February 22, 2013
Tentative agreements with AMURE are signed
On February 20, the parties signed the memorandum of agreement pertaining to both research associates and research assistants. Members of both units of AMURE will be called upon to vote on the contents of the tentative agreements at special general assemblies scheduled for March 12 (downtown campus) and March 13 (Macdonald campus). Once ratified, both parties will review the French and English wording of the tentative agreements in view of signing a final version of the two collective agreements.
*****
February 14, 2013
More progress in talks with 3 SEU* units
At the February 12 bargaining session, the parties reviewed and agreed on article 15 covering temporary assignments; they signed off on the English and French wording of the text.
The parties also discussed personnel changes, more specifically job posting, which includes a clause relating to trial periods once an employee is awarded a position. The subject of posting will continue to be discussed at the next bargaining session, set for February 19.
*The 3 bargaining units in question are: computing centre, printing services and facilities management/residences/Faculty Club, represented by SEU, local 800 (Service Employees Union, local section 800, affiliated with the Quebec Labour Federation.
*****
February 8, 2013
Some progress in talks with AGSEM invigilators
At the February 6 bargaining session with AGSEM invigilators, the parties reached agreements in principle on clauses relating to office space provided to the union, access to employee files and union liberations. Different types of leaves were discussed and will continue to be discussed at the next bargaining sessions set for March 4 and 14.
Talks continue to be held in the presence of a government-appointed arbitrator whose role is to help the parties reach agreements during the bargaining process. The AGSEM invigilator bargaining unit is affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).
*****
February 8, 2013
Tentative agreements reached with both AMURE bargaining units
After two full days of intense bargaining on February 4 and 5, the university reached tentative agreements with the research associates and research assistants represented by AMURE in view of three-year collective agreements. The agreements have been reached after just one year of negotiations that started in January 2012.
The parties have agreed to keep the contents of the agreements confidential until the union has shared the information with its members at a special general assembly. The date for this assembly will be announced to members as soon as both parties have signed a memorandum of agreement.
At the onset, both parties were committed to reaching an agreement as swiftly as possible despite this being their first collective agreement. The government-appointed conciliator was instrumental in helping the parties reach an agreement. The parties agreed to a shared communications approach throughout the bargaining process.
*****
January 29, 2013
Talks progress with 3 units of SEU*
The parties met on January 24 and signed off on the previously discussed grievance and dispute procedure as well as on the letter of understanding related to interest-based bargaining. The parties also exchanged the translated versions of their full set of proposals submitted on the first day of negotiations.
Sharing of information and a clear definition of the employer’s issue pertaining to temporary assignments of less than five days in food and dining services led to fruitful discussions. The parties reached a tentative agreement which was drafted and submitted to the union for a detailed review. It should be ratified at the next meeting, scheduled for January 30.
The employer agreed to provide the union with the electronic versions of ratified texts as discussions progress. The parties have met five times since the presentation of their respective proposals last November; they are scheduled to meet in 12 additional sessions leading up to mid-June.
*The 3 bargaining units in question are: Computing centre, Printing services and Facilities management/residences/Faculty Club, represented by SEU, local 800 (Service Employees Union, local section 800, affiliated with the Quebec Labour Federation.
*****
January 29, 2013
Productive bargaining session with AGSEM course lecturers and instructors
The January 25 bargaining session with AGSEM course lecturers and instructors was very productive. The parties came to the meeting ready to have a discussion aimed at resolving the issues still on the table at this time. All members of both parties’ bargaining committees were present and were able to resolve articles relating to bereavement leaves, sick leaves and other leaves. The parties will continue to discuss maternity and paternity leaves at the next bargaining session, set for February 1. Both parties expressed their satisfaction with the day’s results.
*****
January 28, 2013
Progress in talks with AGSEM invigilators
The January 24 bargaining session with AGSEM invigilators, held in the presence of the arbitrator, resulted in a productive session. The parties reached an agreement in principle on union liberations. An agreement was reached on access to employment files and bereavement leaves. The next bargaining session is scheduled for February 6 where talks will focus on the posting and granting of assignments as well as different leaves.
*****
January 25, 2013
Negotiations continue with AMURE
At the January 21 bargaining session, in response to the union’s concerns raised at the previous meeting, the university presented a global proposal covering vacations for part-time and casual employees, statutory holidays and ID cards for casual employees. The employer’s proposals on vacations and statutory holidays were submitted and discussed, but the union did not agree with the global proposal. These topics will be discussed at a future meeting along with other monetary items.
The parties also discussed the mechanism surrounding liberation for union activities. A tentative agreement was reached and the university will present a draft proposal at the next meeting, set for February 4.
The parties agreed to start discussing salaries at the next meeting. In order to allow all members in attendance to understand the current situation, the employer will present a global picture of the current situation as it pertains to regular research associates, regular research assistants and casual research assistants. The government-appointed conciliator has supported the parties in their discussions and will be present at the February 4 bargaining session.
*****
January 23, 2013
Talks with AGSEM lecturers focus on leaves
Discussions with AGSEM lecturers and instructors resumed on January 11. These discussions focused on medical, parental, bereavement and other types of leaves. These topics will continue to be discussed at the next bargaining session, scheduled for January 25.
*****
January 18, 2013
Negotiations resume with AMURE
The parties reconvened January 14 at which time they continued to discuss eligibility criteria for parental leaves applicable to research associates and research assistants. Based on these discussions, the issue of parental leaves is now settled to the satisfaction of both parties.
The parties approved the English versions of articles on benefits and pensions. The French versions for both bargaining units will be reviewed at the next meeting. The university put forward a proposal on vacations, and initial discussions took place. This item will be discussed at the next meeting, set for January 21. The government-appointed conciliator assisted the parties in their discussions and will be present at the next meeting.
*****
January 15, 2013
Agreement with SEU* on changes to grievance and dispute procedure
At the January 9 bargaining session, the parties discussed ways to facilitate the sharing of information likely to help in resolving grievances during labour relations committee meetings. The bilingual version of this article was provided to the union for detailed validation and for them to confirm their agreement at the next meeting. The employer presented a flow chart of the grievance process to illustrate what was agreed to in the previous meeting. The union will review and comment before the next meeting.
There was an exchange of information and discussions on temporary assignments of less than five days generating employee movement. The parties agreed that the employer would further validate current practices before pursuing this discussion at a future meeting.
The parties agreed on a letter of understanding to extend the period for interest based bargaining; this letter will be provided to the union for signature at the next meeting, scheduled for January 24. It was also agreed that before the next meeting, English and French translations of all of proposals would be made available to the negotiation teams.
*The bargaining units are: computing centre, printing services and facilities management/residences/Faculty Club, represented by the Service Employees Union, local 800, affiliated with the Quebec labour Federation.
*****
January 9, 2013
Progress in talks with AGSEM lecturers and instructors
At the December 10 and 13 bargaining sessions, the parties discussed the duration of the collective agreement – either two or three years, but this discussion wasn’t finalized. The parties did agree, however, to start negotiations before the current collective agreement expires. In fact, once signed, it will be available on the websites of both the university and the union in addition to being distributed in paper format.
The parties started discussing clauses relating to all types of leaves (statutory, sickness, parental, etc.) and agreed to pursue this discussion early in 2013.
Finally, the parties agreed to a calendar of negotiations of 12 bargaining sessions ranging from January to May 2013.
*****
December 19, 2012
Agreement with SEU* on changes to grievance and dispute procedure
At the December 14 bargaining session, the parties continued to discuss simplification of the grievance and dispute procedure. They agreed to changes that will ease the flow of documents and foster discussions between the university and the union before referring cases to arbitration.
Changes were also agreed to concerning the timeframe for a grievance to be left pending before deciding if it will be taken to arbitration. The parties signed off on elements relating to simplification and timeframe in the grievance and dispute procedure.
The parties will continue to discuss accessibility of documents in the grievance and dispute procedure at the next meeting scheduled for January 9, 2013.
*The bargaining units are: computing centre, printing services and facilities management/residences/Faculty Club, represented by the Service Employees Union, local 800, affiliated with the Quebec labour Federation.
*****
December 17, 2012
Pause in negotiations with AMURE
At the December 11 bargaining session, two representatives from the research community at McGill, Dr Marianna Newkirk, Associate Dean (Research), Montreal General Hospital Site, and Peter Grutter, Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Education Research (Faculty of Science) made a presentation on the status of research funding at McGill University. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session during which Dr. Newkirk and Mr. Grutter answered questions asked by union representatives.
At the November 28 bargaining session, both parties agreed to articles related to parental leave. However, on December 5, a motion was put forward to the McGill senate proposing changes to the three sets of regulations on maternity, parental and extended parental leave for academic staff; these changes were approved by senate. This new policy requires approval by the board of governors.
As AMURE was not consulted or aware of these proposed changes, the union was concerned that the parental leave articles agreed to on November 28th did not reflect the proposed changes to parental leave. In addition the union sought clarification as to what policies and regulations may currently be under review by McGill, as changes to such policies away from the bargaining table may undermine the trust built between the two parties.
At the suggestion of the conciliator, a union bargaining committee member and a university spokesperson were mandated by their respective negotiation committees to seek clarifications from appropriate sources and to inquire whether other similar policies were currently under review. The union proposed to postpone negotiations on benefits, pension and vacation until these policies and regulations on parental leaves have been reviewed and that a statement of policies under review is shared with the union.
Depending on the information obtained, the union indicated it may want to reopen discussions on the agreed parental leaves clauses that both parties signed on November 28.
The committee members charged with seeking clarifications will report to the committees at next meeting in the presence of the conciliator, on January 14, 2013.
*****
December 11, 2012
Agreement with SEU on changes to disciplinary measures
At the December 7 bargaining session, the parties mainly discussed disciplinary measures. They agreed on changes to the convocation process and the impact of certain absences on the lifespan of the disciplinary file. The parties also discussed streamlining of the grievance procedure. They will continue to discuss this item at the next bargaining session, set for December 14.
*****
December 6, 2012
Start of negotiations with 3 of 6 SEU* unions
With the training sessions on interest-based bargaining now completed, the parties held their first bargaining session on November 22. During this meeting, they discussed the relevance of issuing a joint message based on factual information on the progress in negotiations. The parties agreed to use this communications approach to provide negotiation updates to the McGill community, outlining progress and setbacks. Each party maintains the right to engage in other types of communications, as required, with their various constituents.
The parties submitted their full list of proposals, grouped by theme and by order of discussion for those subjects included in interest-based bargaining.
The parties met for a second time on November 30 and confirmed dates for meetings in 2012 and 2013, based on meetings two or three times a month, for a total of 16 meetings. During this meeting, the parties had discussions and reached some agreement on articles in the three collective agreements dealing with discipline. Talks will continue at the next meeting, set for December 7.
*The 3 bargaining units in question are: Computing centre, Printing services and Facilities management/residences/Faculty Club, represented by SEU, local 800 (Service Employees Union, local section 800, affiliated with the Quebec Labour Federation)
*****
December 3, 2012
University and AMURE agree on some benefits clauses
At the November 28 bargaining session, the university submitted additional information to the union on parental leaves; an agreement was reached, the text was finalized and the parties signed off on parental leaves. The union made suggestions to include certain provisions in the statutory holiday clauses, which were included and the texts of these articles specific to each bargaining unit (research associates and research assistants) were ratified.
The university tabled a proposal on benefits and pension, which led to questions, discussions and a review of some of the documentation. The university agreed to clarify some of the points at the next meeting, at which time discussions will continue. That meeting is set for December 11. The government-appointed conciliator continues to assist the parties in their discussions.
*****
November 26, 2012
AMURE: Five more articles ratified
At the November 21 bargaining session, the following articles were reviewed, finalized and agreed to by the parties: posting and appointments, termination notice and availability lists, educational assistance and tuition waiver, social leaves and work accidents. Articles relative to statutory holidays and parental leaves were also reviewed and will be discussed at the next bargaining session, set for November 28 in the presence of the government-appointed conciliator.
*****
November 20, 2012
AMURE: A most productive bargaining session!
Open discussions, exchange of proposals and both parties’ desire to work toward a settlement led to agreements in principle on several topics pertaining to research associates and assistants: termination notice, parental and social leaves, educational assistance and tuition waiver, statutory holidays and work accidents provisions. The text of these agreements will be finalized and reviewed by the parties at the next bargaining session, set for November 21st.
The parties agreed with the conciliator’s proposed list of topics to be covered in the November 21st. Items that are specific to either research associates or research assistants will be addressed after finalizing items common to both groups.
*****
November 8, 2012
Productive bargaining sessions with AGSEM course lecturers and instructors
Negotiations have taken place on September 21st and 26th, and on October 5th, 23rd and 30th with AGSEM courses lecturers and instructors. The parties have agreed on the following articles to date: purpose of agreement, management rights, employee representation and scope of application of the agreement.
During the bargaining session of November 6th both the union and the university presented counter-proposals dealing with the creation of committees and union recognition. Finally, the university presented a counter-proposal regarding the duration of the collective agreement. These items will be discussed at the next bargaining session, set for November 15.
At the start of negotiations, the parties agreed on publishing the following statement, to be included on all bargaining updates: “The university and the union jointly recognize the importance of informing the McGill community of our progress in negotiations. While we may have different positions on some issues, we are both committed to finding common ground. We have agreed to provide a link to the other party’s bargaining updates along with each of ours”.
To consult AGSEM’s updates, click on the following link: http://agsem.ca/lecturers/?page_id=31
*****
November 2, 2012
More progress in AMURE negotiations
Several topics were covered during the October 31 session in presence of the conciliator from the Ministry of Labour. The parties reached agreements on several items, including: training and development, technological change, temporary alternative work arrangements, list of topics that can be taken directly to the second step in the grievance process, leaves without pay and copies of the collective agreement.
Discussions and exchanges of proposals on parental leaves were also part of this meeting. This item will be discussed in upcoming meetings. The next bargaining session will be held on November 14.
*****
October 30, 2012
AMURE – bargaining in presence of conciliator
The parties met all day on October 24 in the presence of the government-appointed conciliator. The parties reviewed in detail what remains to be discussed and agreed to continue discussing non-monetary items, reserving monetary items for future meetings.
Four topics were chosen for discussion, which were the subject of presentations from the union, followed by questions and discussions. Proposals made by McGill on technological change, training and development, and on subjects that could be taken immediately to step two in the grievance process were reviewed and commented by the union. Modified versions of the articles related to these topics will be presented for review at the next meeting, set for October 31st.
Five additional dates in November and December were agreed to in order to progress with the remaining elements to be negotiated, both non-monetary and monetary. These discussions will also take place in the presence of the conciliator.
*****
October 1, 2012
Dispute with AGSEM invigilators on who is included in bargaining unit
At the September 24 bargaining session with AGSEM invigilators, the university and the union disagreed on who is included in the bargaining unit. At the session, the union acknowledged and agreed that the chief invigilator and deputy invigilators are excluded since they are not employees as defined by the Labour Code. There was also agreement that floaters/circulators are part of the bargaining unit because they are invigilators.
After much discussion, the union insisted on representing office assistants and filed a motion with the Quebec Labour Board under Article 39 of the Labour Code to that effect. The university’s position since the beginning has been that the union was accredited to represent invigilators. The university indicated that Office assistants are part of the AMUSE/PSAC bargaining unit (Association of McGill University Support Employees/Public Service Alliance Canada).
The arbitrator agreed with McGill’s position and said that the minister of Labour would be informed and that the file is being put in abeyance until the issue is resolved.
*****
September 27, 2012
Next round of talks with AMURE in presence of conciliator
At the session held on September 19 with both AMURE bargaining units, the university explained its position on layoffs, end of contracts and recalls of research associates and assistants. This led to questions and several exchanges between the parties. A tentative agreement on the majority of these elements was presented by McGill. The parties reached an agreement in principle on the majority of the issues at hand, but were unable to reach an agreement on the notice of termination of employment. The union suggested, and the parties agreed, to call on the conciliator already assigned to these negotiations, to seek her assistance in the continuation of discussions relating to this topic. The next meeting, scheduled for October 3, will be held in the conciliator’s presence.
*****
September 18, 2012
Negotiations under way with AGSEM lecturers
A meeting was held on September 7 with AGSEM’s bargaining committee representing course lecturers and instructors (Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill, affiliated with the Fédération nationale des enseignants du Québec, a unit of the CSN). At the meeting, the parties reached an agreement on article 3 – non-discrimination. The union also presented its proposed article on academic freedom, a component of article 3. The University confirmed its commitment to presenting its proposal, which will be discussed at the next meeting, set for September 21.
Also on September 7, both parties signed the following statement: “The university and the union jointly recognize the importance of informing the McGill community of our progress in the negotiation. While we may have different positions on some issues, we are both committed to finding common ground. We have agreed to provide a link to the other party’s bargaining update along with each of ours”. This statement will appear on all bargaining updates. To consult AGSEM’s update, click here.
*****
September 17, 2012
Talks continue with AMURE/PSAC
The University submitted to AMURE (Association of McGill University Research Employees/Public Service Alliance of Canada) the latest version of the articles on posting, appointments and reappointments, and on probationary period. The two bilingual documents include suggested changes from the union. Texts applicable to associates and assistants will be reviewed by the union and should be ratified at the next meeting, set for September 19.
Following the tentative agreement reached at the previous meeting, the University presented proposed language on the topics of layoffs, end of contracts and recalls of research associates and assistants. This proposal led to discussions on the interpretation of the texts and to the exchange of each party’s counter proposals. No agreement was reached and these topics will be on the agenda of next meeting.
*****
September 12, 2012
Recently, the MUNACA/PSAC union posted statements on the union’s website that raised questions about McGill’s compliance with Bill 100, the Quebec government legislation that aims to reduce spending on administrative costs in public institutions such as universities.
I would like to assure you that McGill is in compliance with Bill 100. For example, Article 8 of the Bill says that organizations can pay executives or managers “progression within a salary scale that is dependent on a performance evaluation, or the payment of performance-based additional remuneration for a fiscal year beginning not later than 2009.”
The only way that managers (M-class employees) and executives at McGill receive salary increases is through a merit process, as opposed to automatic annual salary increases or an annual “bump-up” to the next step of the salary scale.
The merit increase paid during fiscal year 2010-11, the first year covered by Bill 100, was based on performance from June 1, 2008 to November 30, 2009, and thus is in agreement with Article 8 of the Bill.
Additionally, in our report to government on remuneration for members of the senior administration, we provide information on both salaries and “autres éléments” as defined under Quebec’s income tax law. While MUNACA/PSAC in its communication assumed “autres elements” to be bonuses, these other elements actually include things like employer-paid life insurance premiums, tuition subsidies and financial advising fees, the value of an interest-free loan, car and housing allowances, or other forms of cash compensation not included in the base salary.
As a public institution bound by the Act Respecting Access To Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information, McGill respects its responsibilities under the law. McGill provided a copy of our annual report to the government (containing the requested salaries and taxable non-payments) as well as the list of requested expenses. Should there be any complaint made to the commission governing access to information, McGill will participate fully in the process.
*****
September 4, 2012
Sessions start in arbitration with AGSEM invigilators
Two sessions were scheduled in August. The August 30 session, the first session to have been held in the presence of the government-appointed arbitrator, was cancelled at the union’s request. The parties did meet, however, on August 31 to finalize the elements in their proposals still to be negotiated and to agree on a calendar of meetings. The next meeting is scheduled tentatively for September 24 with both parties having to rearrange meeting dates in view of the arbitrator’s tight schedule and availability.
*****
September 4, 2012
Talks resume with AMURE
Talks resumed on August 29 with the return of members of both negotiating teams.
The University presented article 15 on posting, appointments and reappointments, and article 16 on probationary period. The union reviewed the University’s proposed English and French texts and suggested some changes that will be included for ratification at the next meeting.
The University also submitted article 17 on health and safety, article 18 on reimbursement of expenses, and article 19 on work hours and overtime. The union said it was satisfied with the proposed texts, which were ratified by the parties after the meeting.
As a follow-up to previous discussions, the parties addressed the topics of layoffs, end of contracts and recalls of research associates and assistants. The parties reached an agreement in principle which will be drafted and presented for review at the next meeting scheduled for September 12.
*****
July 16, 2012
Significant progress in talks with AMURE
The bargaining session of July 11 between the University and AMURE led to signed agreements on grievance procedure (Art. 12), arbitration (Art. 13) and disciplinary measures (Art. 14). Proposals were exchanged on articles relating to health and safety, reimbursement of expenses, and hours of work and overtime, leading to an agreement on each of these articles which will be ratified at the next bargaining session.
The parties agreed to have a discussion next week and plan the agenda for the next bargaining session. The parties also agreed to reserve 7 additional meeting dates between August 29 and October 31.
*****
July 13, 2012
Talks with AGSEM lecturers off to a good start
Four meetings have taken place between the University and the bargaining committee representing AGSEM/CSN course lecturers and instructors. The meetings of June 27-28 were productive in that an agreement was reached on grouping articles under ten major blocks. At the meetings of July 5-6, the parties discussed the first block of 6 articles and reached an agreement on five, having signed off on the following: purpose of the collective agreement; grievance procedure and arbitration; harassment and intimidation; health/security/environment; disciplinary measures. The parties will take a break during the summer. Talks will resume on September 7 and are expected to continue until November 29 with the parties meeting once a week. Both parties expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the discussions during these first four days.
*****
July 12, 2012
More progress in talks with AMURE
At the meeting on July 4 between McGill and AMURE, the University submitted the English and French final versions of articles on arbitration (Art. 13) and disciplinary measures (Art. 14). Discussions on article 12 concerning the grievance procedure led to improvements that will be included in the final version. These three articles will be ratified at the next bargaining session.
Discussions took place on the union’s proposal concerning layoffs, end of contracts and recalls of research associates and assistants. The parties expressed their opinion on this item and agreed to consider solutions leading to an agreement. This item will be discussed again in future meetings. The next bargaining session is set for July 11, after which talks will resume in August.
*****
June 22, 2012
McGill and MUNACA/PSAC sign collective agreement
On June 19, McGill and MUNACA/PSAC signed a five-year collective agreement ending November 30, 2015. Members will receive salary increases of 1% (Dec. 1, 2010); 1.2% (June 1, 2011); 1.2% (June 1, 2012 with the integration of a new 22-step salary scale); 1.5% (June 1, 2013); 1.7% (June 1, 2014) and 2% (June 1, 2015 plus the integration of a new 12-step salary scale). MUNACA/PSAC has close to 1700 members.
*****
June 18, 2012
Progress on negotiations with AMURE
The parties met on June 13 and discussed in full detail the articles relating to posting, appointments/reappointments and probationary period. Discussions were fruitful and led to several exchanges of proposals between the Union and the University. These articles were agreed to with the exception of one element which will be included in the discussion on the employment termination clause.
The university will forward to the union the final French and English versions of Articles 12 (grievance), 13 (arbitration) and 14 (disciplinary measures) for review and comments; these articles will be signed at the next meeting. The union is consulting its bargaining team and will confirm the calendar of proposed dates starting August 22 and thereafter. The next bargaining sessions are confirmed for July 4 and 11.
*****
May 5, 2012
Update on May 2 talks with AMURE
At the meeting of both parties on May 2, the union proposed a few changes and agreed to the English and French versions of the texts relating to the seven articles on which there have been agreements since the start of negotiations. These texts will be signed by both parties at the next meeting. The parties continued to discuss intellectual property and conduct of research, union activities, labour relations committee and the grievance and arbitration procedure. The parties agreed on the articles relating to intellectual property and conduct of research, union activities and labour relations committee. The talks were productive and led to significant progress in the grievance procedure, which will be discussed further at the next meeting to be held on May 16.