University administration and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1998, which represents about 7,000 U of T staff, are working to reach a deal on a new employee compensation agreement before Monday, September 15 at 12:01 am. The new deal will replace the previous employee compensation agreement signed in 2011. If no deal is reached, there is the possibility of a strike or lockout, but neither party has announced plans for such measures at this point.
Earlier today, the strike deadline was extended from September 8 to September 15.
“The [last] collective agreement expired June 30. The Labour Relations Act allows the previous agreement to remain in force until you get to a legal strike and lockout position,” said Stuart Deans, Toronto area coordinator for USW. “If we are at 12:01 am and are making good progress — if we can see that we just need a few more hours or even a day to do it — we’ll extend that deadline on mutual agreement of the parties to get the thing done. But, if we are far apart and there is no chance that we can bridge that gap, then likely what that will lead to is a labour dispute and all of the facets that go with that,” Deans added.
Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, said that university administration is doing all it can to reach an agreement that responds to the needs of both parties.
“The university continues to negotiate in good faith with USW with the goal of reaching a renewed collective agreement that is responsive to employee interests and is also responsible in light of the ongoing financial constraints within which the university operates,” she said.
Full story in print and online on Monday.
