CUPE 1334 BARGAINING BULLETIN #1 March 19, 2013
CUPE Local 1334 represents Trades, Maintenance and Service Workers at the University of Guelph. Our Collective Agreement expires April 30th, 2013. The Local served Notice to Bargain to the university on February 1st. A Notice to Bargain is the legal request for the employer and Union to enter into meetings to negotiate the renewal of the Collective Agreement. Either side may serve the Notice to Bargain.
We had very successful rallies on both day and night shift. The rallies were celebrating our right to free collective bargaining and an opportunity to meet your negotiating committee. We were also able to release the results of the bargaining surveys, talk about our Local and Provincial priorities and to explain the provincial coordinated bargaining campaign.
The Union’s Bargaining Team members are Janice Folk-Dawson, Nanci Morley, Laura Solomon, Scott Reynolds, Brian Gorman, Nick Gielen and Darrin Chasty.
The university’s Bargaining Team members are Chris Nutt, Bob Carter, Steve Nymen, Brent Harwood, Ed Martin, Frank Cain and Claudia Runciman.
The Union offered dates in February and March. The parties met on March 4th, 7th, 12th and 15th. The Union’s package contains the priorities that you the membership directed your bargaining team to take forward. The 4 days at the bargaining table have been respectful and productive as we work through the language proposals from both parties.
We have agreed to four more dates in April. We will be dealing with the monetary portion of the package which will include wages, pensions and benefits. We will be bringing Kevin Skerrett, CUPE Pension specialist to the table with us.
There is no legislation in place dictating how our bargaining should proceed as there was for School Board workers and teachers. The Provincial Liberal Government under the new Premier Wynne has said that collective bargaining must take place.
Our intention is to have a new Collective Agreement is place before this one expiries. This is a new direction for our Local and the university. In the past we were not able to get a new collective agreement until months after the expiry date. Stay tuned for more updates! Make sure you are registered for the phone tree and email updates!