The Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4600 went on strike in the early morning on March 6 for around an hour, before the union reached a tentative agreement on a new collective agreement with the university.
The union was in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on March 6 and picketers blocked traffic entering the university at 6 a.m. that morning.
The union, which represents teaching assistants (TA) and contract instructors (CI), had been in negotiation with administration since June 2016 over issues such as job security, rate of pay, and class sizes.
Janne Cleveland, a volunteer for CUPE 4600’s media committee and contract instructor at Carleton, said that while the agreement still has to be ratified by the union’s members, she is confident it will pass.
“This is common practice,” she said. “I’m certainly hoping that it will be ratified and that it’s a good enough deal to be ratified. We have a very strong bargaining team so I have no reason to expect it won’t be a good offer.”
Cleveland said she did not know the specifics of the new collective agreement as it has not been presented to TAs and CIs yet.
One of the issues brought up by CUPE 4600 during negotiations was that CIs at the University of Ottawa are paid 20 per cent more per course than ones at Carleton.
Cleveland said CIs at the U of O are paid $1,000 more per course.
“Rising inflation rates have eaten away at any gains and caused fewer and fewer full-time jobs, but Carleton’s financials show a $70-million surplus in reserve,” Cleveland said.
In an email Steven Reid, a Carleton media relations officer, said the university does not compare itself to other post-secondary institutions.
“Carleton is committed to a fiscally responsible and sustainable future that preserves employment and resources,” he said. “It does not compare itself to institutions facing large deficits and staffing cuts. We also see no comparison with institutions in Toronto where workers face a vastly higher cost of living.”
While there is no guarantee that the union will accept the tentative agreement, Cleveland expressed her faith in the negotiating team and said, “Hopefully this new agreement ends the uncertainty and offers a better deal to those trying to teach.”
Rob Thomas, Carleton’s assistant vice-president (human resources), said in an email to students that the agreement was reached after mediated talks over the weekend.
“Details of the settlement will be released after a ratification vote by members of the bargaining unit and the university,” he said.
It has not been disclosed when TAs and CIs will be voting on the settlement reached between the union and Carleton.
– File photo
