Bargaining Bulletin #14: Tentative Agreements Reached for Units 2 and 6

Unit 2 and Unit 6 Bargaining Teams Make Significant Gains, Reach Tentative Agreements!

IOn Friday, your Bargaining Teams for Units 2 and 6 signed Tentative Agreements. A Tentative Agreement means that your team and the Employer’s team have tentatively agreed to a contract. It is now up to you, as the members of Unit 2 and Unit 6, to vote on your Unit’s agreement. If you vote to approve the Tentative Agreement (TA), it becomes your Collective Agreement (CA). 

Both bargaining teams unanimously recommend members to vote YES to approve the Tentative Agreements.

Unit 2 (Victoria College):

Your Unit 2 Bargaining Committee has been meeting intensely with the Employer over the last week and wanted to give you some important updates. We are pleased to let you know that we have now reached a Tentative Agreement today, April 25th, which reflects significant gains to many of your bargaining priorities, including wage increases, job security, professional development, and significant equity language. Some highlights are:

• TAs will get wage parity with U1 (9, 2, 1.8%) and language that ensures their supervisor follows the DDAH requirements  
• UTs will be able to join paid mid-term professional development meetings, as well as a wage increase (2, 1.8, 1.8%) 
• SLs and WIs will have the same wage increase as Unit 3 members (2, 1.8, 1.8%), as well as a professional development reimbursement fund and an important increase to their health care fund (HCSA) from $500 to $750. 

Our next step is to ratify the Tentative Agreement. Go to WeAreUofT.com for more information about ratification, and to see a summary of the Tentative Agreement. A full copy of the Memoranda of Settlement will be added to Member Portal shortly. 

Unit 6 (New College): 

After a very productive week at the table, your Bargaining Committee has reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the Employer. Notable gains include significant wage increases for all three Instructor cohorts: 

• ISA/IFP Instructors will see a 9%/2%/1.8% increase of over three years, and Discipline-Specific Instructors have now achieved parity with Unit 3 Sessional Lecturers I and II (18%). 
• IFP Instructors also saw increases across all benefits. For ISA Instructors, a $150-per-course-section-taught health stipend has been negotiated, and for Discipline-Specific Instructors, a $500 Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) has been agreed upon. 
• Curriculum development opportunities have been opened up for IFP Instructors, and a three-year term limit for IFP Lead positions has also been approved to open up leadership opportunities for our members. 

Our next step is to ratify the Tentative Agreement. Go to WeAreUofT.com for more information about ratification, and to see a summary of the Tentative Agreement. A full copy of the Memoranda of Settlement will be added to Member Portal shortly. 

Unit 4 (St. Michael’s College):

Unit 4 (St. Michael’s College):

Your Unit 4 Bargaining Committee is encouraged that Units 2 and 6 have reached Tentative Agreements with their Employers, marking significant gains in our coordinated campaign! Thanks to their hard work, we hope that our day of negotiations with the Employer on Tuesday, April 29th will be as successful. 

The Bargaining Committee met with the Employer on Thursday, April 24th. Negotiations were slow, as they have been for the past two months, but we continue to press the Employer for more responses to the comprehensive package that we tabled on Day 1 of negotiations (March 7th). We have made progress on important items such as improved language for Article 4: No Discrimination, Article 14: Arbitration, and Extended Pregnancy Leave, while also securing internet access and equipment in Article 24: General Office Facilities. However, we continue to wait on the Employer who still has not discussed financials, benefits, job security, or advancement. Your Bargaining Committee reiterated our desire to move negotiations forward and work collaboratively to ensure a fair Collective Agreement that achieves the better working conditions, job security, compensation, and benefits you deserve. 

Notwithstanding the Employer’s delays, your Bargaining Committee continues to fight to protect your rights as contract academic workers and to defend your best interests. For updates, please continue to follow our progress on the proposal tracker.

We will meet with the Employer next on Tuesday, April 29th.