Dear colleagues,
Your bargaining team met September 4-5 with the Employer’s team in formal mediation with Mediator Deb Howes. While the days were challenging and sometimes frustrating, enough positive progress was made that your bargaining team felt the parties have not yet reached impasse.
Not unsurprisingly, the big topics of overall remuneration, including ensuring the adequate funding of our benefits plan over the long term, remain unsettled. However, because of the measurable progress, the parties have agreed to meet again in two weeks — on September 18.
While we cannot disclose further details on the tentative agreements to-date, and while we remain cautiously optimistic at this time, we feel that when we return to the table the AASUA team will be able to realistically assess whether the Employer is serious about getting to a deal (or not).
As a result, we cannot let the pedal off the metal in preparing for all possible outcomes, including job action. It is incredibly important that AASUA members continue to demonstrate their support for the team that is negotiating on their behalf, so we can keep the pressure on the Board of Governors to come to a fair deal on the 18. Stay tuned.
In solidarity,
Gordon Swaters
AASUA President