Bargaining Bulletin #16
Negotiation of cost items continues--
Employer promises to do “research” on NREG pay & paramedical
Dear colleagues: We have a shorter update this time, because our negotiations meeting last Friday was a continuation of the meeting on 26 September, which we wrote to you about in BB15. The parties did not table any new items, but we did make some progress on the cost items tabled on the 26th.
The CFA’s main focus on Friday was on moving the employer off of its “no” position on our proposals to:
* remove the cap on NREG scale placement after 12 sections (no other locals have a cap; many place sessionals on scale at hiring); and
* update the value of our paramedical benefits (which has not changed since 1995).
The good news is that on Friday the employer’s representative, Geoff Tierney, acknowledged the CFA’s evidence that our NREG pay and paramedical benefits are not the “gold standard” in our sector. He has promised to look into how non-regular/sessional faculty are paid at other locals, to confirm the information the CFA has presented. Similarly, Mr Tierney has promised to research details of benefit plans at other locals. This is because of the CapU administration’s concern about standing out in the sector, which it does not want to do.
We were hoping for an update on their research by now, but have not received it yet. We are arranging further negotiating dates, to get specific responses.
Their negotiator’s willingness to check facts is encouraging, relative to the “no” we heard on 26 September. However, it is disappointing that the employer seems not to have done this research earlier. The administration’s refusal to be a leader in the sector did not come up as a limiting factor in our talks from January through the summer. Now that they have raised this inhibition, we have provided evidence to address their fear of “setting a high water mark.” We have also called on the administration to show the leadership and courage that are features of Paul Dangerfield’s messages to us, and of CapU’s “Envisioning 2030” and “Illuminating 2030" plans.
We will continue to advocate for equitable NREG pay and updates to our paramedical benefits, alongside the other CFA proposals on which the parties moved closer to agreement last week. Once the CFA has prepared its written response to the items now on the table, we will share it with all members, so you can see the details.
In solidarity,
Bargaining Committee members Tim Acton, Doug Alards-Tomalin, Eduardo Azmitia, Michael Begg, and FPSE representative Monica Staff
See https://www.capilanofaculty.com/bargaining for past bargaining bulletins.