Our current 2626 Collective Agreement will expire on August 31, 2022. It is now time for you, 2626 members, to consider bargaining with our Employer, the University of Ottawa, for a better Collective Agreement!

• What is bargaining?

Bargaining or collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between the Employer and a group of employees aimed at reaching a Collective Agreement to regulate working conditions. The interests of the employees are represented by their Union and their elected representatives. The Collective agreement reached by these negotiations sets out hourly wages, working hours, required training, health and safety measures, overtime policies, grievance mechanisms, and rights to participate in workplace affairs.

• How do we, 2626 members, decide if we should go into bargaining or not?

At our upcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) on April 6, 2022, the 2626 Executive Board will be presenting its Bargaining Mandate Report based on preliminary research in accordance with our 2626 Bylaws. This report will conclude with a recommendation to either:

1. Renew the same Collective Agreement for one year
or
2. enter into collective bargaining with the Employer for a new Collective Agreement.

During the AGA, 2626 members will be asked to vote to approve this recommendation based on the Bargaining Mandate Report.

• How can we, 2626 members, get involved?

1- Respond to this survey
In order to prepare the Bargaining Mandate Report and recommendation, the 2626 Executive Board needs your input!
Please fill out this very brief survey and share this newsletter with the other 2626 members in your Department to help us make sure we reach everyone!

2- Consider joining the Bargaining Committee 

If 2626 members agree to enter collective bargaining with the Employer, the General Assembly will then have to elect on April 6 its new Bargaining Committee (BC) as well as the Chair of the Bargaining Committee!

This next round of bargaining will not be easy as we are still facing the consequences of a global pandemic, an economic crisis,  an increasingly neo-liberal and business-oriented post-secondary educational system, and the anti-labour Conservative government’s Bill 124, which limits annual salary increases to one percent for public sector workers in Ontario. As unionized workers, collective bargaining is our most powerful tool to address these challenges, defend our interests, and improve our working conditions. We need to form a strong bargaining committee to fight for a better, fairer deal for present and future 2626 members!

Interested in joining the 2626 Bargaining Committee and/or becoming the Chair of the Bargaining Committee? 

You can find more information about the Bargaining Committee and the BC Chair position here as well as how to run for these elected positions here. 

If you have any questions, please contact the 2626 Union Coordinator at coord@2626.ca.