(Sackville, NB) – The 26-day strike in January and February of this year by the Mount Allison Faculty Association ended in a mediated settlement on Feb. 15. Still at issue was the salary remuneration for professors and librarians while on sabbatical leave. The employer had earlier agreed to pay 90 per cent of a faculty member’s salary while on sabbatical leave in the second and third years of the collective agreement but later changed its mind and wished to maintain the status quo where faculty are paid at the rate of 85 per cent of their salary.
Under the terms of the mediated settlement by Mr. Douglas Stanley, any outstanding issues were to be subjected to binding arbitration. The issue of sabbatical salaries was heard by an arbitration board on March 31,1999. The Board, which reported on June 29, 1999, found in the faculty association’s favour.
The decision in effect stated that if the parties at the table have agreed to a matter, then it takes the concurrence of both parties to change the proposal. One party cannot unilaterally change its mind as the employer did at the table.
MAFA sides-person’s was Dr. Jon Thompson, a Mathematics professor from UNB, the employer’s sides-person was Mr. Gary Sudel from the Irving Group’s Human Resources Department, and Mr. Peter T. Zed, a barrister at Barry & O’Neil was the chair. Mr. Sudel indicated he would have a dissenting report but it was still not available. The chair agreed to release the majority report and circulate the minority report to the parties, when received.
The effect of the decision is that professors and librarians will be paid 90% of their salary while on sabbatical leave in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. The decision is also significant for MAFA in that this is the second arbitration emanating from the strike that MAFA has won. The third arbitration on salaries in the second and third years of the collective agreement is upcoming.
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For more information:
George De Benedetti, President:
- (506) 364-2327 (office)
- (506) 536-2396 (res.)
Roger Wehrell, Chief Negotiator:
- (506) 364-2329 (office)
- (506) 536-2470 (res.)
PO Box 6314 Sackville NB E4L 1G6 tel:(506) 364-2289 fax: (506) 364-2288
9 http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/MAFA 9 e-mail: [email protected]