, etc.
Can I still choose to accept a sessional or part-time contract?
Acceptance of a contract is entirely an individual decision and there are no issues if you choose not to exercise your PL registry rights.
Do I have priority only on the courses I have taught on a partial load contract?
No. The registry records all of your teaching at Centennial, regardless of the type of contract you were on at the time of instruction.
However, the overall seniority is calculated based only on your partial load contracts.
Does it matter how often or how recently I have taught a particular course?
The registry only looks at if you have taught that course in the past, not the timing or frequency.
I’ve worked 3 partial load contracts. Why don’t I have 12 months of seniority?
The collective agreement has thresholds defined that determine if a given calendar month is “counted” towards service seniority.
For partial load contracts, you must have taught at least 28 hours in a given calendar month for that month to “count”.
Considering that many semesters end mid-month, as well as break weeks, etc. it is not uncommon that a full semester contract does not earn four months of service.
I missed the April window to add my name to the registry. Can I be added later?
Unfortunately, no. At this time the collective agreement does not have any obligation or mechanism for the college to update or add to the registry between cycles.