The university and the United Steelworkers of Canada have jointly released the detailed description of the new staff bargaining unit.

Staff cast ballots in a certification vote in March, but the votes were sealed because the university and the union needed to agree on the bargaining unit description.

Arbitration/mediation talks between the parties this fall led to a settlement that paved the way for a count by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on Monday. 53% of staff voted to unionize.

The bargaining unit will encompass over 1,200 employees.

The next steps include more arbitration/mediation discussions as the university and union work through about 120 positions classified as “management and confidential capacity” that remain in dispute.

“We need to determine whether some of these positions should be included in the union or not,” says Acting Associate V-P (Human Resources) Al Orth. “This won’t affect the vote result. The votes of the individuals in these positions were included in the count and that won’t change.”

The Ontario Labour Relations Board is expected to officially issue the union certificate within the next few weeks. University and United Steelworkers of Canada representatives will then determine the next steps in the collective bargaining process.

“Again, I want to thank staff for their patience as this lengthy process moves forward, says Mr. Orth. “The university is committed to continuing to working with the union in the best interests of our employees.”