The Labour & Employee Relations unit has reassigned the portfolios of the group’s labour relations advisors. Robert Comeau, Director of the unit, explained that “there are now 14 unions on campus, so we have had to assess how best to deploy our limited resources to address labour issues and priorities stemming from several faculties and units.
Negotiations are under way with SEU’s two main bargaining committees representing trades and facilities, MCLIU lecturers and instructors which are in arbitration, AGSEM teaching assistants, and newly certified floor fellows, affiliated with AMUSE and who are negotiating their first collective agreement.
Next year, in addition to negotiating a settlement with current groups, MUNACA/PSAC, AGSEM invigilators and AMUSE casuals will be added to the roster in view of renewing their collective agreements.
Roles and responsibilities of each team member:
Alexandre Coutu has been promoted to Senior Labour & Employee Relations Advisor, now responsible for labour relations with MUNACA/PSAC. Alexandre will also sit on the bargaining committee for the employer when negotiations start next year. He will remain active at the two SEU bargaining tables.
Pierre Daigneault joined McGill in July as Senior Labour & Employee Relations Advisor. He is responsible for labour relations with SEU’s six bargaining units representing trades and facilities. Pierre also oversees labour relations with floor fellows who were certified as a union in May 2014, affiliated with AMUSE/PSAC. Pierre is a member of the bargaining committee representing the university in these negotiations. Pierre is a Certified Industrial Relations Counsellor; he has established his career as a specialist in labour relations.
Maurice René de Cotret joined McGill a year ago as Senior Labour & Employee Relations Advisor. He has spent the year working with HR advisors and managers in several faculties and units to resolve special cases involving MUNACA members. Maurice is a Certified Human Resources Professional who comes from Concordia University, where his experience will serve him well in his portfolio which includes AGSEM invigilators and teaching assistants, MCLIU course lecturers and instructors, AMURE research associates and research assistants as well as AMUSE non-academics.
Denis Gauthier is the chief negotiator and spokesperson for the university. He is currently negotiating with AGSEM teaching assistants, SEU trades and facilities and AMUSE floor fellows. Robert Comeau is currently negotiating with course lecturers and instructors in the presence of a government-appointed arbitrator. Robert maintains responsibility for ongoing discussions with MUNASA, the association representing M-level employees.
Amy Arnott, Administrative Coordinator, supports the team with union correspondence, filing grievances with the Commission des relations du travail (CRT), first level information research, grievance database updating and administrative support to all team members.
“There is no question that this year and next are going to be busy on the bargaining front with nine bargaining units potentially in negotiations at the same time. Part of these groups will be vying to reach a settlement while the other groups will be starting the bargaining process” says Robert.
The team is also committed to maintaining harmonious relations with all employee groups to address and resolve, whenever possible, issues in a timely fashion.
The team is up to the challenge.