Bargaining 2006

December 18, 2006

Bargaining Update

Sectoral Table 
As reported in KFActs, bargaining at the Sectoral Table began December 4, 2006, with 11 post secondary institution employers (not including Kwantlen) and 20 faculty unions (including the KFA) participating. As your representative, I am encouraged by the pace of bargaining here, with a clear willingness on both sides to arrive at a settlement well before the March 31 deadline. Sectoral bargaining will continue until December 15, 2006 and resume January 22--February 15. The compensation issues will likely be the major focus of discussion in January and February. Kwantlen may be an "observer" for the compensation talks. 

Local Bargaining
On the local level, your KFA bargaining team met with the employer on December 12, 2006. We have agreed on the bargaining protocol and future bargaining dates. The KFA pushed for an early start in January, but unfortunately, the first date the employer was available was January 17. On that day, we will exchange bargaining proposals. 

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October 4, 2006

KFA Bulletin

Kwantlen Faculty Association Membership Unanimously Endorses Bargaining Demands

At a General Membership Meeting September 29, 2006 KFA members voted unanimously to endorse our bargaining demands for the upcoming round of negotiations. Vice-President Maureen Shaw reviewed recent public sector settlements and pointed out “no other public sector union has accepted concessions and we will not accept them either.” In particular, the BCTF settlement addressed a number of bargaining issues.  All public sector settlements to date have included a salary lift as well as the bonus set aside by the government to ensure labour peace through to 2010.  “KFA members expect no less,” Shaw said. More...  

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August 22, 2006

2004-2007 Collective Agreement Update

1. Where is our current collective agreement (2004-2007)? 
It is not yet available, mainly because the employer and the KFA have not yet been able to agree on its "harmonization." That is, the Common Agreement and the local agreement are to be combined into one integrated document. The KFA maintains that the revised document should retain all the previous rights and protections. 

2. Has the new salary lift been implemented? 
Yes, the new top of scale is $78,010 and non-regular type 1 faculty now receive $5,309 per contract (3 credit course.) In order to achieve the new top of scale, one has to have been at the former top of scale for at least 12 months. Others move up the scale on their normal increment date. The new salary scale can be viewed here.

3. When will the retroactive payment be available?
Mid-September. 

4. When do we get the signing bonus? 
Our current collective agreement does not expire until next March 31, 2007. We will be eligible for the signing bonus provided we can successfully negotiate a new agreement before that date. We hope to begin bargaining this fall.

5. How do I find out about bargaining? 
More information on bargaining will be made available on the KFA website, at the KFA General Meeting, September 29, 2006, and through KFActs and Bargaining Updates. Also, contact your Working Conditions Representatives, listed below: 

Working Conditions Committee Representatives:
Maureen Shaw (Chair)
Terri Van Steinburg
Karen Inglis
Russel Ogden
Richard Simon
Cosimo Agostino
Balbir Gurm
Bob Hiltz
Darcie Olijnek
Robyn Rushford
Helen Mendes
Gillian Gausboel

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April 03, 2006

What is happening with bargaining at Kwantlen?

The KFA collective agreement does not expire until March 31, 2007. The 10% of public sector unions whose collective agreements have the same expiry date as the KFA's have been assured that we will be able to access the $1 billion signing bonus announced by Finance Minister Carole Taylor if we settle before next year’s deadline. With that in mind, the KFA will be gearing up quickly in preparation for negotiations. That is why it is important that we elect our Working Conditions Committee at the Annual General Meeting on April 18, 2006.

What is our lift for this year?

We will have a new top of scale of $77,187. Please note that the eventual lift may be higher if the BCGEU Master agreement achieves an increase of more than 1.5% for 2006-07. Non-regular type 1 faculty will also receive an increase of at least 1.5%. (They will also receive the equivalent percentage increase of the BCGEU Master agreement for 2006-07.)

What is going on with bargaining in BC?

There are intense negotiations going on within the BC public sector as the March 31, 2006 deadline set by the government to access the $1 billion signing bonus comes closer. The public sector unions are also expected to go for a four year deal, expiring March 31, 2010. The BCGEU representing approximately 25,000 government workers have walked away from the Master table bargaining, preparing to strike on April 1 if necessary. The Kwantlen BCGEU staff union is in "template bargaining" along with other college staff unions and are not currently in a position to strike. Other public sector unions have been able to reach agreements until March 31, 2010, with some university faculty associations agreeing to lifts of 3%, 3%, 3.5%, 3.5% (These lifts include market adjustments.) The doctors have reached a deal that averages about 10.4% over the four years, with some doctors achieving over 19% and other funding for technological upgrades.

What is happening in our sector?

Langara Faculty Association is in negotiations to achieve an agreement which expired in 2004. They have taken a strike vote and issued strike notice. University College of the Fraser Valley Faculty and Staff Association is in discussions over a wage re-opener for 2006-07. Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association is in bargaining with their employer, facing concessions and finding that there is no extra money flowing through to them now that they are a university. In the words of the TRUFA’s President Tom Friedman: "the administration bargaining strategy is one of requiring faculty ‘to do more with less’: to demand that faculty give up hard-earned rights and to impose new obligations on faculty from day one without a corresponding immediate increase in compensation." (See the TRUFA newsletter at http://www.cariboo.tru.ca/trufa/)

In Ontario, college teachers who are members of OPSEU have been on strike since March 7, 2006. Workload is their central concern. They are seeking smaller classes and more time with students. There is some indication that their top of scale could go to $94,000.

Please call me if you have any questions. Make sure you come to the KFA Annual General Meeting on April 18, 2006, 3-6pm at the Delta Town and Country Inn. Bargaining and elections will be on the agenda.

Additional Information:
 Appendix A - New Salary Scale

You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the above items.

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