CAAT Tales (the podcast)

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 m...

In the mid‑season finale, the trio chases the merger straight into the digital void, where phantom meeting chimes, lagging administrators, and a mysterious whispering figure suggest the merger may be run by something far stranger than leadership. As OPSEU files major grievances, hidden board slides resurface, and a transition binder grows thicker by the day, the investigators uncover the biggest t...

Given the news release claims both boards have approved an “integration framework,” the trio sets out to find the document—only to discover that no one, including the deans allegedly aligning to it, has ever seen it. Their search leads through conspiracy bushes, Minecraft‑hosted PDFs, and a director building strategic‑plan domino towers in a windowless office. As missing reports, ignored legislati...

When due diligence vanishes and programs quietly disappear, the trio turns to the only force still producing answers: a mysterious Spreadsheet Oracle who claims Excel itself has foretold the merger’s fate. As chicken‑noodle prophecies collide with shifting timelines, ghosted programs, and a witness convinced seagulls are running surveillance for the College Employer Council, the investigators foll...

When the trio investigates the deserted administrative floor where the merger was supposedly born, they uncover a Bermuda Triangle of missing managers, a dean who speaks exclusively in corporate fog, and a binder so large it may be sentient. As faculty whisper through empty hallways and timelines contradict themselves, one truth emerges with suspicious clarity: the presidency of the new college wa...

Series Premiere — “A Merger Most Foul” When a sudden, secretive college merger throws two colleges into chaos, three faculty sleuths launch a satirical, true-crime-style podcast to find out who is pulling the strings. First up: the trio chases a rapidly shifting paper trail, interviews a witness who learned of the merger on TikTok, and uses a vintage union Ouija board to summon the phantom spirit...

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 D...

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 unc...

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 nea...

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...

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,...

This episode dives into the uncertainty facing faculty and support staff at St. Lawrence and Fleming Colleges as layoffs, program suspensions, and an unprecedented merger reshape the sector. Julie speaks with Christina Decarie and Tabatha Rutledge about what came out of recent fireside chats, what involuntary transfers may look like, and why so many answers simply don’t exist yet. We also cover th...

In this episode, we take you inside a pivotal moment for Ontario’s public college system. Julie speaks with local organizer Tabatha Rutledge about the April 29th provincial Day of Action — a rolling rally from Kingston to Brockville to Cornwall calling attention to the chronic underfunding of Ontario’s colleges and the growing threat to accessible, community‑based education. Tabatha shares why thi...

We had to go old-school to get today's podcast posted due to some technical errors (so we're a little late and it's a bit bumpy, but we're here!). Episode 20 is a deep‑dive into one of the most turbulent weeks in Ontario’s college sector. The surprise merger announcement between St. Lawrence College and Fleming College sets the stage for a full episode examining organizing, transparency, precarity...

The episode discusses the unexpected integration announcement by St. Lawrence College and Fleming College, its impact on the campus workforce, and the support and solidarity among members and colleges in response to the announcement. Takeaways Unexpected integration announcement Impact on campus workforce Support and solidarity

The conversation delves into the financial transparency and deficit within the college, the challenges and struggles faced by faculty members, and the representation of part-time and sessional faculty. It provides insights into the financial details, the impact of layoffs, and the need for transparency. Additionally, it explores the struggles of faculty life, including the lack of accessibility to...

In this special edition of CAAT Tales , we shine a light on OPSEU/SEFPO Region 4 activism, the people stepping up, and the pressures reshaping our sector. From constitutional debates to hardship supports, from a newcomer’s first steps into union life to Algonquin College’s escalating crisis, this episode captures the grit, humour, and heart that fuel our movement. These are the stories behind the...

In this International Women’s Month edition of CAAT Tales , we celebrate the women who shape our lives, our classrooms, and our communities. Guest host Ekta Singh returns with a deeply warm and reflective installment of Belonging at the Table , joined by professors Xu Han and Allison Taylor . Together, they explore the women who raised them, the food and traditions that anchor their identities, an...

In this episode of CAAT Tales , host Julie White sits down with longtime SLC Trades Professor Barry Botham for a deeply human conversation about grief, caregiving, and the unexpected path that led him to become an end‑of‑life doula. Barry shares how supporting students through profound loss reshaped his work, what it means to hold space for people at the end of life, and why he’s now designing a 2...

This week on CAAT Tales , we explore belonging, applied research, and the financial realities shaping student life at SLC. Ekta Singh speaks with Dr. Maha Othman about identity, faith, and the rhythms of Ramadan in Belonging at the Table . We spotlight nursing faculty Julie Dyke and Andrea Rochon, whose new NSERC/COCO‑CIF grant is driving a province‑wide applied research project in long‑term care....

Creativity, Coding, and Collective Power: Chris Trimmer, Dale Gartshore & James Dupuis This episode marks a turning point for CAAT Tales as we expand our spotlight to include the growing movement of part‑time and sessional faculty across Ontario’s colleges. With certification finally secured after eight long years, a new division is taking shape—and the work of organizing, connecting, and buil...

In this episode of CAAT Tales , host Julie White brings listeners a warm, funny, and deeply human conversation with longtime faculty member and union steward Curtis Runions —a communications professor whose mix of heart, humour, and quiet discipline has shaped classrooms and colleagues alike. From his daily guitar‑practice streak (“ once I start a streak, I don’t like to break the streak ” ) to hi...

🎙️ Show Notes Fine Print Forum + Getting to Know Your LEC: John Holmes Welcome back to CAAT Tales , hosted by Julie White . In this episode, we launch our very first Fine Print Forum , bringing Local 417 voices together to unpack the headlines shaping our campuses and our sector. Then we shift gears and get to know LEC member John Holmes —including one of the most unintentionally hilarious rapid‑f...

In this episode of CAAT Tales, we introduce a brand‑new feature: Belonging at the Kitchen Table . Host Julie White kicks things off with a rapid‑fire chat with Lisa Macdonald, one of Local 417’s first part‑time/sessional stewards. Then, Ekta Singh sits down with Dr. Sephora Kerekou to explore culture, identity, teaching, and the meaning of Black History Month through the lens of resilience and bel...

This week on CAAT Tales , we bring you an episode that balances deep personal reflections with essential union insights. We sit down with Christine Tong , a statistics and psychology professor who shares her "zigzag" journey from being a 15-year-old immigrant to becoming an expert in data analytics. Christine discusses how her background in evidence-based research is helping Local 417 build more e...