Your bargaining team has shared all of their non-monetary proposals including draft contract language. The union’s proposals are rooted in feedback from consultations with faculty and students; existing best practices in our system and in other post-secondary education (PSE) institutions; model language from and discussions with Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and other PSE leaders; and through review of both the language proposed by the locals this round, along with language that has been tabled previously. It is all backed by research and bolstered by the findings in the updated Report on Education.
Bargaining Updates October 29
Home News and Views Posts Bargaining Updates October 29
Update from the Bargaining Team on next steps following the end of mediation talks
Oct. 29, 2021 – We have heard from a number of you asking questions about what’s next, now that mediation has failed.
Your bargaining team met today with the Local Presidents and Bargaining Advisory Committee. We discussed the mediator’s report, the faculty team’s offer of settlement, and sought direction on next steps. The Local leadership was unanimous that they would like the team to continue to bargain.
We have invited the CEC team to meet on Monday, to give both sides a chance to discuss the current state of negotiations after speaking with their principals. We have also suggested that neither side escalate until after we are able to meet again.
We are also in the process of scheduling a province-wide virtual bargaining update for all members in early November, and will share that information with you as soon as it is confirmed.
We look forward to meeting with you in the coming days, and to providing you with further information now that the communications blackout has been lifted.
In solidarity,
JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, and Shawn
Bargaining Team reports that mediation has failed
From the CAAT-A Bargaining Team
Dear Faculty:
It is with great disappointment and frustration that we report to you that mediation has failed. Attached is the final report of the mediator, along with the offer of settlement we tabled during mediation.
We absolutely disagree with the finding of the mediator’s report, most of which paints the faculty bargaining team as recalcitrant and unreasonable, as well as unwilling to negotiate realistic changes to our Collective Agreement. As you will see in the offer of settlement, your faculty team focused our demands on workload, partial-load working conditions, equity, Indigenization, and intellectual property rights; in other words, the top demands of faculty. We stripped our initial proposals down to their bare bones in order to try and start a dialogue with the CEC team. We responded to their questions, provided research, incorporated their language and structures into our revised proposals. We were repeatedly told by the CEC team that their offer of settlement was the only path to a negotiated agreement.
While Mediator Keller was suggested by our bargaining agent, OPSEU, and we did consent, as a team we have great concern with the way in which the process of mediation unfolded. In particular, we believe Mediator Keller’s conclusions about the proposals were arrived at on the basis of very little direct communication with the faculty bargaining team, and even less understanding of the process by which the faculty team arrived at its proposals, nor the urgent needs of our members that they attempt to address.
Realistically, Mediator Keller’s position reflects that of the CEC and is a classic approach to collective bargaining: that the only changes possible in any round of negotiations are minor and few in number. Our team’s approach to bargaining is that attempting to negotiate greater changes is possible and necessary. It is our opinion that it is realistic and appropriate to bargain for all work to be paid work; for partial-load faculty to have that work recognized and appropriately compensated; that evaluation and preparation factors that have not changed in 30+ years need to be adjusted; that mode of delivery affects faculty workload; and that Counsellors, Librarians, Indigenous faculty and faculty from equity-seeking groups deserve fair working conditions now.
We also know that faculty having intellectual property rights has NOT prevented innovation or research in the university sector, and would not do so here.
We also know that the CEC’s offer of settlement is not enough for faculty, nor will it prevent the ongoing and accelerating erosion of full-time faculty work in the colleges.
We invite you to read our offer of settlement, along with the mediator’s report, and will set up time to consult with the Local Presidents and Bargaining Advisory Committee as soon as possible. We also promise to continue to bargain and fight for the improvements you need and deserve.
In solidarity,
JP, Jonathan, Katie, Michelle, Ravi, Rebecca, and Shawn
Proposals and Bulletins
Prior Union Proposals
- Workload Proposals with margin notes U2
- Partial-Load Professor and Instructor Proposals with margin notes U3
- Working Class Definition Proposals U4 with margin notes
- Academic Freedom, Intellectual Property, Shared Governance Proposals with explanations U5
- Staffing Language with margin notes U6 FINAL
- Joint committee work Language with margin notes U7
- Outside Work proposal with margin notes U8
- Coordinator proposal with margin notes U9
Union Proposal October 19, 2021
For further updates, see collegefaculty.org
Management Proposals
- 2021-07-08-Employer Non-Monetary Proposals
- 2021-09-10 M04_Proposal Harassment and Discrimination Amendment
- 2021-09-10 M05 re Union Release Time
- 2021-09-09 M06 assignment of Coordinator duties
- 2021-09-14 M07-Equity Diversity and Inclusion
- 2021-09-13 M08 Truth and Reconciliation
- 2021-09-15 M09 – Housekeeping Amendments
- Faculty Bargaining Team Comments on M10a
- Faculty Bargaining Team Comments on M10b
- 2021-09-15 M11 – Monetary Proposal
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