On Friday, July 8, 2016 we resumed bargaining. The employer submitted articles regarding Roles and Responsibilities for Part-time Librarians and Archivists. The CUPE 3903 team spent some time amending these articles to better reflect our roles and concerns regarding professional and collegial work. An agreement in principle was made.
The Employer also submitted articles regarding employee pension plan enrollment with a promise to return to those articles dealing with other benefits at our next meeting. We have moved substantially closer to agreement in these areas.
Regarding the administration of benefits, it was observed by the employer that for technical reasons the part-time unit may be moved to a monthly pay sequence, i.e. a change from our current bi-weekly pay sequence. Unit 4 representatives pointed out that this may be a significant adjustment for the membership. However, given the potential for a significant increase in benefits, and the fact that this will move our membership more in line with the expectations of reliable employment (change in status from ‘casual’ to ‘part-time’ in the purview of Human Resources and the University), Unit 4 representatives agreed to give the matter serious consideration. It may, in fact, not be technically possible to administer benefits without moving our Unit to a monthly compensation schedule. The employer, however, agreed to look into the technical aspects in greater detail. Both sides agreed to discuss the matter again after some reflection and research. Members wishing to share their concerns on this issue further should please contact David, Sharona, or Guylaine. Please keep in mind, there are considerable gains to be made in making this scheduling change and that both the Employer and the Bargaining Team appreciate that this is, as noted above, a significant adjustment.
When we close the discussion on Roles & Responsibilities with agreement, we will move on to Posting and Compensation, and other relevant sub-articles. In short, we may establish a full agreement over the next few weeks.
In closing, we are now deep in the summer vacation season. However, we also have now reached a crucial moment in bargaining. In the past member attendance and contribution was important in making our case on each issue. It is now extremely important. Any and all members are urged to attend our upcoming bargaining talks. For those not presently on campus but who may be coming back in September — you are still a member of CUPE 3903 and are welcome to attend! Should you return to York as a part-timer you may benefit substantially from this Collective Agreement.
The next bargaining meeting is Thursday, July 21, 10am-4pm, in York Lanes 280 A. Previous updates and more information are available on the Unit 4 Bargaining page.