The union representing full-time faculty at Carleton entered into conciliation with the university June 19 after four bargaining sessions, during which no financial items were tabled.
The Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) includes faculty, instructors, and professional librarians at Carleton.
Conciliation is the second step in union negotiations that follows a meeting at the bargaining table, where the two parties talk about what the workers want in their new collective agreement.
At any time during the negotiations, either party can request a conciliator be brought in from the provincial Ministry of Labour. The neutral third party then attempts to assist the employer and union by suggesting possible areas of compromise, bringing a different point of view, clarifying issues, and using other techniques designed to bring the parties closer together, according to an email sent to Carleton students.
The conciliator essentially acts as an informal moderator who is impartial and aims to help move the process along, the email said.
Angelo Mingarelli, the outgoing president of CUASA, said via email that the university is always positive while entering negotiations, although they are unrealistic for the most part.
“Our temporary withdrawal from bargaining came as a response to the Employer’s intransigence on our proposed changes to the process for developing ‘Unit Standards’ for tenure and promotion,” Mingarelli said.
“Unit Standards” refer to the process whereby a given unit is free to describe what it wants in terms of the hiring of faculty, their tenure, and ultimately their promotion.
“For CUASA the matter was part of the vision for its future members and the quality of the university faculty going forward. It was simple, we looked at the future and what was fair and just for its CUASA members,” he said.
The recent negotiations with other campus unions, such as CUPE 4600 and OPSEU 404, led CUASA to believe they may face some obstacles in their own round of negotiations, according to Mingarelli.
“Resolving these and other issues would be beneficial to all parties. Clarification of the unit standards process would ensure Carleton a fair and transparent tenure and promotion system,” he said.
“Carleton remains committed to a negotiated settlement and we are optimistic that it can be reached,” Beth Gorham, Carleton’s manager of public affairs, said via email.
The university also said they have scheduled 10 full-day bargaining sessions through mid-July with the union.
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