MAFA Reaction to Minister Coulombe’s action
Mount Allison Faculty Association President Richard Hudson reacted today to the decision of the Minister of Labour, the Hon. Martine Coulombe, to call a Aconciliation board@ in the labour negotiations between Mount Allison University and the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA).
A conciliation board is a three-person panel which consists of a chair and two others, named by the two sides, which may recommend a final settlement. Its recommendation is normally non-binding.
Mr. Hudson said: “We are very disappointed in the Minister’s decision. After the failure of a two-month period of conciliation, from mid-August to mid-October, it isn’t clear what a Board will do. We’re also surprised that the government has enough money to pay the Board members over $600 a day each for something that she says will last three months, but may well last longer.”
It is extremely rare that a Minister calls a Conciliation Board. The previous Liberal government started their use in the university sector B an innovation that no other province in Canada has followed.
Although the Minister says she intends to compel the Board to report by January 31st, the two Boards called by the Graham government took months B the Board at UNB was called 9 months ago in February and still hasn’t reported.
“We believe that the way to arrive at a collective agreement at Mount Allison is to let the two sides negotiate at the table, without outside government intervention,” said Hudson.
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Contact information:
Richard Hudson
- (w) 362-2331
- (cell) 866-3137