The University of Western Ontario is knee-deep into talks with bargaining agents for five of its employee groups.
With five employee contracts expiring in 2010, the university has been busy at the bargaining table. But creating a unique challenge this year is the provincial government’s push for a two-year compensation freeze for newly negotiated contracts.
“While the provincial request for compensation restraint makes negotiations more complex, Western remains committed to achieving a mutually agreeable settlement with each employee group,” says Helen Connell, Western’s Communications & Public Affairs associate vice-president. “We have made progress on a number of non-monetary matters with our employee groups, but there remains lots of work to be done.”
Introduced in March, the Public Sector Compensation Restraint to Protect Public Services Act creates a two-year compensation freeze for non-bargaining employees in the broader public sector, including universities.
While employees who negotiate collectively were not included in the legislated compensation freeze, the provincial government is asking for all new collective agreements to include a two-year freeze in net compensation. The province’s fiscal plan provides no funding for compensation increases for any future collective agreements.
“Western is a publicly funded institution and relies on the province for a significant portion of the university’s revenues,” Connell says. “We are committed to seeking a mutually agreeable settlement with each employee group that will enable Western to recruit and retain the very best faculty and staff. We also need to ensure the long-term success of the university in achieving our teaching and research goals.”
After a summer hiatus, talks between The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) and Western resumed Aug. 17 and three more meeting dates are scheduled this month. The Ministry of Labour has appointed a conciliator to work with both parties to try to reach a collective agreement.
A conciliator has also been appointed to assist with negotiations with The University of Western Ontario Staff Association.
The two groups have talks scheduled for this month.
Western has met with Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 610, which represents graduate teaching assistants. Future dates are planned for October. Negotiations to achieve a first contract with PSAC Local 611, representing postdoctoral associations, are expected to resume later this month.
Western also expects to begin negotiating a new agreement with the Professional and Managerial Association (PMA) this fall.
The collective agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE Local 772) has been continued for one year on the same terms and conditions as the agreement that expired in June 2010.
The Ontario Minister of Finance established a three-phase consultation process with employers and bargaining agents in the boarder public sector, including universities, to assist with creating a framework for local negotiations that would see no net increases in compensation for a two-year period.
The Council of Ontario Universities, of which Western is a member, was invited to participate in that process and the first phase of the consultation process was held in Toronto Aug. 9-22. The government has asked that these discussions remain confidential.
“Western remains committed to negotiating with our employee groups to achieve a settlement that is mutually agreeable, and which furthers the teaching and research mission of the university,” Connell says.
More information about the Public Sector Compensation Restraint to Protect Public Services Act can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions link on the ministry’s website https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2010/faq_july.html
Updates on Western’s contract negotiations will be posted on the Contract Negotiations @ Western website. https://communications.uwo.ca/contract_negotiations/index.htm.