Dear Members,
Our office has received inquiries from members about the status of the ‘Negotiations’. This bulletin is to inform you of the difference between Negotiations, Conciliation, and Arbitration.
Negotiations (2020-2022)
As you know, your MUNACA Negotiations Committee was in lengthy negotiations with the employer’s representatives from 2020 until 2022. After more than 50 meetings, we were not able to reach an agreement.
Conciliation (2022)
The Employer requested Conciliation on or around the 9th of December. The parties first met with the Conciliator M. Hervé on January 27th, 2022, with subsequent meetings until late April when, despite our best efforts, conciliation broke down as we failed to come to an agreement acceptable to both parties. It was near the end of this process that MUNACA members called for strike action.
Arbitration
McGill requested first contract arbitration on April 14th and after many attempts the Parties agreed to Me Cavé as the arbitrator. Arbitration is scheduled for August 29th 2022 and September 1st 2022. This will continue until the Arbitrator has made their binding decision. Although the Arbitrator has the authority to make a binding decision on the collective agreement, they can also try to give the parties one last chance to reach a negotiated settlement through a process of mediation. MUNACA and McGill have agreed to work through the mediation process in hopes of reaching an agreement. The Parties, along with Me Cavé, have agreed to meet on Wednesday July 13th in an attempt to mediate an agreement.
