Bargaining Update and FA Leadership Changes
Dear Members,
I hope that all is well with you.
Bargaining Update
Just a brief update on bargaining, on behalf of your Negotiating Team.
Over the past six weeks we have generally been meeting weekly to exchange proposals with the Admin team, but since we do not yet have a provincial mandate (see below) we will be taking a break for the summer after next week’s bargaining session. Your Negotiating Team will be working on our responses to a number of the admin’s proposals over the summer, before we return to the bargaining table in early September.
Thus far our discussions have focused on non-monetary matters because we cannot have serious discussions about monetary matters at the table until the provincial bargaining mandate is set by the Public Sector Employers Council Secretariat (PSEC). This mandate is set when one of the big public sector unions, usually but not always the BCGEU, comes to a settlement with the provincial government. Earlier this week the province made its initial offer to BCGEU and other large public sector unions. This offer was for a two year agreement, with a total of approximately 3.5% in wage increases over two years. This amount is very likely to increase through collective bargaining with the big unions, but we can’t predict by how much, and we certainly can’t predict when the first union will settle, thus creating the mandate for the rest of the public sector (including UVic FA). We are hoping the mandate will be finalized by early fall, so that we can (if all goes well) move towards the successful completion of our bargaining with the administration by later in the fall. But these matters are not entirely within our control. Since we will not have completed bargaining by June 30th, you unfortunately will not receive any bargained salary increases until we have a ratified agreement. We will make it a priority in bargaining to ensure that you receive these increases retroactively, as has previously been the case.
In terms of non-monetary proposals that have been discussed, we recently presented proposals for some significant changes to the discipline article (article 46). As you are aware from the mil rate campaign, the FA is concerned that the administration is making much more use of this discipline article then they have in the past, with many more of our members being called in for Oral Discussions and Letters of Expectation meetings, as well as actual disciplinary matters such as letters of reprimand and more serious forms of discipline. We are seeking language that ensures that there is always clarity, consistency, fairness and due process in how the processes in this article are applied.
We have proposed some minor changes to the ARPT processes, including removing size limits on ARPT committees, as we are aware that this change in the last agreement was not well received in a number of units across campus. We are also proposing that librarians as well as faculty members have access to the University Academic Appointments Committee (UAAC). This is a committee to which the President refers RPT cases in which he might be considering a negative decision, and committee members provide an additional level of oversight and advice in the process. Before 2015 librarians had access to a similar process, and we have presented proposals to restore their access to the UAAC process, to ensure parity of rights between faculty and librarian members in these important matters.
We were pleased to hear from the administration that we seem to have reached agreement on an improved timeline and process for grievances and arbitration, which will improve the situation for members, the FA and the administration in addressing disputes regarding the implementation of the Collective Agreement.
We are still too early in the process to have had much in the way of agreements at the table, but we are having frank and respectful discussions on a range of matters that are of great importance to our members, including the urgent need to address issues of workload, collegial governance, professional autonomy and issues of racism and other barriers to inclusion and success for BPoC members and members of other equity-deserving groups.
We will keep you posted as bargaining unfolds, and you will also be hearing more from our active and enthusiastic FA Membership Engagement Committee, which is planning a range of events and educational activities related to bargaining over the fall. Stay tuned, and if you’re interested in getting involved with this important committee, email me, or Tim Hopper, Elena Pnevmonidou or Amy Verdun.
FA Leadership Changes
I also wanted to let you know that as of July 1st, Adam Con, our current and very impressive FA VP, will become FA President for the next six months, as I focus on my role as Chief Negotiator, and we do our very best to get you a strong agreement. I will still be providing you with regular bargaining updates, but will be using my main email, [email protected] in communicating with members. You should use the [email protected] in communicating with Adam.
As of January 1st 2026 Adam will go on a well-deserved six month study leave, and I will return as FA President from January until the end of June 2026, which will be the end of my term.
I want to very much thank our outgoing Treasurer, Elisabeth Gugl, for stepping in as Treasurer in February, and doing an exceptional job, as always, and Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, who has always provided thoughtful and valuable advice in his role as Secretary over the past few years. I would also like to provide very sincere thanks to all of our extremely competent and hard-working staff, Amal, Ben, Faye, Nathan and Sabrina. We absolutely couldn’t run the FA without you.
I am also very excited to welcome and introduce three wonderful new FA officers: Shanne McCaffrey from Child and Youth Care, who already plays major roles on the FA Executive, and as Membership Services and Equity and Disability Portfolio holder and is now moving into the FA VP role, as well as our new officers and Executive Committee members, Qianqian Du from Business, who is joining as Treasurer, and Sarah Nutter from the brand new Faculty of Health, as Secretary. Welcome!
Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend, and I hope you are taking time for rest, relaxation and perhaps even some adventures over the summer.
All the very best,
Lynne Marks
President and Chief Negotiator, University of Victoria Faculty Association
