The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents staff at Ontario's 24 colleges of applied arts and technology, was welcomed into CAUT membership in November.

"We are delighted OPSEU has joined us," said CAUT president Loretta Czernis. "OPSEU is one of the largest and strongest unions in the post-secondary education sector in Canada. Its college academic division will bring real strength and experience to our organization."

OPSEU represents 8,336 community college teachers, of whom 483 teach in degree-granting programs. Ontario's community college system is the largest in Canada with institutions ranging from those with several thousand students to Seneca College in Toronto with 17,000 full-time and 90,000 part-time students.

OPSEU's delegate to their inaugural CAUT Council meeting was Ted Montgomery, president of the faculty union at Seneca College. Alternate delegate was Paddy Musson, chair of the college academic division and president of the faculty union at Fanshawe College in London.

"With both OPSEU and the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C. (formerly CIEA) as federated members, we represent the two largest groups of college teachers in Canada," CAUT executive director James Turk, said of the affiliation. "This strengthens our voice in dealing with the federal government on post-secondary issues and brings new energy to our organization."

OPSEU's membership application was endorsed unanimously by CAUT Council delegates on Nov. 26.