Carleton administration violated collective agreements during recent negotiations and needs to change its labour relations, according to 18 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) chairs and directors.
In a signed email sent Jan. 20 to the administration, Board of Governors (BOG) and bargaining unit presidents, the FASS administrators expressed their discontent with the university’s communications.
“We were . . . offended by communications [that] insisted on contingency plans which appeared to us to violate these agreements,” the email said. “A climate of uncertainty pervaded all our units.”
The email asks for improved labour negotiations with all units.
Labour negotiations were not in keeping with the four collective agreements, according to the email.
Though possible strikes were averted, the culture of negotiations needs to change, said the email.
“We cannot allow this near-miss to convince us that no damage was done.”
Jason MacDonald, director of the department of university communications, said he wouldn’t comment until viewing the email.
Carleton University Students’ Association vice-president (student life) Christopher Infantry said he “wouldn’t comment on behalf of the BOG.”