New collective agreements negotiated at The University of Western Ontario will be accountable to new provincial legislation prohibiting any net increase in compensation over two years.
University of Western Ontario administration is examining information provided by the provincial government on the planned compensation freeze to see what implications it will have on university employees.
A memorandum was distributed to academic and administrative leaders Wednesday, March 31, signed by Fred Longstaffe, Provost & Vice-President (Academic) and Gitta Kulczycki, Vice-President (Resources & Operations), that indicates the university has received details about the legislation and “will be taking the time to carefully review it and address follow-up questions.”
“Please know that contributions of all staff and faculty are valued and our goal remains to treat everyone fairly and preserve Western’s reputation as an employer of choice.”
In the provincial budget released March 25, the Ontario government announced plans to pass legislation freezing compensation for all non-bargaining employees in the broader public sector, including universities, for two years.
“The legislation indicates that all universities are included, and hence it does affect all Western employees,” says Longstaffe, noting the detailed legislation was made public Tuesday. “To ensure accurate interpretation of the legislation, we will be seeking expert legal advice and perhaps in some instances, clarification from the yet-to-be-established Public Sector Compensation Restraint Board.”
Current collective agreements will be honoured until their expiry date; however, the province will work with employer and bargaining agents during contract negotiations to seek agreements of at least two years that do not include any net increase in employee compensation.
“When we begin bargaining for new agreements with any group, we will need to pay attention to the government’s expectation – as stated in the legislation – that there be no net increase in compensation through to March 31, 2012,” says Longstaffe.
This legislation will likely have a significant impact on Western employees, as five employee groups will be renegotiating contracts this year – The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association; University of Western Ontario Staff Association; Professional and Managerial Association; teaching assistants; and operating engineers.
“As we gain more information and clarity about this legislation and its implementation, we will inform all employees and their representatives as quickly as possible, and post regular updates to the Western community through the Western website,” says Longstaffe.
The memorandum reads:
As you know, as part of its provincial budget, the Ontario government announced plans to pass legislation freezing compensation for all non-bargaining employees in the broader public sector (including universities) for two years. While current collective agreements would remain in place, the province has also indicated that when contracts are being renegotiated, they will work with the employer and bargaining agents to seek agreements of at least two years that do not include any net increase in employee compensation. The government has said that this will help “redirect up to $750 million toward sustaining schools, hospitals and other public services.”
The legislation has now been made available and we will be taking the time to carefully review it and address follow-up questions. We do know the government plan has the potential to impact a large number of employees at Western since the University will soon begin the process to renegotiate contracts with five of our employee groups.
We want to let you know that it is our intention to understand the details and the implications for the University, our employee groups, and for our budget. We will communicate information as quickly as we can to all in the campus community. The information will be posted on Western’s website to keep all employees up to date.
As we enter the last year of our four-year budget planning at Western, we were preparing for very modest increases in government funding at best. At the same time, we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining the best faculty and staff to ensure continued success in our teaching and research mission. These continue to be challenging financial times. Please know that contributions of all staff and faculty are valued and our goal remains to treat everyone fairly and preserve Western’s reputation as an employer of choice.