Dear QUFA Members,
The Executive Committee met with the Chief Negotiator and Bargaining Team on August 4 to discuss the state of bargaining. Based on that discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to authorize taking a strike vote. Information relevant to the vote can be found below (scroll down for a strike vote FAQ and important links), and this web page will be updated throughout the week. The general bargaining page is here: https://qufa.ca/bargaining
VOTE DETAILS: The vote will be conducted using Simply Voting from 12pm August 11 to 12 pm August 14 (EDT). The results will be announced on August 14. Information about how you will receive a ballot and what to do if you don’t get one is coming soon. All members of the QUFA Bargaining Unit are entitled to vote; you do not need to fill out a membership form.
MORE INFORMATION: More information about the current status of bargaining will be shared via email in the coming days. In addition, there are three virtual information sessions to discuss the rationale for a strike vote as follows (Zoom links sent via email):
- Friday, August 7 at 4:30-6:30pm (EDT)
- Monday, August 10 at 9-11am (EDT)
- Monday, August 10 at 1-3pm (EDT)
All members of the Bargaining Unit are welcome to join the meeting of their choice. The presentation portion of each meeting will be the same so you only need attend one session. One presentation will be recorded and shared on the strike vote page before the vote opens for those who cannot make an information session.
WHY NOW?: There have been close to 40 scheduled days of bargaining to date and more are planned for the coming week. QUFA and Queen’s agreed to enter conciliation in July in order to break some logjams but the first two days of conciliation yielded very little progress. There are two more days of conciliation booked for August 18 and 19, and the parties have committed to meeting into the evening if necessary. The chances for a decent settlement at that time will be vastly increased if the membership votes yes to authorize a potential strike. There are two great articles explaining how strike votes work in the Canadian university context here:
- https://lawofwork.ca/strikevotes/
- https://lawofwork.ca/without-a-successful-strike-vote-york-faculty-are-sitting-ducks/
I HAVE A QUESTION: If you can’t find answers to your questions on the Strike Vote Page, please send them in to this email (qufa@queensu.ca). We will update the Strike Vote FAQ (below) before the strike vote opens next week.
Please try to attend an information session and watch your email for more details about why the Bargaining Team and Executive Committee are recommending that QUFA members demonstrate their commitment to a getting a good contract by voting yes in the strike vote.