Bargaining Bulletin #4
Update on negotiations on the collegial model and decolonization
Dear members, on 23 February your bargaining committee met with the employer’s committee for the first time since the initial exchange of proposals on 30 and 31 January. Our next meetings are on 6 and 9 March. This bulletin is an update on talks about the collegial model, and on new proposals, we exchanged with last week.
Collegial model update
The employer is still seeking to remove collegial decision-making and replace it with top-down management. Last week we asked the employer’s committee members to explain their rationale for this proposal, and what their goals are. Their responses suggest that they don’t understand the model or see its value to the University—and they even find it colonial.
Over the past month you, the CFA members, have affirmed the value and effectiveness of the model. You have called it one of the most decolonized aspects of working at CapU. Many of you have said to us, “This is why I love working here.” We will bring this perspective to the next negotiations meeting, on 6 March.
We hope they employer will drop this proposal once it understands how important the collegial model is to our members—and to the University. Then we will be able to focus the negotiations on proposals that will enable faculty and the University to flourish: improvements to wages and benefits, opportunities for paid research and scholarship, simplification of regularization, and equitable income for non-regular faculty.
Given the strength of feeling among the membership about the collegial model, we imagine some of you may want to share your views at the “pizza lunches” that Paul Dangerfield has announced on 6 and 8 March. We understand, but offer a note of caution. The timing of these lunches, just as collective bargaining is starting, is concerning. Although we see nothing wrong with members expressing their support for the collegial model, we advise against discussing possible changes to the model or our other terms of work. Such a discussion should be left to your bargaining committee.
New proposals on decolonization and other matters
In the meeting on 23 February each side also tabled counter-proposals. The CFA’s proposal was for a meaningful, ongoing process of decolonization. To that end, we tabled a proposal on 23 February that picks up on the employer’s stated desire to decolonize the University (download it below). Our proposal would establish a joint committee for this work. The Committee would also be a space in which faculty, administrators, staff, students, and representatives of First Nations can collaborate. It would revive and strengthen the former “First Nations Advisory Committee,” which was also known as the “Indigenize the Academy” committee.
CFA decolonization committee proposal
The employer tabled some counter-proposals on smaller items in the original CFA package (discipline letters, overloads, diversity on committees, and travel stipends). We are reviewing these.
Our goal is to move negotiations towards the significant items listed above (wages, benefits, research, regularization, equity). We are hindered in our ability to negotiate on benefits, research, and scale placement until we receive the detailed financial information we requested from the employer, but we hope to have that soon.
We will send an update after the meeting on 6 March.
We encourage you to attend the March 21 , 2023 General Meeting (watch for the e-mail invitation), in which we will give a further update.
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to email a member of your Faculty Association bargaining committee.
In Solidarity, Michael Begg (Chief Bargainer), Douglas Alards-Tomalin, Tim Acton, Monica Staff (FPSE staff representative), Eduardo Azmitia: CFA President (ex officio)