Nova Scotia college faculty ratify collective agreement • Exam invigilators at McGill get first collective agreement • Construction union wage rate unchanged in April • Number of EI recipients down for fifth consecutive month: StatsCan
Nova Scotia college faculty ratify collective agreement
HALIFAX — Community College faculty members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), employed by the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), have voted in favour of the tentative agreement reached between the College and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union on May 4.
The online vote took place on May 22.
Seventy-eight per cent of members of the Community College faculty voted 92 per cent in favour of their agreement, according to NSTU, which represents about 720 faculty who teach at NSCC campuses across Nova Scotia.
“We’re pleased that our members have ratified this new agreement, and I congratulate both negotiating teams for their hard work and dedication in achieving a fair and equitable agreement for our faculty members,” says NSTU president Shelley Morse. “In the coming days we will continue the bargaining process on behalf of our professional support members.”
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) president Don Bureaux adds, “I too am very pleased to see an agreement realized on behalf of NSCC’s dedicated faculty members this evening. It is thanks to the hard work and commitment of the bargaining teams for both the college and NSTU that this positive resolution has been achieved.”
What’s in the agreement: The agreement includes a salary increase of 7.5 per cent (7.7 per cent compounded) over the life of the agreement — including a two per cent increase on Sept. 1, 2011; a 2.5 per cent increase on Sept. 1, 2012; and three per cent on Sept. 1, 2013.
NSTU said equity in vacation allotment was also achieved — faculty members hired before and after Aug. 1, 1998, will receive the same vacation entitlement.
It also contains an increase dental for major restoration services.
Both the NSTU and NSCC are continuing to negotiate a tentative agreement for the 156-member professional support bargaining unit, made up of professionals such as registrars, librarians, counsellors, student support workers and training coordinators.
Exam invigilators at McGill get first collective agreement
MONTREAL — About 800 exam invigilators — workers who oversee the writing of exams — at McGill University in Montreal have approved an agreement-in-principle with the university.
The agreement, following more than two years of negotiations with the help of an arbitrator, is the first collective agreement for these workers.
What’s in the agreement: The principal gains include, among others:
• a 6.5 per cent wage increase after the contract is signed and an additional two per cent in the second year
• parental and social leave
• paid 15-minute breaks
• the establishment of a fair hiring and job-posting process and required training.
The collective agreement will expire in 2015.
“Our members are satisfied that this long negotiation process is over,” said Sunci Avlijas, a member of the bargaining committee. “We fully understand this only our first collective agreement and we will start mobilizing for the next round of negotiations tomorrow so that we can keep improving our working conditions.”
The exam invigilators are members of AGSEM-McGill’s Teaching Union, which also includes the university’s teaching assistants and course lecturers. The union is affiliated with the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN) and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). The union was accredited to represent exam invigilators in April 2010.
Construction union wage rate unchanged in April
OTTAWA — Canada’s construction union wage rate index remained unchanged in April compared with March, according to Statistics Canada. April’s composite index increased by 2.5 per cent from April 2012. In October, the most recent month for which numbers are available, the average hourly wage rate for construction workers was $28.23. The previous month’s average hourly wage rate was $28.52 (revised from original Statistics Canada publication). The construction union wage rate index series measures monthly changes over time in the collective agreement hourly rates, where they exist, for 16 trades engaged in building construction in 22 metropolitan areas.
Number of EI recipients down for fifth consecutive month: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The number of people receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits continued to trend down for the fifth consecutive month in March, declining slightly by one per cent, or 5,200, to 523,700. Compared with a year earlier, the number of beneficiaries was down 8.1 per cent.
All four Western provinces, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, had fewer beneficiaries in March, while there was little change in the other provinces.
Claims: To receive EI benefits, individuals must first submit a claim. The number of claims provides an indication of the number of people who could become beneficiaries.
The number of initial and renewal claims rose by three per cent, or 6,800, to 230,700 in March, partly offsetting the decline observed the previous month. Alberta (up 12.6 per cent) posted the largest percentage increase in claims in March with a 12.6 per cent increase, followed by New Brunswick with a 4.1 per cent increase.
Smaller percentage increases occurred in Nova Scotia, which experienced a 3.5 per cent increase, while Quebec saw a 3.5 per cent increase and Ontario experienced a 2.7 per cent increase. There was little or no change in the other provinces.
Provincial focus: The number of regular EI beneficiaries in Saskatchewan fell 3.1 per cent in March. This was the fourth consecutive monthly decrease for the province. Saskatoon saw a 3.8 per cent decline and Regina saw 2.1 per cent fewer beneficiaries than in the previous month.
In Alberta, the number of people receiving benefits fell for the fourth consecutive month, decreasing 2.6 per cent in March. In Calgary, the number of beneficiaries decreased for the third month in a row, down 2.5 per cent. At the same time, there was little change in Edmonton.
The number of people receiving regular benefits in British Columbia declined 2.4 per cent in March, continuing a seven-month downward trend. Of the four metropolitan areas in the province, three posted declines, with Abbotsford–Mission recording the largest decline at 6.6 per cent.
HALIFAX — Community College faculty members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), employed by the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), have voted in favour of the tentative agreement reached between the College and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union on May 4.
The online vote took place on May 22.
Seventy-eight per cent of members of the Community College faculty voted 92 per cent in favour of their agreement, according to NSTU, which represents about 720 faculty who teach at NSCC campuses across Nova Scotia.
“We’re pleased that our members have ratified this new agreement, and I congratulate both negotiating teams for their hard work and dedication in achieving a fair and equitable agreement for our faculty members,” says NSTU president Shelley Morse. “In the coming days we will continue the bargaining process on behalf of our professional support members.”
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) president Don Bureaux adds, “I too am very pleased to see an agreement realized on behalf of NSCC’s dedicated faculty members this evening. It is thanks to the hard work and commitment of the bargaining teams for both the college and NSTU that this positive resolution has been achieved.”
What’s in the agreement: The agreement includes a salary increase of 7.5 per cent (7.7 per cent compounded) over the life of the agreement — including a two per cent increase on Sept. 1, 2011; a 2.5 per cent increase on Sept. 1, 2012; and three per cent on Sept. 1, 2013.
NSTU said equity in vacation allotment was also achieved — faculty members hired before and after Aug. 1, 1998, will receive the same vacation entitlement.
It also contains an increase dental for major restoration services.
Both the NSTU and NSCC are continuing to negotiate a tentative agreement for the 156-member professional support bargaining unit, made up of professionals such as registrars, librarians, counsellors, student support workers and training coordinators.
Exam invigilators at McGill get first collective agreement
MONTREAL — About 800 exam invigilators — workers who oversee the writing of exams — at McGill University in Montreal have approved an agreement-in-principle with the university.
The agreement, following more than two years of negotiations with the help of an arbitrator, is the first collective agreement for these workers.
What’s in the agreement: The principal gains include, among others:
• a 6.5 per cent wage increase after the contract is signed and an additional two per cent in the second year
• parental and social leave
• paid 15-minute breaks
• the establishment of a fair hiring and job-posting process and required training.
The collective agreement will expire in 2015.
“Our members are satisfied that this long negotiation process is over,” said Sunci Avlijas, a member of the bargaining committee. “We fully understand this only our first collective agreement and we will start mobilizing for the next round of negotiations tomorrow so that we can keep improving our working conditions.”
The exam invigilators are members of AGSEM-McGill’s Teaching Union, which also includes the university’s teaching assistants and course lecturers. The union is affiliated with the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN) and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). The union was accredited to represent exam invigilators in April 2010.
Construction union wage rate unchanged in April
OTTAWA — Canada’s construction union wage rate index remained unchanged in April compared with March, according to Statistics Canada. April’s composite index increased by 2.5 per cent from April 2012. In October, the most recent month for which numbers are available, the average hourly wage rate for construction workers was $28.23. The previous month’s average hourly wage rate was $28.52 (revised from original Statistics Canada publication). The construction union wage rate index series measures monthly changes over time in the collective agreement hourly rates, where they exist, for 16 trades engaged in building construction in 22 metropolitan areas.
Number of EI recipients down for fifth consecutive month: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The number of people receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits continued to trend down for the fifth consecutive month in March, declining slightly by one per cent, or 5,200, to 523,700. Compared with a year earlier, the number of beneficiaries was down 8.1 per cent.
All four Western provinces, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, had fewer beneficiaries in March, while there was little change in the other provinces.
Claims: To receive EI benefits, individuals must first submit a claim. The number of claims provides an indication of the number of people who could become beneficiaries.
The number of initial and renewal claims rose by three per cent, or 6,800, to 230,700 in March, partly offsetting the decline observed the previous month. Alberta (up 12.6 per cent) posted the largest percentage increase in claims in March with a 12.6 per cent increase, followed by New Brunswick with a 4.1 per cent increase.
Smaller percentage increases occurred in Nova Scotia, which experienced a 3.5 per cent increase, while Quebec saw a 3.5 per cent increase and Ontario experienced a 2.7 per cent increase. There was little or no change in the other provinces.
Provincial focus: The number of regular EI beneficiaries in Saskatchewan fell 3.1 per cent in March. This was the fourth consecutive monthly decrease for the province. Saskatoon saw a 3.8 per cent decline and Regina saw 2.1 per cent fewer beneficiaries than in the previous month.
In Alberta, the number of people receiving benefits fell for the fourth consecutive month, decreasing 2.6 per cent in March. In Calgary, the number of beneficiaries decreased for the third month in a row, down 2.5 per cent. At the same time, there was little change in Edmonton.
The number of people receiving regular benefits in British Columbia declined 2.4 per cent in March, continuing a seven-month downward trend. Of the four metropolitan areas in the province, three posted declines, with Abbotsford–Mission recording the largest decline at 6.6 per cent.
