The MUNFA Negotiating Committee will endeavour to keep ASMs apprised of significant developments in the negotiating process. In this first bulletin, we report on the preliminary meeting of 27 September and the first negotiating session proper held on Monday 7 October.
Unlike previous Collective Agreements, the one signed in the winter of 2001 did not set an expiration date. Instead, the parties agreed to a re-opener clause (Clause 1.39). In the fall of 2001 the administration and the MUNFA Executive agreed only six articles would be opened for negotiations: Article 3 (Duties and Responsibilities of Faculty Members), Article 22 (Leaves), Article 23 (Term Appointments), Article 29 (Employment Equity), Article 30 (Co-operative Education Co-ordinators [CECs]) and Article 31 (Salaries and Benefits). In July of this year, MUNFA indicated to the administration its desire to commence collective bargaining.
A preliminary meeting of representatives of both sides was held on 27 September in order to schedule meetings for the fall semester 2002, and to decide logistical details that would make exchanges of articles more manageable. At the preliminary meeting, MUNFA advised the administration that they would provide them with a complete set of the six articles. The administration indicated that they would have only four articles ready; they would not have proposals prepared on articles 30 and 31, CECs and Salary and Benefits. The administration also agreed to consider a MUNFA request that one or two bargaining sessions take place on the campus of Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.
The first exchange of articles took place on 7 October with MUNFA and the administration completing the presentation of and an outline of the rationale for proposed changes to three articles: 3, 22 and 29. The two parties will meet on Wednesday 16 October at 9.30 a.m. to continue discussions.
The administration gave no indication when they would have proposals on articles 30 and 31 to present to the MUNFA Negotiating Committee.
PLEASE NOTE: MUNFA has a seat at the negotiating table available for an ASM who wants to observe the process of collective bargaining. If you are interested, please contact the MUNFA office (737-8642 or munfa@mun.ca ).
Dates for future meetings of the two collective bargaining committees have been scheduled as follows:
October 16, 28; November 6, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29; December 2, 4, 6, and 9. All meetings last from 9.30 a.m. to approximately12.30 p.m.
MUNFA Negotiating Committee:
- Jon Church (Medicine) and Tony Chadwick (French & Spanish) Co-Chief Negotiators
- Ed Andrews (SWGC)
- Aspi Balsara (Q. E. II Library)
- Glenn Clark (Education)
- Dorothy Milne (Q.E. II Library)
- Richard Rivkin (Ocean Sciences Centre)
- Leo White (Engineering)
- Chris Youé (History)
- Marian Atkinson (MUNFA Executive Officer, non-voting member)
