McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA)
On December 5, MUNACA members voted in favour of a new collective agreement by a margin of 72%. Highlights include a five-year contract that is valid until November 30, 2015; the gradual implementation of a salary scale by 2015; salary increases varying from 8.6% to 16% over five years, depending on whether an employee is at the maximum of his/her scale or not; decision-making rights on benefits, and having a say before changes are made to the pension plan. MUNACA members were back at work on December 6. A draft of the English version of the collective agreement has been sent to MUNACA for review before it is signed. The return-to-work protocol highlights the major points the parties agreed to in their negotiations.
Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM)
AGSEM invigilators – both parties have decided to enter arbitration. The conciliator has kept the file and will use the meetings scheduled for January 23 and 30 to resolve as many issues as possible before transferring the file to the arbitrator. To date, the parties have agreed on access to employee lists, grievance procedures and paid liberation of a union member.
Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE)
After successful discussions that resulted in resolving all issues that were put forward, progress came to a halt on December 19 when the union decided to ask for arbitration without responding to McGill’s last counter-proposal filed early in that session. The University was surprised and disappointed by this move since only a few items remain to be settled. The parties will now have to wait for a conciliator to be appointed for talks to resume. AMUSE is negotiating its first collective agreement.
Association of McGill University Research Employees (AMURE)
AMURE has decided to file a motion to start the negotiation process in conciliation. This means that all bargaining sessions will be held in the presence of a government-appointed conciliator whose role is to make recommendations for the parties to keep talking on issues on which they are far apart. Bargaining is expected to start in February 2012 once the parties’ bargaining team members are in place.