|
Your Unit 1 Bargaining Team has met with the employer four times since the Holiday break.
We tabled the monetary (Salary, EAF, Funds) proposals on December 12 and have had 6 meetings since then. The Employer has yet to respond to any monetary proposals. While we have made some progress on proposals surrounding your working conditions, we’re concerned at the lack of response to all financial proposals given that we are approaching the middle of Winter term.
January 12
There was back and forth on several articles including Accommodations, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment, and Sick Leave.
We’ve made some good progress on Accommodations. The employer agreed to our updated and expanded language on Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment. The employer has thus far balked at expanding the length of paid sick leave. Given the current situation with COVID and other spreadable illnesses, we see this as a callous disregard for the wellbeing of you and your colleagues.
January 13
We signed off on Definitions, where we gained additional language that states that Course Supervisors must fulfill their roles and responsibilities outlined in the Collective Agreement. We returned a counter proposal on Hours of Work, where we are trying to strengthen language around end of term marking and prevent end-loading duties and hours.
January 17
We signed off on Health and Safety, where we gained the option to take relevant issues to the Joint Committed for the Administration of the Agreement (JCAA). We had a fulsome discussion of TA Appointments and how to make the process more efficient.
January 20
We continued the discussion of TA Appointments.
The employer returned several counter proposals including:
Resources for Employees – Close to signing this one with the addition of private space (if requested) for nursing and pumping, and/or for medical purposes (e.g., taking insulin, changing dressings). Hours of Work, where they continue to reject the necessity of stronger End of Term language that would protect you and your colleagues from overwork at the end of the semester and from having to complete work over the holidays or clawing back wages.
We will continue to hold firm and fight for you and your colleagues, but we need your support.
We will hold a Strike Vote in the coming weeks–and in order to show the employer your collective strength as workers and to continue to make gains for you and your colleagues, we all need to VOTE YES!
Yours in solidarity,
The Unit 1 Bargaining Team
Sloane Mulligan, Unit 1 Lead Negotiator
Noreen Cauley-Le Fevre, President
Sarah Fiander, VP Internal
Zoë Abernethy, VP Unit 1
Davide Ventrone, VP External
Ewen Cameron, TA and Member Mobilizer
Ariel Becherer, Bargaining Team Member
Codie Fortin Lalonde, Acting Business Agent and Organizer
|
