91ºÚÁÏÍø

Respect for faculty members and the collective bargaining process

91ºÚÁÏÍø respects the right of faculty members to organize in the manner they choose, consistent with Quebec labour law. We recognize that a strike mandate may be part of the collective bargaining process. A strike vote does not change our commitment to continue negotiating constructively and in good faith. We remain committed to respecting the collective bargaining process and the role of the union representatives chosen by faculty members who have decided to collectively negotiate their working conditions.

Ìý

Shared objective: reaching a first collective agreement

Our goal remains the successful negotiation of fair and sustainable first collective agreements with our new faculty unions. We believe the best outcomes are achieved through continued dialogue at the bargaining table. Both the University and each faculty union share an interest in concluding agreements that support faculty members while enabling 91ºÚÁÏÍø to fulfill its academic, research, and public missions.

Ìý

Progress at the bargaining table

We have made meaningful progress in negotiations, particularly over the past six months, with movement on a significant number of issues. While important matters remain to be resolved, the pace and substance of recent discussions provide a foundation for continued progress.

Our negotiating teams remain engaged and focused on reaching an agreement with each faculty union. Progress to date is especially encouraging considering we are negotiating the full scope of professors’ terms and conditions of employment from the ground up.

Ìý

Faculty are highly valued and essential to 91ºÚÁÏÍø's mission

Faculty members are central to the University's success. Their teaching, research, and service contributions define the quality of the student experience and the University's international reputation.

We recognize the importance of providing competitive and supportive working conditions that enable faculty members to thrive throughout their careers in support of 91ºÚÁÏÍø’s academic, research and public missions. Our objective is to reach agreements that reflect the value of our faculty while preserving the University's long-term ability to invest in teaching, research, students, and academic excellence.

Ìý

Balancing institutional responsibilities

Every decision made during bargaining is guided by what we believe is in the best long-term interests of 91ºÚÁÏÍø and the university community as a whole. As stewards of a public institution, we must balance our commitments to faculty members’ working conditions with our responsibilities to students, administrative staff, research, and the University's future financial sustainability. Sustainable agreements are in the interest of all the members of the 91ºÚÁÏÍø community because they allow 91ºÚÁÏÍø to continue delivering excellence over the long term.

Ìý

Importance of an appropriate bargaining framework

There are many issues that can and must be addressed consistently across the University. Although faculty members in the same academic appointment categories across 91ºÚÁÏÍø generally have similar roles and responsibilities, 91ºÚÁÏÍø’s academic bargaining environment is complex because not all Faculties have unionized, and those that have done so have defined their bargaining units differently. As a result, we must work to achieve an appropriate balance between institution-wide consistency and the flexibility needed to reflect the different bargaining structures that now exist.

Our objective has always been to support bargaining structures that are workable, coherent, and capable of serving both faculty members and the university effectively over time.

Ìý

Commitment to students and the academic mission

Throughout negotiations, we remain focused on protecting students’ interests and preserving the University’s capacity to deliver excellence in teaching and research.

We appreciate that labour negotiations can create uncertainty, and we will strive to communicate openly with our community as discussions progress, to the extent that Quebec labour law permits. We remain optimistic that continued good-faith bargaining will lead to fair and sustainable collective agreements.