REGINA/SASKATOON - University workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1975 reached a tentative agreement last night with the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, after more than two years of contract negotiations.
“It was a long, difficult round of bargaining,” says CUPE staff representative Don Moran, “but we have finally achieved an agreement we can recommend to our members.”
The three-year agreement, which covers 2,400 CUPE members at the two universities, involves the introduction of a new compensation system and resolves all of the outstanding litigations concerning job evaluation and pay equity.
The tentative agreement provides pay equity increases for library and clerical workers up to July 1, 2009.
In addition to the new compensation system, the tentative agreement provides campus-wide seniority for all members at the University of Saskatchewan, additional funding for benefits and improved rights for casual employees.
“Most casual workers will now receive all of the benefits of the collective agreement - and that’s a major gain for these members,” says Saskatoon CUPE staff representative Lois Lamon.
“Although the agreement does not contain everything we wanted, we felt it was the best we could do without resorting to a full-scale strike,” she says.
The parties will meet on February 7 and 8 to finalize the details of the tentative agreement before union ratification meetings are held.
The tentative agreement expires December 31, 2006.
CUPE 1975 represents about 600 members at the University of Regina and 1,800 members at the University of Saskatchewan.
For more information contact:
Don Moran
CUPE staff representative in Regina
(306) 525-5874
Glenn Ross
CUPE 1975 president in Saskatoon
(306) 221-8177