E25: Tools for the Future, Truths for the Moment (and an update with Support Staff!)

Ep 26: CAAT Tales: OMITB S1E1 -"A Merger Most Foul" and Much More

Episode 26 — Leaning Into Summer This month, CAAT Tales is doing something new. We’re launching Only Mergers in the Building, a five‑part parody series inspired by the drama and uncertainty across our sector. Yes, it’s fictional. Yes, it’s satire. And yes… it hits close to home. In today’s episode: * 🎭 Parody Premiere: Only Mergers in the Building — Episode One: "A Merger Most Foul" * 🏛️ Christina Decarie: Reflections on her final AGM and more than a decade of leadership * 🐾 Dale Gartshore: Updates from the first solo divisional meeting for part‑time and sessional faculty * 🔥 Fireside Chat: Details on the June 10th session New parody episodes drop every Wednesday in June. Stay with us — and let’s step into this summer series together. LEGAL DISCLAIMER & NOTICE of PARODY: This program is a creative production of CAAT Tales. It is a work of dramatic satire, parody, and opinion-based commentary. All characters—including Taylor, Alex, and Miles—are fictionalized personas. The events, dialogue, and scenarios depicted have been dramatized using artistic license for educational, comedic, and illustrative purposes. While the podcast discusses public matters of institutional governance, academic planning, and labor relations, the statements made by the characters should not be taken as literal statements of absolute fact, nor do they represent the official legal positions of any individual, local union, or parent organization. This content is protected under the principles of freedom of expression, fair comment on matters of public interest, and academic/union expression. Thank you to the following for your Royalty-free sound effects mostly via Pixabay: Only Mergers In The Building - Season 1 – Episode 1: “A Merger Most Foul” Music: Sonican-magical-dramedy-orchestral-sneaky-spell-357667 u_vnt8a8vcp6 https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841/ [https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841/] Theme - Alex_besss-Your-Case-Is-Closed-433524 Openmindaudio-crime-drama-intro-dust-on-the-evidence-shelf-part-2-preview-492685 Darkened Treeline - Riverside   Sound Effects: Page flipping – freesound_community-papers-fllapping-intense-79998 Record scratch – Alexis_gaming_cam-vinyl-stop-34938 Message ding – universfield-system-notification-199277 Explosion – lordsonny_two-debris-break-3-457508 Pages – freesound_community-paper-66648 Door open – freesound_community-door-open-and-close-with-a-creak 102380 Footsteps – freesound_community-indoor-footsteps-6385 Magic 8 ball – freesound_community-water-bottle-shake-33734 Possessed speaker – ElevenLabs_2026-06-01T22_35_39_Eva-Futuristic CAAT Tales (the podcast) theme: Dario_Benedetti_Sunburst_instrumental YouTube Code for Music clearance: NPXY0YQVYZIJHMOW

Only Mergers In The Building - S1 - Trailer

Join host Miles Mercer and his companions Alex and Taylor as they explore the biggest mystery to hit SLC in years: Who decided this merger? Why now? And why is there so much contradiction? In this five-episode mini season, they explore a tangled web of missing memos, corrupted chronologies, and vanished programs leads to the discovery of a sinister corporate takeover. The team is determined to uncover the truth. Thank you to the following for your Royalty-free sound effects via Pixabay: Theme - Your Case is Closed by Alex Bess - 433524 Freesound_community-drop-stack-of-paper-whoomp-47948 Freesound_community-flourescent-light-29596 Freesound_community-footsteps-in-a-hallway-47842 son_duquotidient-vibration-telephone-391097 LEGAL DISCLAIMER & NOTICE of PARODY: This program is a creative production of CAAT Tales. It is a work of dramatic satire, parody, and opinion-based commentary. All characters—including Taylor, Alex, and Miles—are fictionalized personas. The events, dialogue, and scenarios depicted have been dramatized using artistic license for educational, comedic, and illustrative purposes. While the podcast discusses public matters of institutional governance, academic planning, and labor relations, the statements made by the characters should not be taken as literal statements of absolute fact, nor do they represent the official legal positions of any individual, local union, or parent organization. This content is protected under the principles of freedom of expression, fair comment on matters of public interest, and academic/union expression.

E25: Tools for the Future, Truths for the Moment (and an update with Support Staff!)

This episode brings together three conversations that capture exactly where we are as a sector: in transition, under pressure, and building new tools to support each other through another year of profound change. We begin with Local 417 President Christina Decarie and Vice President Tabatha Rutledge as Christina prepares to deliver her final President’s Report after 22 years at the college and nearly a decade in union leadership. They speak candidly about exhaustion, succession, layoffs, the looming merger, and why member involvement is now a matter of survival. Next, we look to the future of union work with steward John Holmes, creator of the Virtual Steward—a privacy‑protected AI system already transforming how we track cases, protect timelines, and support members. Finally, we check in with Local 418 PresidentAmanda Shaw for an update on support staff, the merger, and the ongoing ripple effects from last year’s layoffs. This is an episode about legacy, innovation, and the work ahead. 00:00 — Opening & Episode Overview Where we are as a sector: transition, strain, and new tools emerging. 00:27 — Christina’s Final AGM Report Christina reflects on 22 years at the college, a decade of leadership, and the emotional weight of stepping down. 02:20 — Pride, Exhaustion & What Members Need to Hear Engagement, COVID support, and the urgent call for members to step up. 05:12 — Continuity & Gillian’s Return Why the return of the lead steward restores stability and institutional memory. 06:16 — Layoffs, Transfers & Facing Reality What’s coming: ongoing layoffs, the merger, and the limits of union control. 08:44 — Tabatha on Succession & the Busiest Year Ever Record workloads, mentoring new stewards, and the rise of organic leaders. 12:16 — Becoming a Composite Local New bylaw structures, new VP roles, and representing part‑time/sessionals. 15:11 — Elections & Why Your Voice Matters Every role is open. Every member can run. Every contribution counts. 17:18 — Why We Do This Work Tabatha on advocacy, voice, and the people who shaped her. 19:07 — Introducing the Virtual Steward A new tool built by steward John Holmes to support stewards and protect members. 20:56 — Privacy, Guardrails & Avoiding Hallucinations How the system was designed to be safe, siloed, and accurate. 23:59 — What the Virtual Steward Actually Does From triage to timelines to case management—how it works in practice. 26:16 — Preventing Missed Deadlines Why the system was built and how it protects members from lost grievances. 28:51 — From Casework to Grievances How the tool organizes evidence, drafts summaries, and supports stewards. — Closing: Support Staff Update with Amanda Shaw Checking in on the merger, layoffs, and the work happening behind the scenes.

E24 - CAAT Tales: Fear, Fog, and the Fight to Hold the Line

Ontario’s college system hit a breaking point this past week. Conestoga College was placed under a single government‑appointed supervisor, the Fleming–St. Lawrence merger remains a fog of shifting language and zero answers, arbitration backlogs have doubled across the province, and (a bright spot) part‑time/sessionals have finally reached the bargaining table for the first time in history. In this episode, Julie White connects the dots across a sector under strain — and the workers trying to navigate it. 00:00 — OPENING: A SYSTEM UNDER PRESSURE Julie sets the stage: government intervention, mergers without transparency, layoffs, grievances, and a workload system buckling under the weight. 00:27 — CONESTOGA TAKEOVER The Ford government replaces Conestoga’s entire Board of Governors with a single supervisor. Union leaders call it a dangerous precedent in a system starved of funding and stripped of oversight. 05:24 — SECTOR VOICES: FEAR, FOG, AND FRUSTRATION Across Ontario, faculty describe the same themes: confusion, fear, and a lack of answers. 05:51 — INTERVIEW: MIKE BENEDICT (FLEMING COLLEGE) Mike breaks down the merger confusion, an 11‑minute no‑questions town hall, four years of layoffs, and the emotional lift of the April 30 Save Education Rally. 11:48 — INTERVIEW: GILLIAN AXTEN ON THE ARBITRATION CRISIS Arbitrations have jumped from 300 to over 700. Layoffs, leftover strike grievances, and too few arbitrators have created a province‑wide bottleneck. Gillian explains why one bad decision can reshape jurisprudence for all 24 colleges — and why understanding your SWF and using WMG matters more than ever. 25:45 — INTERVIEW: GREG DICKSON ON HISTORIC PART‑TIME/SESSIONAL BARGAINING For the first time, part‑time and sessional faculty are at the bargaining table. Greg walks us through a powerful opening day focused on precarity, disclosure, and unprecedented solidarity from all four CAAT divisions.

E23 - CAAT Tales: Cuts, Courage and the In-Between: What this Moment Means for All of Us

In this heavy-hitting episode, host Julie White takes us to the front lines of a system in crisis. From a spirited rally outside the offices of MPP Nolan Quinn to the devastating news of mass layoffs and "involuntary transfers" at St. Lawrence College, this episode explores the human cost of chronic underfunding and systemic restructuring. We hear from union leaders, frontline healthcare workers, and students who are all witnessing the erosion of public education in real-time. We talk with Local 417 President Christina Decarie about the historic mass layoff of faculty across SLC. Finally, we transition from the structural to the personal with author Deanna Davies, whose new book, The In-Between, offers a somatic lens on navigating profound uncertainty and loss. ---------------------------------------- KEY SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS * [00:26] The Rally at Cornwall: Julie White introduces the episode from a protest in support of education, highlighting the "consequences in real time" of recent provincial decisions. * [01:20] Solidarity in the Face of Demoralization: OPSEU/SEFPO President J.P. Hornick discusses the fight against an employer trying to "deliberately demoralize" staff and the filing of an unfair labor practice. * [03:37] The Healthcare Connection: Frontline healthcare workers and college alumni explain why the "starving" of the college system directly threatens the longevity of public healthcare and the local workforce. * [13:12] A Student’s Perspective: Jack Peets, a nursing student, describes a campus without a library or bookstore and the crushing burden of the 70% loan to 30% grant OSAP flip. * [19:44] The Loss of Varsity Culture: Coach Ryan VanDyl speaks on the cancellation of tournament sports—like cross-country and golf—and the impact on student mental health and recruitment. * [24:07] The "Saddest Day" at SLC: Christina Decarie, President of Local 417, breaks down the elimination of faculty positions and the "shifting sands" of the St. Lawrence/Fleming merger. * [35:21] Member Spotlight: Deanna Davies: A moving conversation about Davies' new book, The In-Between, exploring embodied leadership and the cost of silence during times of organizational threat. "Cuts aren't numbers on a spreadsheet. They're people. They're services. They're the future of public education." — Julie White "Silence is not neutral, empty or passive. Silence does something. When information disappears... uncertainty becomes embodied." — Deanna Davies ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES MENTIONED * The In-Between by Deanna Davies: Available on Amazon and Lulu. * Elevate3.ca [http://Elevate3.ca]: For more information on Deanna’s work in somatic healing and leadership. * OPSEU/SEFPO Local 417 & 418: Updates on the St. Lawrence College faculty and support staff advocacy. ---------------------------------------- CALLS TO ACTION 1. Stay Informed: Follow the ongoing updates regarding the St. Lawrence College and Fleming College merger and its impact on regional programming. 2. Contact Your Representative: Hold local MPPs accountable for the funding of public post-secondary education. 3. Tell Doug Ford workers and students are united for fair education. Sign the open letter [https://opseu.org/campaigns/standwithstudents/] 4. Support Local Authors: Check out The In-Between for insights on staying grounded when the external world lacks stability.