Negotiation Update - July 15, 2014

The University and USW Local 4120, representing our administrative, clerical and technical staff on the main campus, have been in contract negotiations since June 16, 2014.  The current agreement expired April 30 2014.  The parties have met on three occasions, with an additional four dates scheduled in July and August. The tone of discussions has been encouraging and positive progress has been made on resolving a number of language issues.

On July 8, 2014 the University was advised by the Union that it had filed for conciliation. The University received confirmation of this application from the Ministry of Labour on July 11th.  Conciliation is where one or both parties (in this case USW) apply to the Ministry of Labour seeking the appointment of a conciliation officer to assist the parties in achieving a renewal agreement.  While the University was surprised by the Union’s decision to file for conciliation given the current stage of discussions, particularly given that monetary proposals have not yet been exchanged, the University remains optimistic about the ongoing discussions and is committed to working with the Union to reach a fair and realistic Collective Agreement which balances the contribution of members with the real financial challenges facing the University.

Over the coming days and weeks we will endeavor to keep you informed of our progress. 

Please see the Negotiation Updates page for past updates.