The tentative collective agreement between Queen’s University and the United Steelworkers (USW), Local 2010 is now in effect following a successful electronic ratification vote by USW, Local 2010 members that concluded on February 13, 2019.
The Human Resources Committee of the Queen’s Board of Trustees voted to ratify the agreement earlier this week.
An important consequence of successful ratification is that USW, Local 2010 will consent, on behalf of its eligible members, to the conversion of the Queen’s Pension Plan (QPP) to the proposed jointly sponsored University Pension Plan (UPP). The terms of the pension consent agreement will form part of the parties’ collective agreement.
The university and USW, Local 2010 also agreed to renew their collective agreement. The renewed collective agreement will succeed the current agreement effective January 1, 2019.
Negotiations between USW, Local 2010 and the university began in early December and concluded on December 21, 2018.
The new, three-year agreement will expire on December 31, 2021. Highlights include:
- A scale increase of 1.25 per cent across the board effective July 1, 2019, with eligible employees being moved to the next step within their salary grade.
- A scale increase of 1.25 per cent across the board effective July 1, 2020, with eligible employees being moved to the next step within their salary grade.
- A new salary grid with fewer steps will come into effect on July 1, 2021 or the UPP Accrual Date, whichever is later* (The UPP Accrual Date is the date that a transfer of the assets from the QPP to the UPP is approved). Prior to mapping employees to the new salary grid, the July 1, 2020 salary grid will be modified by adding a 1.5% pension off-set adjustment to all steps in the salary grid. Employees, except those who were at the maximum step for their grade on June 30, 2021, will be moved up to the next step within their grade.
- Effective July 1, 2021 or the UPP Accrual Date, whichever is later, employees who were at the maximum step of their Grade on June 30, 2021 will receive a one-time lump sum payment equivalent to 1.8% of their base salary.
*The Pension Memorandum of Agreement ratified by the university and USW, Local 2010 includes alternate provisions for salary increases in the third year of the agreement in the event the UPP Accrual Date is later than July 1, 2021 or if conversion to the UPP will not occur.
Additional terms of the new collective agreement that are conditional on successful conversion of the QPP to the UPP include:
- Effective on the UPP Accrual Date pension contributions will be shared equally between employees in the USW, Local 2010 bargaining unit and the University (50/50). It is anticipated that the contribution rate on the Accrual date will be 9.2% on pensionable earnings below the YMPE and 11.5% on pensionable earnings above the YMPE.
- For retirements occurring on and after the UPP Accrual Date, the QPP legacy provisions under the UPP will be amended to provide for unreduced early retirement applicable to the Minimum Guarantee Benefit under the QPP earned prior to the UPP Accrual Date, if a QPP member has both attained age 60 and has at least 80 age plus continuous service points on their retirement under the UPP.
In accordance with the university’s commitment to equity for all staff in the grades 2-9 employee group, the salary program for non-unionized confidential, managerial excludes and research, grant and contract staff will be aligned with the new USW agreement. Those terms that are conditional on successful conversion of the QPP to the UPP will also apply to non-unionized confidential, managerial excludes and research, grant and contract staff on the UPP Accrual Date.
USW, Local 2010 represents approximately 1285 general support staff at the university.