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April 23rd, 2024
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First Round of Conciliation Ends Unexpectedly

Setting the stage

On April 12th the Negotiations team convened to strategize for the negotiations meeting with the conciliator present that happened on April 17th.
We had three goals for the first round of conciliation.
  1. Explain to the conciliator why we asked for a conciliator to help move the negotiations forward.
  2. Get a university representative at the next negotiations meeting that has the mandate to negotiate Hybrid Work so that we can present our case.
  3. Set additional dates for conciliation.

Mandate of the conciliator

A conciliator is required:
  • to act neutrally and impartially;
  • to refrain from representing either you or the other party in the dispute;
  • to ensure fairness and balance in discussions between you and the other party;
  • to ensure that your rights are respected;
  • to ensure compliance with the law;
  • to facilitate communications between you and the other party;
  • to refrain from imposing a decision.

Meeting the Conciliator

On April 17th after two unsuccessful attempts at scheduling meetings with a conciliator, we finally got to meet a government appointed conciliator at their office near Sauvé. The conciliator met with both sides of the negotiations in preparation of the negotiations and we presented our case.

Lucie Tessier Coordinator of the FP-CSN advisors explained how hybrid work is our union's primary negotiation issue and that this is common among professional unions in Quebec. She further explained that given the high percentage of union members that take advantage of this right, members are highly motivated to defend it.

After presenting our case, we explained that we wanted to share a presentation of hybrid work at the next conciliation meeting to a university representative that would have the mandate to negotiate a hybrid work clause into the collective agreement. The conciliator said it was out of their power to make that demand but that we could ask the university team when the conciliator brought both parties back to the negotiations table.

Explosive conclusion

Once both parties came back to the negotiations table, the University spokesperson went off on a tirade and then stormed out of the room without the rest of their team, without even giving our spokesperson an opportunity to reply.

A side table was convened to talk things over. We finally got to make our request that someone with the power to negotiate hybrid work be present at the next meeting scheduled for May 2nd. Regardless of how May 2nd meeting goes, our plans to fight for a True and Fair Hybrid Work system continues.
Best Regards,
The CUPEU Negotiation Committee
Please help us gauge future actions related to Hybrid Work in Negotiations.
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