Bargaining Bulletin #12

Unit 3 & 7 Ratification 

The ratification vote results are in:

Unit 3: 92% YES to adopting the tentative agreement as your new Collective Agreement

Unit 7: 96% YES to adopting the tentative agreement as your new Collective Agreement

The Unit 3 and Unit 7 Collective Agreements (CAs) come into effect on Monday April 14th, the first business day after ratification, and some gains are retroactive to September 1, 2024. For a summary chart of each CA, visit www.WeAreUofT.com.

What happens after ratification?

Unit 3 and 7 may have new CAs, but sibling Units 2, 4, and 6 remain in bargaining with their respective employers. Whatever unit you are in, you can get involved in supporting the ongoing coordinated campaign by visiting www.WeAreUofT.com/take-action. 

Securing a new CA that codifies new and improved rights for workers doesn’t mean that the organizing ends. The CA is a powerful tool to protect against workplace exploitation, but the employer can still try to bend or break the rules if they think that you and your coworkers don’t know your rights. That’s why the local is working over the coming weeks and months to facilitate information sessions for you and your coworkers on the rights enshrined in your new CA.

As a result of bargaining, both Units will strike working groups with the employer to improve your working conditions. Unit 3’s working group will establish an extended health benefits plan, while Unit 7’s will provide recommendations to establish better Group B and summer GAship hiring practices. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information on how to join the working groups and other important initiatives that seek to improve the working and living conditions for Unit 3 and Unit 7 workers.

Table Updates

UNIT 2:

Your Unit 2 Bargaining Committee met with the Employer on Monday, April 7th, and today. The 7th was a slow day at the table, with much back and forth. Although the employer did move on improving the Description of Duties and Allocation of Hours (DDAH) form for TAs, they remain reluctant to accept our proposed language on advancement and Health & Safety reps. Despite this, we have now managed to resolve almost all other non-financial items.

Today, the Employer responded to our financial proposals by countering with wages below our modest proposals (in line with Unit 3’s gains) for Sessional Lecturers and Writing Instructors. Although they were agreeable to matching TA wages to those of Unit 1, the Employer failed to even consider bringing Undergraduate Tutors up to parity with TAs. Undergraduate Tutors currently make about half the hourly rate of TAs.

On other financial priorities, we’re pleased to say that the Employer has met our proposal for an increase to the HCSA; on funds for professional development (a priority for Writing Instructors and Sessional Lecturers), however, the Employer has proposed only a $50 increase.

We have one more day scheduled with the Employer before our April 26th strike deadline. Both parties are looking for more dates, which will be necessary if the Employer continues to fall short of meeting the needs of Unit 2 members.

UNIT 4:

Your Unit 4 Bargaining Committee met with the Employer on Monday, April 7th. Negotiations have been slow, with the Employer waiting to see the results of Unit 3 bargaining. However, we are encouraged by the forward progress we’ve made at the table, securing stronger language to protect our rights as workers, such as enshrining a required Unit 4 members meeting organized yearly by the Employer, with the presence of a Union rep, to inform all Unit 4 members of your rights as unionized workers.

We continue to press the Employer for more responses to the comprehensive package we tabled on Day 1. Your Bargaining Committee will continue to fight for the better working conditions, job security, compensation, and benefits you deserve.

We will meet with the Employer on Wednesday, April 16th. We have also secured future bargaining dates on April 22nd and 24th.

UNIT 6:

Your bargaining team is getting ready to meet with the Employer for a string of dates, now that our No Board has been approved! The No Board report, issued by the Ministry of Labour, triggers a 17-day countdown that ends with the parties being in a legal strike or lockout position. During this period, the parties can continue to meet. With that in mind, we have upcoming bargaining dates spanning the next two weeks on April 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th.

We have made progress on housekeeping items and other straightforward proposals, but the Employer has not yet responded to our proposals on ISA and H-Course priorities. On IFP priorities, the Employer has said they are not amenable to our IFP proposals to add term restrictions to the Lead role and to create Curriculum Development Teams (CDTs). Your bargaining team will continue to push the Employer to find workable solutions to this IFP priority and get their responses to our ISA and H-Course priorities.