Recent progress of the signing of the new Collective Agreement (CA):
– The MSVU Faculty Association’s (FA) goal has been to ensure that all elements of the ratified agreement are fully incorporated into the signed Collective Agreement (CA).
– All language in the new CA was finalized and agreed upon as of October 18.
– On October 29, the FA completed proofreading the Employer’s draft CA, and the Employer accepted all of FA’s corrections.
– On November 1, the Employer provided a final clean copy of the draft CA for both parties to complete cross-referencing.
– On November 4, the FA’s lawyer submitted the finalized CA, with completed cross-referencing, to the Employer’s Lead Negotiator.
– On November 8, the Joint Committee for the Administration of the Agreement (JC) issued an interim reappointment, tenure, permanence, and promotion (RTPP) protocol, announcing the resumption of the RTPP process set to begin on November 15.
– Despite the FA’s significant efforts and continued follow-ups to expedite the signing of the CA, the Employer has failed to provide a response to the FA’s cross-referencing submitted on November 4 in due course, leaving the signing process unnecessarily stalled yet again. On November 19, the FA President notified the Employer’s representatives on the Joint Committee that the FA was seeking other options including public communication and CAUT’s formal intervention to resolve the matter, and that the FA would go public with the labour dispute should the Employer fail to provide their updated draft CA by November 20.
– On November 22 during a Labour Board Case Management Conference (CMC), the Employer finally submitted their updated draft CA. On the same day, the FA President announced the launch of an FA communication initiative: “Updates on the Signing of the CA”, a comprehensive online documentation of the FA’s tenacious efforts to sign a complete and accurate CA with the Employer despite the Employer’s bad-faith bargaining, delay tactics, and union-busting tactics.
– The MSVUFA remains resolute in its efforts to complete this process while carrying the responsibility of ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the Collective Agreement.
– The new Collective Agreement was signed by both parties on the afternoon of November 29, 260 days after the ratification of the Collective Agreement on March 14. On November 30, the 97th Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Council Meeting held in Ottawa unanimously passed a resolution declaring that “the delay tactics of the Employer at MSVU in signing the Collective Agreement are unacceptable and must not set a precedent nationwide.”
– The MSVUFA is committed to reflecting on and drawing lessons from this unprecedented job action experience while exploring constructive ways to work with the Employer for the best interest of the University as a community. We will also be working with the Employer and Administration to ensure that all aspects, especially the changes and additions to the CA, be properly implemented and enforced.
Note: All dates listed in this FAQ are of the year 2024 unless otherwise specified. For the FA’s latest update as well as historical updates on the signing of the Collective Agreement, please click Archived Updates, linked below.
FAQs page: A collection of frequently asked questions by FA members about the bargaining process and the status of the signing of the Collective Agreement.
Archived Updates: A collection of official communication that the FA Exec and Bargaining Team have sent via email to all FA members in relation to bargaining and the status of the signing of the Collective Agreement.
The BoG’s censorship of the FA: A report documenting the BoG Chair’s attempts to censor the MSVUFA President and block the dissemination of information regarding labour relation issues at Board meetings, declaring the FA’s position on this institutional issue.