Your negotiating team met with NorQuest College on Feb. 24 and 25 for bargaining. Our first priority was getting answers about cuts coming to post-secondary institutions across the province.
We met with the employer on March 7 to discuss how we would be impacted by cuts to staffing levels. They let us know there will be a five per cent reduction to positions held by AUPE members. NorQuest College will contact AUPE members whose jobs are being cut before the end of March.
Bargaining moves forward
Overall, we feel bargaining itself was productive. We discussed workloads, job postings, and the classification process.
During our discussions on classifications, NorQuest revealed that your job descriptions are available if you ask your out-of-scope supervisor. We encourage you all to get of copy of your job description.
The employer is also interested in redesigning the pay grid to show which job titles fall under which classifications. We will continue discussions on this topic at our next meeting.
We signed off on two articles and a letter of understanding (LOU):
Article 7 College-Union Relations – Employer agreed to provide the Chapter with access to on-campus meeting space free of charge;
Article 36 Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness - makes psychological health and safety an agenda item at OHS Committee meetings;
LOU Determinations - gives union protection to members previously excluded under PSERA (the Public Service Employee Relations Act).
Our next bargaining meetings are scheduled for May 12 and 13. We expect non-monetary discussions to finish soon and bargaining for wages to begin sometime this summer.
Please contact a member of your negotiating team if you have any questions or feedback about this bargaining update.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – NORQUEST COLLEGE
Louise Zielke lou_solomon@hotmail.com
Samantha McIsaac smcisaac@outlook.com
Jes Santos nelson_jess@hotmail.com
Maria Bavaro m.bavaro@icloud.com
Kristy Duffy kristylduffy@gmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Scott Drake s.drake@aupe.org