Dalhousie hoping for more talks with union

On February 15, Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Faculty Association had the third day of conciliation talks.

Key Points:

There was a great deal of progress made including resolution of non-monetary issues and talks turned to discussions around monetary issues and the university pension plan. Dalhousie has written to the DFA requesting additional dates to continue collective bargaining and the conciliator has confirmed he will make himself available if both sides agree.
The university's offer on monetary items and the Jointly Sponsored Pension Plan addresses faculty members’ concerns about moving to a JSPP in the following ways:

1.   COST: Dalhousie will cover any increased pension contributions with a corresponding salary increase for all faculty members.
2.   PAST DEBT: Dalhousie will cover the full cost of any legacy pension deficits. These will not be paid by employees.
3.   VETO: Major decisions regarding the Plan will require unanimous agreement of the Board and all employee groups. The Board will have no independent decision making power over the JSPP.
Additionally, the university offer included salary increases in each of three years, comparability adjustments, improvements to the Professional Development Allowance and a Health Spending Account for faculty. It is a fair offer and addresses the concerns expressed by faculty.

“We believe significant progress has been made and the expectation is that both parties want an agreement. Getting additional dates scheduled and getting everyone back to the table is a priority for the university.” - Katherine Sheehan, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources.
“The important conversation on monetary items and pensions just got started. We need more than one day of discussion on this important topic and need to get back to the table to negotiate an agreement. We are committed to continue talking and will continue to reach out to the DFA.” - Katherine Sheehan, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources.