REPORT
OF PART-TIMERS’ NEGOTIATIONS
(The following report represents a summation of AUFA’s letter to the Minister as submitted by David MacKinnon.)
On April 30, 2002 AUFA applied to the office of the Minister of the Department of Environment and Labour for the appointment of a Conciliation Officer to assist in attaining a First Collective Agreement for part-time faculty between AUFA and the Board of Governors (BOG) of Acadia University, hereafter referred to as the Employer.
Negotiating teams for both sides met six times
between 1 March and 19 April, in an attempt to reach a collective agreement.
While they were able to sign off on a number of items, there still remain
contentious issues. At a special meeting
of the Part-Timer Instructors' Unit of AUFA held on 9 April, the membership
voted unanimously to reject the Employer's outstanding proposals. The
AUFA negotiating team then called for another bargaining session on 19 April.
The representatives for the Employer offered a series of counterproposals
in which, to facilitate negotiations, AUFA offered the Employer the choice of
either a two- year contract (1 September 2001 - 31 August 2003) or a five-year
contract (1 September 2001 - 31 August 2006).
At that session AUFA was able to sign off on four articles, in addition to the articles that had been signed off in previous negotiation meetings; however, some major issues remained outstanding on which both the Employer and AUFA declared they were unable to move. Thereupon, the AUFA team informed the Employer that the AUFA Executive would be requested to file for conciliation.
Given the impasse over certain major articles and some minor ones, for the good of the students and their parents, and for the continuing reputation of Acadia University, AUFA requested that a Conciliator be appointed as soon as possible.
Vernon Provencal