06 Sep #CUfail
Timeline of events regarding the latest CA agreed to by CUPEU and the University:
March 17, 2015: CUPEU and the University start Negotiations
… 2 year, 2 months, and 22 days later …
Thursday, June 9, 2017: CUPEU and the University reach a verbal agreement and begin taking the necessary steps to make the agreement official.
Monday, June 12, 2017: An “agreement-in-principle” is signed by CUPEU and the University in HR.
- CUPEU will convene an assembly to ratify the agreement ASAP.
- HR would ask the BOG to meet in July for a special meeting.
- CUPEU’s CSN advisor noted that any CA signed after its expiry date would be rejected by the Ministry of Labour.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017: The agreement is ratified by membership
August 24, 2017: The Board of Governors (BOG) approves an “agreement-in-principle” with CUPEU. At the same meeting, the BOG approves agreements in principle for CUPFA, CULEU and STT des métiers de Concordia (FEESP–CSN).
August 31st, 2017: The CUPEU collective agreement would have expired.
November 2017: Rumour that CULEU CA was rejected by Ministry of Labour (later confirmed).
Thursday, February 22, 2018: CUPEU suggests that a Letter of Agreement (LoA) between the union and HR be prepared in anticipation of the Ministry of Labour’s rejection of the CA.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018: CUPEU President informed that our Labour Relations Advisor was working on a LoA for all similarly affected collective bargaining units with legal the next day, March 1, 2018.
Wednesday, March 21st, 2018: HR informs CUPEU at a Labour Relations Committee meeting that instead of drafting a LoA, legal will attempt to reach a solution with the Ministry.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018: HR informs CUPEU that both CULEU and the trades CAs were rejected. As HR and legal continue to seek a solution, they would like CUPEU to sign and submit the agreed upon CA that was ratified by our membership and the BOG to the Ministry of Labour. The CUPEU executive complies after making it clear to HR that submitting a CA signed after it has expired is an exercise in futility.
May 2018: CUPEU’s CA is officially signed, without a formal ceremony.
June 6, 2018: CUPEU’s CA submitted to the Ministry of Labour.
June 15, 2018: Date on the letter from the Ministry of Labour in which they reject the filing of CUPEU’s CA.
Tuesday, June 26th, 2018: HR states that there is “no update from legal” at a Labour Relations Committee meeting.
Wednesday, July 4th, 2018: HR informs CUPEU at a Labour Relations Committee meeting that, as expected by CUPEU, the CUPEU CA has been officially rejected. HR states that there is “no update from legal”.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018: HR states that there is “no update from legal” at a Labour Relations Committee meeting.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018: HR states that there is “no update from legal” at a Labour Relations Committee meeting.
Thursday, August 30, 2018: Email from Executive Director of Labour Relations states, “We are still waiting for legal who had to communicate themselves with other parties… we had already sent a reminder to our lawyer last week. We will see where we are once he returns from vacation.”
Friday, August 31, 2018: Marks the one year anniversary that the CA would have expired had it been accepted by the ministry.
Friday, September 14, 2018: CUPEU’s open letter to Mr. Shepard, the President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University, is hand delivered to his office by CUPEU President, Gillian Roper. A copy of the letter is available here. Planned CUPEU mobilizations are discussed at a meeting in HR.
The week of September 17: The University and CUPEU meet several times to seek a solution.
Thursday, September 20: The University and CUPEU come to an agreement as to how to render the last agreed upon CA valid. The University has until 3 pm on Friday, September 21 to deliver on their end of the bargain.
Friday, September 21: The University delivered on their end of the bargain. CUPEU members are not to wear their mobilization t-shirts at the events on September 24th and the 28th.