Brandon University faculty approve four-year deal
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/03/2024 (707 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After lengthy negotiations that nearly led to a strike, Brandon University and the BU Faculty Association announced Thursday they have finalized a new four-year contract.
A release issued by the university said faculty voted 95 per cent in favour of the deal.
The new agreement applies retroactively from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2027 and includes pay increases of 2.5 per cent, 2.75 per cent, three per cent and three per cent over the four years.
It will also include other minor pay scale adjustments, a lump-sum payment of $1,800 for full-time staff and $900 for part-time staff.
When the faculty association announced earlier this year that its members had approved a strike mandate, one of the major sticking points between the parties was language surrounding decolonization and reconciliation.
According to the release, the new agreement “introduces language that is both practical and aspirational that seeks to ensure members of equity-deserving groups have fair and equitable access to opportunities and recognition.”
The agreement is also said to include new language about academic freedom and “detailing processes of collegial governance.”
Quoted in the release, BU president David Docherty praised the deal and its recognition of faculty’s efforts.
“I am pleased we have reached a deal that’s fair for everyone and that recognizes the hard work and value that members of the BU Faculty Association bring to the university every day, through their research, teaching, service, and student supports,” Docherty said.
Faculty president Gautam Srivastava also spoke well of the deal.
“It was a long process, however both BU and our BU community gained a lot in this new Collective Agreement with language that represents our diversity at Brandon University,” Srivastava said. “I am proud of both negotiating teams and their continued commitment to make our institution a better place to learn.”
When the faculty and the university negotiated its last contract, the Pallister government’s since-repealed Public Services Sustainability Act was in place, which restricted wage increases that public servants could receive.
The release states that the legacy of the act presented “unique challenges.” Where a normal negotiation has 10 or fewer contract articles up for debate, this round featured more than 30.
The faculty association represents 250 part- and full-time members at the university’s campuses in Brandon and Winnipeg.
Final signing of the agreement is supposed to be in May after a final round of proofreading, but its contents have already gone into effect.
The Sun has reached out to both university administration and the faculty association for comment.
» cslark@brandonsun.com
» X: @ColinSlark