The university continues to work with multiple employee groups at various stages of the collective bargaining process.

Talks with the three units of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) move to conciliation starting next week. Conciliation means the parties will be assisted by a provincially appointed Conciliation Officer to address outstanding issues. The discussions with Locals 229, 254 and 1302 began in January. The CUPE contracts expired last June.

Arbitration/mediation discussions between Queen’s and the United Steelworkers of Canada will be continuing in May with additional dates scheduled in the coming months. These talks, which began in February, are focusing on the membership of the new staff bargaining unit – some positions identified by the university need to be determined to be either in or out of the union.

Negotiations towards a first contract between Queen’s and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union that represents graduate Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows, have been underway since November with bargaining continuing next week.

Meetings with the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) are also continuing. The faculty contract expires at the end of April.

Discussions also continue with the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) on a first contract for the 10 registered nurses in the Queen’s Family Health Team. ONA has applied for conciliation and the parties are in the process of setting meeting dates.