Contract academic staff members of the Nipissing University Faculty Association ratified their first contract in April. The bargaining unit includes part-time instructors, full-time, limited-term laboratory and service course instructors and individuals who teach additional basic qualification courses in the faculty of education.

They received a two-year contract with salary increases of 13.8 per cent for per-course instructors, and 8 per cent for laboratory and service instructors. The union negotiated a seven-step salary scale for laboratory and service course instructors, who may be appointed for up to three years.

As well as gains in job security language, a new provision allows for right of first refusal for per-course instructors who have taught a course three times within a six-year period. Included in the right of first refusal is a salary increase of $200 for a three credit course.

"We ran a challenging gauntlet in persuading the university to accept the concept of right of first refusal and the need for salary increments for per-course instructors," said Bill Plumstead, a part-time instructor in English and a member of the contract academic staff bargaining team. "It was good, hard bargaining, but we convinced them."

"The agreement represents significant progress in recognizing the important contribution contract academic staff make toward the quality of education at Nipissing," said faculty association president Roman Brozowski, "including a provision for the names of contract academic staff members to be included in internal telephone directories and email lists."

Contract academic staff will also have a voting representative at department or divisional meetings, and a new part-time teaching award will celebrate the work of bargaining unit members.