CAAT Tales (the podcast)

“CAAT Tales: Heard Loud and Local” From grievances to game shows, bargaining to member spotlights—this is your SLC Faculty Local 417 in stereo. Tune in for empowering stories, urgent updates, and the voices of the people who’ve got your back.

CAAT Tales (the podcast) is a education podcast hosted by SLC Faculty Local 417, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

SLC Faculty Local 417 hosts CAAT Tales (the podcast), a education show with 34 episodes published.

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  Episode #28

  Ep 28: CAAT Tales: Mapping our Future Or Masking It? What the Business Plan Doesn't Say

  Jul 17, 202640 minS1

  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 financial statements reveal something far more serious: SLC is scheduled for legal dissolution on April 1, 2027. Workers describe instability, layoffs, missing transition plans, digital overhauls that don’t align with a merged future, and a growing collapse of trust. With municipal elections underway and provincial legislation pending, this episode explores what’s at stake for students, staff, and the rural communities that rely on their campuses. Episode Highlights The emotional fallout of a merger announced with no consultation Why the business plan avoids the word dissolution What the audited financial statements actually say Layoffs, involuntary transfers, and fear across all campuses Digital transformation as a quiet merger strategy The collapse of trust between workers and leadership Collective agreement protections that should already be activated Why municipal elections may be the last line of defense for rural campuses Key Quotes “Our members have been thrust into continuous instability and stress.” “It never mentions the word dissolution… but the financial statements lay bare the truth.” “There is no plan. And that’s the terrifying part.” “When there’s a lack of information, I mistrust all the information being said.” “It felt like a gut punch to read that St. Lawrence College will cease to exist.” Chapter Markers 00:00 — The merger behind the messaging 01:00 — Workers blindsided 03:00 — Layoffs & instability 04:30 — The missing word: dissolution 06:00 — Legal reality vs. public narrative 11:20 — The gut punch 14:00 — Digital overhaul contradictions 18:00 — Efficiency audit signals 20:00 — Closed‑door decisions 23:00 — Workforce “stability” vs. deficits 26:00 — Collective agreement protections 29:00 — Trust collapse 30:00 — Municipal elections & community power YouTube Code for Music clearance: NPXY0YQVYZIJHMOW

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  Episode #27

  Ep 27: CAAT Tales: Leadership in the Restructuring Era: Gillian Axten Steps In

  Jul 1, 20261h 26mS1

  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 models, Gillian breaks down the risks, the unknowns, and the urgent need for transparency and organizing. A deep, timely conversation at a critical moment for colleges across Ontario. YouTube Code for Music clearance: NPXY0YQVYZIJHMOW

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  Episode #5

  Only Mergers in the Building (mid-season finale) - S1 E5 "The Zoom Ghost"

  Jun 18, 202615 min

  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 twist yet: the decisions shaping two colleges weren’t made in their building at all. With an anonymous text pointing them to Toronto, the team closes the first half of the season with one chilling truth—everything they’ve been searching for was never here. A CAAT Tales (the podcast) Production - because if we couldn't find something the laugh about ... well ... With gratitude to the makers of the following: Music: Darkened Treeline - Riverside Theme - Alex_besss-Your-Case-Is-Closed-433524 Hall Pass – Riverside Delicates - Riverside Sound Effects: Zoom – racehlribeiro71-zoom-connecting-to-meeting-504404 Footsteps – freesound_community-indoor-footsteps-6385 Glitch – kave_msri-glitch-sfx-312910 Slide projector – freesound_community-slide-projector-1-49160 Can opening - freesound_community-soda-opening-81497 Pages – freesound_community-paper-66648 Message ding – universfield-system-notification-199277 Vibration – freesound_community-vibration-smartphone-denoise-104649 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.

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  CAAT Tales (the podcast)

  Only Mergers in the Building - S1 E4 "The Framework that Doesn't Exist"

  Jun 15, 202614 min

  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 legislation, and pre‑due‑diligence layoffs pile up, the investigators uncover a troubling pattern: the only thing more elusive than the framework is the consultation that was supposed to come with it. A CAAT Tales (the podcast) Production - because if we couldn't find something the laugh about ... well ... Local 417 would also like to recognize the following: Music: Theme - Alex_besss-Your-Case-Is-Closed-433524 Hall Pass – Riverside Haunt Couture – Riverside The Happy Pup Strut - Riverside Darkened Treeline - Riverside Evidence Room – Riverside Sound Effects: TV Static and Glitch and Power On Real Audio Sound Effects by DudeAwesome -- https://freesound.org/s/790279/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Button – soundreality-button-202966 Door open – freesound_community-door-open-and-close-with-a-creak 102380 Dominoes being placed – freesound_community-domino-stone-on-the-table-87997 Drop papers - freesound_community-drop-stack-of-paper-whoomp-47048 Dominoes falling - freesound_community-dominoes-falling-47488 Page flipping – freesound_community-papers-flapping-intense-79998 Marker sound – lesiakower-highlighter-on-paper-highlighting-385295 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.

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  CAAT Tales (the podcast)

  Only Mergers in the Building - S1 E3 "The Spreadsheet Oracle"

  Jun 12, 202620 min

  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 follow a trail of missing minutes, cold rooms, and silent campuses to uncover the one question no one seems able to answer—who, exactly, is doing the diligence? A CAAT Tales (the podcast) Production - because if we couldn't find something the laugh about ... well ... Special thanks to the following: Music: Sonican-magical-dramedy-orchestral-sneaky-spell-357667 u_vnt8a8vcp6 https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841/ Sonican-sneaky-spell-magical-orchestral-loop-372884 Theme - Alex_besss-Your-Case-Is-Closed-433524 Hall Pass – Riverside Ocean Blue - Riverside Haunt Couture - Riverside Sonican-magical-dramedy-orchestral-sneaky-spell-357667 u_vnt8a8vcp6 https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841/ Sonican-sneaky-spell-magical-orchestral-loop-372884 Sound Effects: Key press – dragon-studio-single-key-press-393908 Typing – freesound_community-keyboard-typing 36490 Error - freesound_community-error-96492 Whoosh – soundreality-whoosh-large-sub-384631 Marker sound – lesiakower-highlighter-on-paper-highlighting-385295 Knock – freesound_community-knock-knock-knock-40474 Louder knock - freesound_community-knocking-on-window-99754 Zoom – racehlribeiro71-zoom-connecting-to-meeting-504404 Rustling bushes – freesound_community-057988_rustling-bushes-88885 Clock – reddog0607-clock-ticking-365218 Chair – freesound_community-chair-squeak-100546 Coffee cup - freesound_community-putting-a-cup-on-a-table-and-stirring-in-it-999831 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.

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