CAAT Tales (the podcast)

A merger, a messaging pivot, and a historic bargaining fight. Host Julie White speaks with Local 417 President Gillian Axten and Provincial Part-Time/Sessional Bargaining Team Vice Chair Greg Dickson to unpack some of what’s happening across Ontario’s colleges. Segment 1 — What was really said (or not said) on Ontario Morning Gillian analyzes the Oct. 5 Ontario Morning segment where St Lawrence Co...

In this episode of CAAT Tales , Julie breaks down the September 29 "Integration Engagement" email and what it really means for faculty and support staff at St. Lawrence College. Local 417 President Gillian Axten and Local 418 Support President Amanda Shaw unpack the survey, the lack of transparency, and the growing precarity facing workers during the SLC–Fleming integration. This episode also tack...

In this episode, we site down with Ben McCarthy (Part-Time Academic Lead Steward, OPSEU Local 556) to unpack the growing movement toward coordinated bargaining across Ontario's 24 public colleges -- why the silos are cracking, what's shifting at the bargaining table, and how the rank-and-file members can strengthen this sector-wide strategy. Later in the episode, Julie is joined by Local 417 Presi...

“We’ve been stuck in a stalemate… fighting to get a seat at the table.” “There is obviously an ongoing theme that we don’t know some things yet.” This special edition of CAAT Tales brings together all four OPSEU Local Presidents from St. Lawrence College and Fleming College to respond directly to the questions raised during the historic Sept. 10 joint town hall — a gathering that drew hundreds of...

Three conversations shaping the year ahead: what the 2027 Bargaining Survey means for faculty, the story of a new steward stepping up during uncertainty, and how to keep colleges on the radar during municipal elections. Segment 1 (00:26) — The 2026 Bargaining Survey Local 417 President Gillian Axten explains why this year’s survey matters more than ever as St. Lawrence and Fleming become Ontario’s...

A first‑of‑its‑kind conversation in Ontario’s college sector. This special CAAT Tales episode is a recording of a historic joint town hall Sept 10, 2026 featuring all four OPSEU Local Presidents from St. Lawrence College and Fleming College . Together, they confront the uncertainty, urgency, and emotion surrounding the unprecedented merger of the two institutions — a merger they learned about “fiv...

In this episode of CAAT Tales , Gillian Axten and Fleming Faculty Union President Michael Benedict take us inside the Semester Startup Barbecue Tour — three campuses, three days, and a first look at how SLC and Fleming’s cultures meet. From standardized burgers to surprising management engagement, Gillian and Mike share candid reflections on what collaboration might look like as the merger unfolds...

Season Two opens with a clear-eyed look at the SLC–Fleming merger and what it means for faculty, support staff, students, and communities across Eastern Ontario. Local 417 President Gillian Axten and Local 418 President Amanda Shaw talk about workload risks, campus stability, student experience, and the urgent need for transparency. Then, bargaining team vice-chair Greg Dickson joins to unpack the...

Behind the polished press releases and town hall slide decks lies a reality St. Lawrence College hasn’t said out loud. In this episode, host Julie White sits down with OPSEU Local 417 President Gillian Axten and OPSEU Local 418 President Amanda Shaw to unpack the emotional and operational chaos surrounding the SLC–Fleming merger. While business plans frame the merger as “integration,” the audited...

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...