Bargaining Update September 23rd, 2021
TODAY’S EVENTS SUMMARY
The faculty team invited the CEC team to the table today to clarify the status of bargaining, respond to their correspondence regarding mediation, and to propose additional dates.
In a recent update posted to their website and circulated to faculty at many colleges, the CEC team erroneously claimed that bargaining was on hold. The faculty team did not consent to putting bargaining on hold, nor had the CEC team notified us that their intent was to suspend bargaining. We asked that they issue a correction.
We let the CEC team know that our offer for mediation without escalation or preconditions remains on the table. Despite our agreement to remove all faculty proposals without prejudice to proceed with mediation, and despite our agreement with the ground rules proposed by the CEC, in his response letter, CEO Graham Lloyd says that unless faculty are willing to remove our list of 17 demands, the CEC team is unwilling to consider mediation. Lloyd stated that mediation can only be successful if both parties set aside their proposals and faculty set aside their demands, explaining that “[the CEC team’s] position has not changed. For mediation to be successful, the parties must show flexibility and compromise.” These appear to be contradictory messages, however, we remain willing to engage in mediation should the CEC team’s position become more flexible.
The faculty team also proposed 4 additional dates in October to continue bargaining if a settlement is not able to be reached by September 30.
We continue our own work to move closer to a negotiated settlement that addresses faculty demands, and plan to meet the CEC team again tomorrow.