UNIT 1 BARGAINING BULLETIN #4

DAY 3 AT THE BARGAINING TABLE!

On Wednesday, January 24th, 2024, your coworkers on the Unit 1 Bargaining Team met with your employer for the third time. And for the third time at the table, the employer had very little to offer in the way of responses to our carefully drafted proposals, which we tabled as a complete package last week during our first meeting. 

Although your employer had no comments or counter proposals, your Bargaining Team motivated several proposals of critical importance to you and your coworkers. Here’s more detail on some of those key proposals:

Healthcare Top-Up Benefits 

In 2022, the University tried to claw back your coverage for mental health, dental, and vision care. You and your coworkers fought back, and your collective pressure forced them to back off, but right now there’s nothing in your Collective Agreement (CA) that prevents them from trying this again. That’s why your proposed amendment to Article 32 of your CA would require consent from the Union for any changes to your healthcare provisions. 

Your amendment to Schedule A of your Unit 1 Healthcare Top-Up plan also proposes several improvements to our benefits package, including (but not limited) to the following:

• the University will cover 100% of UHIP premiums up front, rather than as a reimbursement.
• increases to Psychologist, Masters of Social Work, or Psychotherapist coverage to $7,000 per year, from $2,500 per year. 
• increasing vision coverage to $700 per 24 months, from $225 per 24 months. 

You’ve been clear about the need to protect and improve your access to health care, and the connection between your wellness and your ability to thrive at work. If your employer cares about maintaining a standard of excellence, they must care for the education workers that make the University a top-tier institution. If not, you’ve already shown that you’re willing to fight for what you deserve. 

No Discrimination 

Your proposed amendment to Article 4 of your Collective Agreement includes caste as a category to be protected from workplace discrimination, harassment, coercion, interference, restriction, or any other practices prohibited by law. Your amendment demonstrates your ongoing commitment to fighting against oppression and recognizes that many students and education workers within the University of Toronto are impacted by caste politics and caste-based discrimination in their workplaces, classrooms, and communities. 

Department Meetings

Healthy workplaces provide workers with the right to participate in governance. You and your coworkers should be able to attend meetings on topics that impact your work conditions. With this in mind, your Bargaining Team presented a Letter of Intent proposing that you and all of your Unit 1 coworkers shall be included in Departmental meetings that are open to all staff and faculty. 

STAY CONNECTED AND TAKE ACTION!

Your Bargaining Team’s strength in the negotiating room depends on your collective power as workers. There are many ways to stay in the loop and get more involved in your bargaining campaign:

• Come to the Bargaining Drop-In at the GSU Pub this Friday, January 26th at 6pm. Meet your Bargaining Team, ask questions about the bargaining process, and get the latest updates from your second week at the table!
  
• Keep up with all of your Bargaining Team’s tabled proposals and your employer’s responses, using this Proposal Tracker.
  
• Across U of T departments, your stewards and contract action teams are holding Bargaining and Strike Info Sessions. Don’t miss out!

ONLINE:
January 26th, 12-1pm (ONLINE) – REGISTER

IN PERSON: 
February 1st, 3-4:30pm (IN PERSON) – Sid Smith Hall, Room 3130

• Fill out our Get Involved form and let your Bargaining Support Committee know what you can contribute to our shared fight for more dignified work conditions! 

MEET YOUR BARGAINING TEAM