Bargaining 2007

March 19, 2007

Financial Incentive (Bonus) Fact Sheet

Kwantlen Polytechnic University employees covered by the Kwantlen Faculty Association Collective Agreement will receive a financial incentive (bonus) payment as follows:

“The incentive payment shall be $4,000 for each full-time equivalent faculty member and shall be pro-rated for part-time faculty members. For the purpose of the determination of the amount of the incentive payment, a full-time equivalent faculty member is a regular or non-regular faculty member who worked on a full-time basis for the twelve (12) -month period ending on the incentive eligibility date. The incentive payment for a faculty member who worked less than full-time over this period shall be pro-rated for the fraction of full-time work, as defined in the collective agreement that the faculty member worked over this period. ”

More on the Financial Incentive...  

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March 19, 2007

KFA Ratification Vote Results

On Friday, March 16, 2007, KFA members voted 93.6% in favour of ratifying the amendments as recommended for renewal of the Collective Agreement between Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Kwantlen Faculty Association, April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2010.

Highlights of the new agreement include:

  • Term: April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2010
  • Salaries: Regular/Non-Regular Type 2 (2.1% increase and top of scale adjustments each year) and Non-Regular Type 1 (2.1% increase each year). 
  • Graduated return to work provision for faculty members on parental/maternity leave
  • Expanded definition of family for those accessing compassionate care leave
  • Vision care coverage up from $300 to $500 every two (2) years
  • Benefits review conducted by Joint Committee on Benefits Administration (JCBA) in order to identify savings and efficiencies
  • Financial Incentive (Bonus) $4000 for each full time faculty member, pro-rated for part-time faculty members
  • Fiscal dividend, if available, in 2010
  • Workload committee with 5 KFA representatives & 5 Employer representatives to make recommendations by December 31, 2007
  • Improvements to sick leave fund for non-regular type 1 faculty members
  • New article on scholarly activity
  • Recognizing it as part of our faculty work and an assurance that it does not increase our workload
  • Search committee changes:
    · Option to elect 2 or 3 members annually
    · Can be changes to format if the union & management agree
  • Overloads: 
    · Can be granted to fulltime Regular/Non-Regular Type 2 faculty no earlier than one (1) month prior to the commencement of the semester
    · Maximum overload 125% of full time workload in one year
    Minor change in language regarding administrators moving into faculty positions
  • Change in notice period of return to work for those on leave of absence without pay from two (2) months to four (4) months.

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March 8, 2007

We Have a Deal!

The KFA and the employer have reached a tentative agreement that incorporates most of the Sectoral Table provisions and some changes to our local agreement.

Come to the Ratification Meeting and Vote: Friday, March 16 from 2-5 in D128, Surrey Campus

Here are the highlights:
Sectoral provisions in our agreement

  • Term: April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2010
  • Salaries: Regular/Non-Regular Type 2 (2.1% increase and top of scale adjustments each year) and Non-Regular Type 1 (2.1% increase each year). 
  • Graduated return to work provision for faculty members on parental/maternity leave
  • Expanded definition of family for those accessing compassionate care leave
  • Vision care coverage up from $300 to $500 every two (2) years
  • Benefits review conducted by Joint Committee on Benefits Administration (JCBA) in order to identify savings and efficiencies
  • Financial Incentive (Bonus) $4000 for each full time faculty member, pro-rated for part-time faculty members
  • Fiscal dividend, if available, in 2010

Other changes to the Collective Agreement (local)

  • Workload committee with 5 KFA representatives & 5 Employer representatives to make recommendations by December 31, 2007
  • Improvements to sick leave fund for non-regular type 1 faculty members
  • New article on scholarly activity
  • Recognizing it as part of our faculty work and an assurance that it does not increase our workload
  • Search committee changes:
    · Option to elect 2 or 3 members annually
    · Can be changes to format if the union & management agree
  • Overloads: 
    · Can be granted to fulltime Regular/Non-Regular Type 2 faculty no earlier than one (1) month prior to the commencement of the semester
    · Maximum overload 125% of full time workload in one year
    Minor change in language regarding administrators moving into faculty positions
  • Change in notice period of return to work for those on leave of absence without pay from two (2) months to four (4) months.

Please come to our Ratification Meeting on Friday, March 16 from 2-5 in D128, Surrey Campus.

The KFA Negotiating Committee worked well together for many long hours in order to attain this deal, and they are all owed a huge thank you for all that they have contributed. 

If you have any questions, please call Maureen Shaw at local 2149

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February 22, 2007

KFA Members Vote to Authorise Strike Vote

Well over a hundred members attended our General Membership meeting on February 22. Members voted unanimously to support their Negotiating Committee and the KFA proposals, and authorized the KFA to call for a strike vote should one be necessary.

Members also expressed concerns over the employer’s concessionary demands and sent a clear signal that they will not accept any concessions.

The Negotiating Committee will be meeting the employer February, 26, 27, 28 and March 1 and hope to make progress towards a successful settlement.

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February 20, 2007

Sectoral Table Agreement reached, but not yet for KFA members

The Provincial Joint Union Bargaining Council (FPSE and BCGEU locals and PSEA) reached a tentative deal on Saturday, February 17, 2007. At Kwantlen, we do not yet have this deal. It has to be gained at our local bargaining table because our employer did not sign on to the Sectoral Table. The KFA Negotiating Committee and our employer meet next week for 4 days of local bargaining with more days scheduled in March. We hope that we see the same deal, removal of the employer concessions, and a speedy resolution to our bargaining at Kwantlen.

The Common Agreement deal includes: 

  • a 2.1% increase to all steps of the salary scale in each of the 3 years

  • a 0.5% labour market adjustment lift to the top step in each of the 3 years

  • a 2.1% lift to secondary scales

  • $4,000 signing bonus for full time eligible faculty members (pro-rata for those less than full time)

  • increase in vision care coverage to $500 every 24 months

  • graduated return to work option for those on maternity/parental leave

  • expanded definition of family for compassionate care leave

  • access to a fiscal dividend in 2010

  • other provincial initiatives, including a Pension Partners' table to discuss pension inflation protection

The top of scale for those with the 2% stipend will be $84,896 by April 1, 2009.

For more information, click here.

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February 5, 2007

Local Bargaining Update

Your KFA bargaining team met with the employer January 30, 31, and February 1, and we have tabled all our proposals. The bargaining is moving quickly, but we are concerned by the nature of the employer demands:

  • more rights for administrators and fewer rights for the KFA and its members
  • changed provisions for probationary evaluations and terminations
  • fewer protections for those facing layoff
  • erosion of rights for those on leave, including maternity/parental leave
  • a lengthier and more cumbersome grievance procedure
  • removal of workload provisions for the Collaborative Nursing program

We also will note that we have agreed to 25 items tabled by the employer, and they have agreed to NONE of ours.

We meet again locally February 26 to March 1 and hope to make progress at that time on some of our key concerns. The provincial Sectoral Table resumes its bargaining February 12.

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February 03, 2007

Employers’ proposal is an insult. It’s time to send them a message. 


 

 

First offer stinks
Despite initial meetings in December with post-secondary employers that were positive, negotiations at the provincial post-secondary table have soured this week with the tabling of the employers’ proposal on compensation.

The employers’ first offer is a hard-nosed attempt at "low-balling" post-secondary educators. As well, the employers’ approach is doing more to frustrate real bargaining rather than encourage it.

The frustration for the union side in the employers’ proposal goes well beyond their ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. The details of the employers’ proposal show a complete disregard for both the pattern of settlements in the broader public sector and the significant issues that faculty want to address in this round of bargaining.

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January 18, 2007

Kwantlen Faculty Association and Employer 
Begin Local Bargaining

The KFA bargaining team had a productive first day at the local bargaining table on January 17, 2007. The Employer and the KFA received each other's proposals, reviewed them and achieved some clarification. The parties have agreed to 13 housekeeping items. A number of the Employer's proposals look concessionary. We conveyed our unhappiness with those proposed concessions. The parties have agreed on the agenda for bargaining on January 30, 31 and February 1, 2007. 

Sectoral Bargaining January 22 to February 15, 2007

The KFA will be re-joining the Sectoral Table next week, where most of the major compensation items, including salary and the signing bonus, will be discussed. The Employer may be attending the Sectoral Table bargaining for those discussions as an observer only. 

What's Next?

The KFA is mindful of the imperative to conclude bargaining by March 31, 2007. We are hopeful we can achieve improvements to our collective agreement and a satisfactory compensation package by that time. 

Please plan to attend our General Meeting on February 22 at 
10:00 am on Richmond campus in the Conference Centre, where bargaining will be a major agenda item. 

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2007 KFA Bargaining Team

~ Maureen Shaw, Chair
~ Lesley Burke, FPSE and Spokesperson
~ Terri Van Steinburg, KFA President, ex-officio member
~ Suzanne Pearce
~ Russel Ogden
~ Gillian Gausboel
~ Karen Inglis
~ Bob Hiltz
~ Helen Mendes
~ Cosimo Agostino
~ Balbir Gurm

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