On October 30, Brock University’s Board of Trustees ratified a renewal collective agreement that had been reached between the University and CUPE Local 4207-3, ESL Instructors. Bargaining unit members ratified the agreement on October 27.
The three-year agreement is retroactive to July 7, 2017, and is effective to July 6, 2020.
A draft of the new collective agreement will be available on the University’s website shortly.
Representatives from Brock University and CUPE Local 4207-3 have reached a tentative agreement for a renewal collective agreement.
The tentative agreement was reached at about 1:00am on Saturday October 21, following a full day of negotiations facilitated by a Conciliation Officer appointed by the Ministry of Labour.
Details of the tentative agreement will be released once it has been ratified by the parties.
CUPE 4207-3 represents approximately 59 English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructors at the University. The current collective agreement expired on July 6, 2017.
On September 8, 2017, CUPE 4207-3, which represents ESL Instructors, filed a request for the appointment of a conciliation officer, following twelve meetings between the parties. The collective agreement between Brock University and CUPE 4207-3 expired on July 6.
Conciliation is a process by which a union or employer can apply to the Ontario Ministry of Labour to appoint a conciliation officer, who will try to assist the parties to reach a collective agreement.
The University remains committed to a negotiated settlement and looks forward to continuing our discussions with CUPE 4207-3 to reach a collective agreement.
Further updates will be provided to the community as discussions continue.
On March 9, Brock University’s Board of Trustees ratified a renewal collective agreement that had been reached between the University and CUPE Local 4207-1, which represents contract instructors, teaching assistants, course coordinators, marker-graders and lab demonstrators. Bargaining unit members ratified the agreement on March 16.
The three-year agreement is retroactive to September 7, 2016, and is effective to September 6, 2019.
A draft of the new collective agreement will be available on the University’s website shortly.
Brock University is continuing discussions today (March 2) with CUPE 4207-1 in an effort to reach a collective agreement ahead of the March 3 deadline for the parties to be in a legal strike or lockout position.
While the University remains committed to reaching a negotiated settlement, in the event of a strike by CUPE 4207-1, the University has provided some guidelines for crossing a picket line, as well as some relevant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for members of the Brock community. Please see the appropriate links on this Labour Relations at Brock website.
People should bookmark and monitor this website for further updates.
Representatives from Brock University and CUPE Local 4207 Unit 1 met with a mediator into the evening on Wednesday March 1, and will resume talks today (March 2) in an effort to reach a tentative agreement on a renewal collective agreement.
The parties will be in a legal strike/lockout position at 12:01 a.m. on Friday March 3.
Representatives from Brock University and from CUPE Local 4207-1 have not yet reached a tentative deal for a renewal collective agreement, after 12 bargaining and conciliation meetings held since last fall.
Earlier this month the union asked the Ontario Ministry of Labour to issue a “no-board report”, which was issued on Feb. 14. As a result, the parties will be in a legal strike/lockout position at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 3.
The University believes the collective bargaining process can enable the parties to reach a tentative agreement before March 3. Brock’s representatives remain available to meet with the union, and a meeting between the parties and the provincially-appointed mediator has been scheduled for March 1.
CUPE 4207-1 represents approximately 2,000 contract instructors, teaching assistants, course coordinators, marker-graders and lab demonstrators. During the 2015-16 academic year , bargaining unit members were appointed to a total of 3,021 contracts, about half of which were held by graduate students.
Brock highly values its people, and works hard to maintain positive and constructive relationships with all of its employees. The University’s strength and appeal, its deep value to its students and to the surrounding region, can be traced to the efforts, integrity and successes of the highly regarded people who work all across campus.
For updates and related information, monitor this website.
The University has been advised that CUPE, Local 4207-1, which represents contract Instructors, Teaching Assistants, Course Coordinators, Lab Demonstrators and Marker-Graders at Brock, will set a strike deadline for Friday March 3.
The parties have been bargaining for a new agreement since September and met three times with a provincially appointed conciliation officer, after which the union requested what is known as a “no-board report”, the first step toward a legal strike or lockout.
The “no-board report” has now been issued, and the parties are in a legal strike/lockout position as of 12:01 am on March 3. The union has advised it will set a strike deadline for that date.
The University remains committed to continued talks with the union to reach a renewal collective agreement. The current agreement expired on Sept. 6, 2016.
For continued updates on this negotiation, and for more information about the collective bargaining process, please regularly monitor this website.
