Local 071/010 Bargaining Committee and NorQuest College reach tentative agreement
EDMONTON – A final meeting produced a tentative agreement between the bargaining committee of Local 071/010 and NorQuest College.
“There have been a lot of meetings, an unsuccessful mediation, and an application for arbitration,” said AUPE Staff Negotiator Jim Petrie, “but I’m pleased to report that as of 26 January 2010, the local and Norquest have reached a tentative agreement.”
The Bargaining Committee is recommending acceptance of the Tentative Agreement to the local’s members, he said.
If ratified, the agreement will run until 30 June 2012. Changes include an additional classification after Step 6 (LSI), changes to the Vacation and Casual Illness years to 1 January-31 December, vacation time able to be taken as earned instead of at the end of the year, and other administrative changes that benefit both the Local and the employer. Two salary reopeners were also added.
The Bargaining Committee also reached a verbal understanding with NorQuest College that the employer will look at converting 12 Term Positions into Permanent Positions within the next few months.
“We’re always happy to avoid arbitration,” Petrie said. “This is an agreement that both the Local and the College can be proud of.”
An information meeting and ratification vote will be held on Thursday, 4 February 2010, from 9 am to 4 pm in the cafeteria on Main Campus. The Bargaining Committee will be available during that time to answer any questions the members have about the tentative agreement. Employees in satellite offices of NorQuest College must contact the Bargaining Committee about their ballot.
Local 071/010 represents almost 300 members at NorQuest College.
For more information, please contact:
Local 071/010 Bargaining Committee:
Leslie Marquardt, 780-644-6381, leslie.marquardt@norquest.ca
Ellen Pollard, 780-644-6503, ellen.pollard@norquest.ca
Craig Stansfield, 780-644-6471, craig.stansfield@norquest.ca
Jim Petrie, AUPE Staff Negotiator, 780-930-3335, j.petrie@aupe.org