November 24, 2011 - NSCAD reaches agreements with three unions
NSCAD University President David B. Smith is pleased to announce that the university has signed new collective agreements with FUNSCAD Unit I and FUNSCAD Unit II. A tentative agreement was also reached Tuesday with NSGEU, but has yet to be ratified.
In negotiations since the summer, tentative agreements between the two bargaining units representing faculty members and technicians were reached recently after much collaboration and compromise on all sides. Those agreements were ratified by the union memberships earlier this week and the NSCAD University Board of Governors on Thursday, Nov. 17.
“I want to thank everyone involved for their persistence, creative thinking and willingness to work tirelessly to reach these agreements with our faculty and technicians,” said Prof. Smith. “Now, together we can invest our energy to finding solutions to other pressing challenges facing the university.”
The university also reached a tentative agreement with the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) Tuesday. Local 82 of the NSGEU represents administrative support and custodial staff at NSCAD University.
November 2, 2011 - FUNSCAD Unit II Bargaining Update
Earlier today, Jarrod Baboushkin, the conciliator appointed by the Honourable Marilyn More, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, filed his report with the Minister indicating the union and University were at an impasse. The University and FUNSCAD Unit II had been at the negotiating table since July working toward a new collective agreement for technicians.
Despite recent movement on some issues, there is still considerable distance between the two parties and, as a result, the conciliator notified the bargaining teams and the provincial Minister that he has ended his mandate. The conciliator is available to both parties should they wish to resume bargaining.
The University is disappointed that the conciliation process has not been successful but remains committed to signing an agreement that modestly enhances previous contracts, serves the best interests of NSCAD as a whole, and is financially sustainable over the long term.
The University is meeting with internal and external stakeholders to discuss the status of negotiations and the impact of various financial proposals on other areas of the University.
While we remain hopeful and optimistic an agreement can be reached, NSCAD needs to remain committed to stable, secure and flexible contracts, to meet the University’s financial challenges.
Contingency planning is underway to limit the disruption to students, should FUNSCAD Unit II decide to withdraw services, which could happen as early as November 16th
October 14, 2011 - Bargaining Update
This is an update on collective bargaining with Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU) and Faculty Union of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (FUNSCAD) Units I and II.
On October 25-26, 2011, NSCAD administration and representatives of FUNSCAD Unit II will meet with Jarrod Baboushkin, who has been appointed by the Honourable Marilyn More, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.
Minister More has also appointed Mr. Baboushkin to serve as Conciliator in NSGEU negotiations but no dates have been scheduled.
On October 12, 2011, FUNSCAD Unit I negotiators independently requested Minister More appoint a Conciliator to assist with their negotiations.
The university has proposed increases of 1 %, 1% and 1% in each of three years for NSGEU and FUNSCAD Unit I and II.
Building on our 124-year history in Nova Scotia, we need to be financially sustainable in order to remain independent and maintain our leadership in the area of fine arts education. The next five years will be critical as we strive to maintain our competitiveness with other art schools, attract talented students and increase enrolment while maintaining our artistic integrity and supporting our research goals. Everyone plays an important role in ensuring NSCAD’s success.
October 5, 2011 - Update on collective bargaining with Unit II, Technicians.
Yesterday, October 4th, NSCAD administration made a request to the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education for Conciliation Services to help reach a new collective agreement with university technicians represented by FUNSCAD Unit II. We are committed to signing a new contract.
Both parties worked hard during bargaining sessions and many issues were resolved; however, there remains a significant financial gap between what the university can offer and what the union has asked for. In the economic circumstances in which the university operates, we must be prudent in managing costs before agreeing to proposals which will impact the university’s structural deficit. The university has proposed increases of 1 %, 1% and 1% in each of three years, beginning July 1, 2011.
At this point, the parties are at an impasse and we are optimistic that a conciliator can assist both parties in arriving at a new contract that is fair to technicians and which supports the university’s objectives of being student focused, flexible and financially stable.
Building on our 124-year history in Nova Scotia, we need to be financially sustainable in order to remain independent and maintain our leadership in the area of fine arts education. The next five years will be critical as we strive to maintain our competativeness with other art schools, attract talented students and increase enrolment while maintaining our artistic integrity and supporting our research goals. Everyone plays an important role in ensuring NSCAD's success.
September 13, 2011 - Collective Bargaining Begins
The collective bargaining process with FUNSCAD Unit I and Unit II has begun. Over the next several months our objective will be to ensure we support each of our employee groups in a time of declining resources and economic uncertainty all while maintaining our student experience and ensuring a secure, independant and renowned future for NSCAD.
NSCAD is scheduled to meet with the NSGEU group to begin collective agreement discussions at the end of the month.