September 29, 2014 - Laurentian University and the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract covering the 372 full-time faculty and librarians and 200 part-time sessionals working in Sudbury and Barrie.
“I am pleased that both bargaining teams reached an agreement without any disruption of the academic year. Should it be ratified, this agreement will allow the University and its faculty to continue to build Laurentian’s momentum with exciting plans for the coming years,” said Laurentian President and Vice-Chancellor, Dominic Giroux.
“This was an intense process. With much hard work, both bargaining teams were able to find ways to address issues of mutual interest in a very collegial manner. This tentative agreement is a positive step forward for the University and LUFA,” added Dr. Anis Farah, President of LUFA.
The University and LUFA want to thank members of the bargaining teams, led by Dr. Hermann Falter for the University and Dr. Rizwan Haq for LUFA, for their dedication and commitment to a positive organizational culture.
A ratification vote by LUFA members will be held as soon as possible. The contract is also subject to ratification by Laurentian University’s Board of Governors. As is standard practice, the terms of the tentative agreement will not be disclosed until it has been ratified by both parties.
It is therefore “business as usual” at Laurentian’s Sudbury and Barrie locations, and for its distance education programs.
The current collective agreement expired on June 30th. The two parties have held numerous bargaining sessions since April, including one day with a conciliator, and four days with a mediator.
LUFA had been in a legal strike position and the University had been in a legal lock-out position since September 25th. Parties had agreed to not initiate such measures until September 30th, after completion of scheduled mediation.