AGSEM invigilators (Unit 2) ratify contract
AGSEM invigilators voted by more than 90% in favour of ratifying the agreement in principle presented to them at a general assembly held on May 15. The final version of the two-year contract should be signed in June. This will be the invigilators’ first collective agreement. The university is pleased to have come to an agreement without the intervention of the arbitrator involved in these negotiations.
Negotiations steady with AGSEM course lecturers and instructors (Unit 3)
Since negotiations started last June, AGSEM course lecturers and instructors have come to an agreement with McGill on a number of non-monetary clauses. The pace of negotiations has been moving steadily. The parties have started discussing hiring priorities and course allocation.
Talks continue with 3 bargaining units of SEU
Negotiations are progressing at a steady pace – 14 days of negotiations have taken place since last November and three more days of negotiations are scheduled before the summer break. All items included in the list of interest-based bargaining topics were discussed at least once; many are already resolved and have led to modifications to the collective agreements. Among them are the clauses relating to job posting, grievance procedure, trial period, disciplinary measures, temporary assignments and overtime allocation. Interest-based bargaining items still unresolved will be discussed in upcoming meetings. Ten more bargaining sessions are scheduled for the fall.
Unions’ stance on salary freeze
Following the budget cuts announced in March by the university, the senior administration met separately with most employee groups to discuss the one-year salary freeze affecting administrative and support staff paid through operating funds. All groups were asked to inform the university by April 30 of their position on this issue.
Of the 12 groups met, four groups responded they would accept the freeze: MAUT, the association representing academics, has agreed to a freeze for all academic categories except tenure-track assistant professors. Three SEU bargaining units (trades downtown, powerhouse downtown, and trades and powerhouse Macdonald campus) have accepted the freeze in exchange for three additional paid days off work during the 2013 Christmas holiday period. The remaining groups have rejected the university’s request.
Salaries have not yet been discussed at the bargaining table where talks are under way with three SEU bargaining units (computing centre, printing services and facilities management / residences / Faculty Club) and with AGSEM course lecturers and instructors. Nor has the freeze affected the salary clause included in the collective agreements signed recently by AMURE since they are paid from research funds and not from the operating budget.