Since our last bargaining update on August 31st, there has been some progress at the table with the Employer, and even a few major victories emerging from the last several meetings. According to the Chair of the Bargaining Committee, Xavier Laberge,
Bargaining on the non-monetary questions is going pretty well. We had to drop some of our requests, but in exchange the University has agreed to others. The main improvement is going to be on the evaluations, which most of our members don’t see, or sometimes don’t even know about because the University hasn’t given information about it. The improvements will increase the awareness of these evaluations. We hope the University continues to be open to good and well-intentioned bargaining when we get to monetary issues (wages, funding, etc.).
Victories
In brief, we are proud to announce several new work changes that should reduce the complications of the hiring process, and allow for increased flexibility and accessibility in solving work dispute matters.
- Simplified Communications – No more confusing extra ‘employee’ email account
- Easier Dispute Resolution Process – No more time limits through the informal resolution process
- Increase Awareness for Mandatory Training – A preventative measure to ensure that everyone is informed of accommodation rights
Nearly there
While we should celebrate our progress, there is still a lot of work to do! Right now, the bargaining team is returning to the table and to work closely towards a few changes:
- Clearly delineating the relationship and roles between 2626 and the employees working for the uOttawa’s separate Units (departments, faculties, etc.) in the hiring process
- Establishing mechanisms to improve how evaluations work
- Clarifying how to recognize or deal with overtime
Next steps
2626 and the Employer have not discussed monetary issues. At the moment, discussions on these issues may emerge as early as November. Issues on the table to be discussed include:
- Increases in our Tuition Support Benefit
- Equity raise for lower-wage jobs
- Working towards restoring the health and dental insurance
- And increasing the wage floor for all employees.