Bargaining day 2: the ship has sailed…
On our second day of bargaining, we focused on some of our Procedural proposals. One of the employer’s proposals revolved around extending the time periods where TAs can be asked to work before the start of the academic term and after the end of the term. They proposed a number of changes to Article B 3.04 of our collective agreement. Specifically, the employer wanted to change some language to add “work after April 30” . The employer also proposed an additional Letter of Understanding that would require Teaching Assistants to work outside of their contract as a result of exams being rescheduled.
In response to this, we proposed a conceptual “Contract Extension Agreement” that the employer would have to fill out each time they would like a TA to work before the start date or after the end date of the contract. This would allow for members, with their mutual agreement, to be compensated additionally for work done before or after a contract starts.. We are waiting to hear the employer’s response on this.
We also discussed making sure that “full” TA positions match the length of time TAs actually work and made meaningful progress with the employer on changing this. Currently, we are proposing defining a “full Teaching Assistant position” as 192 hours within a single academic term. This is a technical change, but it clarifies language that has caused confusion in departments around preference and payment. For example, we have seen confusion within department administration around what counts as a full TA position resulting in members getting paid less than they are owed, especially in summer terms. Clarity here would go a long way towards preventing these administrative errors.
Additionally, the employer has also indicated that they are ready to agree to two of our less-contentious procedural proposals:
Procedural 3: TA position vs TAship (i.e., the ship has sailed!)
Procedural 8: Whistleblower protection update
Finally, the university has filed a response to our Unfair Labour Practice complaint at the BC Labour Relations Board. We are working with our legal team to work on a response to their filing and will keep you posted as this process develops.
Our next bargaining date is 20th November, 2025. Your bargaining team has lots of work to do in the meantime. We will continue to update you throughout this entire process. Stay tuned!