The Queen’s Board of Trustees and employees in all three Queen’s locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have ratified new collective agreements. The bargaining committees reached tentative deals on August 6 but they required the approval of both the Board and the employees in each bargaining unit.

“I want to thank CUPE members for ratifying these new agreements,” said Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf. “The work they do every day is very much valued by the University. I’m particularly appreciative of the resolution with respect to the Queen’s Pension Plan. In accepting the tentative agreements they have taken a big step toward putting the plan on a more sustainable footing. These agreements set us on a positive path.”

The new agreements each have a four-year term. They are retroactive to July 1, 2010, and extend until June 30, 2014. Highlights of the new agreement include:

• Across-the-board, annual wage increases of 1.25%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and 3.0%
• Gradual increases to employee pension contributions: from 4.5% (for contributions up to the YMPE) and 6.0% (for contributions above the YMPE) to 7.0% and 9.0%, respectively, by January 1, 2014, with no change to the benefit formula, and
• An increase to available funds in the tuition support plans.

This round of collective bargaining began in January of this year. Bargaining took place over 13 days, with six days of conciliation and another 5 ½ days of mediation.

CUPE collectively represents approximately 430 university staff who are technicians (Local 254), library technicians (Local 1302) and a number of employees in Physical Plant Services, Residence Operations and Athletics & Recreation (Local 229).

If you wish to learn more about the new collective agreements, copies will be posted online. Please check back for updates at http://www.queensu.ca/labournews/.