Queen’s has asked the provincial government to appoint a conciliation officer to assist it and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) in their negotiation of a collective agreement.
The appointment of a conciliation officer to assist parties in negotiating an agreement is a normal part of the collective bargaining process. A conciliator has already been appointed to assist the university and employee groups represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the United Steelworkers (USW), in their negotiation of collective agreements.
In conciliation, a provincially appointed conciliation officer confers with the parties as they work through outstanding issues. QUFA and the university have been meeting since January and dates are scheduled for continued talks in June and July.
“Bringing in a neutral third party can assist the parties in finding common ground,” says Dan Bradshaw, Associate Vice-Principal (Faculty Relations). “The university is committed to working with QUFA to secure an agreement.”
The university values the contributions of its many employees and remains committed to the collective bargaining process.