On Thursday (August 20), the Units 1, 2, & 3 Bargaining Team introduced six proposals to the Employer’s bargaining committee. In doing so, the Bargaining Team completed the presentation of every proposal, in all three collective agreements, passed by membership earlier this year. That includes the proposals in the nearly complete package we sent to the Employer on July 13, the four additional proposals membership approved in late July, and a new proposal membership passed on August 19.
This last proposal obligates the Employer to explain, in writing, decisions rendered at both Step One and Step Two of the grievance process. This follows directly from the Employer’s recent decision to cease issuing written explanations for grievance decisions and affirmation at the bargaining table that they do not intend to resume providing these in the future.
Introducing of each the Bargaining Team’s proposal could have potentially occurred even earlier in the summer, if we hadn’t reserved meeting time for Employer responses, presentations, and counter-proposals. We had already completed most of our three packages in advance of our first full meeting in hope that this would expedite negotiations between both parties. We arrived at the table prepared to bargain. The Employer has conceded that they were not prepared to do the same. They have yet to introduce a single proposal of their own, and have offered only two smaller counter-proposals since bargaining began officially on June 10.
Instead, they have emphasized the educational value of “listening” to the Union’s proposals (an approach which has not even resulted in many questions) and repeated (with absolving self-deprecation) that we probably know more about any given subject than they do. They have, at times, committed to return — later that day, the next meeting, a week from now — with information the Union has requested, answers to questions on outstanding Labour-Management Committee issues, follow-up on Union proposals — only to defer yet again until later that day, the next meeting, a week from now, or some indefinite moment in the future.
Bargaining is not a therapeutic process. There is limited value to one side simply bearing witness to the other. We are therefore relieved to report that that the Employer has promised to table an actual proposal at our next meeting (August 25), although they have chosen to withhold specific details until the meeting itself. As the Employer (here and elsewhere) refuses to put its intentions in print, we will do so for them.
In the next meeting, the Employer plans to:
- To table a proposal on the grievance process.
- To follow-up on the Union’s repeated invitation to identify proposals they believe to be nearer to consensus.
- To “begin” discussions on larger proposals (such as our proposal on Artificial Intelligence) where they believe longer conversations are required.
Of course, we cannot promise that the Employer will be ready to do any of the above when we arrive at the table next Tuesday. We can only say that we are placing trust in the Employer’s Bargaining Committee to fulfil its professional and legal obligation to bargain in good faith with the Union. The “managerial rights” the Employer has defended at length come with a necessary investment in their managerial responsibilities: responsibilities which begin with keeping their promises and arriving informed about the issues under discussion. For our part, the Union has gone out of its way to give advance notice about issues being discussed. The least the Employer can do is demonstrate some effort of their own. It is, after all, their job.
Finally, and more happily, the Bargaining Team wishes to welcome two new members: Ankit Singh (Unit 1) and Zoë Newman (Unit 2)! There are two open spots remaining on the Unit 3 Bargaining Team. Any interested member who currently holds (or has held within the past five years) a Unit 3 contract is encouraged to reach out to the Bargaining Team (bargaining@cupe3903.org)!
In solidarity,
CUPE 3903 Bargaining Team (Units 1, 2, & 3)
bargaining@cupe3903.org