The three bargaining units of the Association of Professors of Bishop’s University have reached settlements after long and difficult bargaining rounds, a strike and a lockout.

The general staff bargaining unit ratified a first collective agreement Aug. 14, 2007 on the heels of negotiations stretching back to 2005. On the same day, full-time faculty and librarians ratified a contract to succeed the one that expired June 30, 2006. A ratification vote for a negotiated settlement for contract academic staff — also without a contract since June 30, 2006 — is ongoing at press time.

On June 18, 2007 the employer tabled a global offer for all three bargaining units that in part proposed splitting the defined benefit pension plan into two: one for full-time general staff and one for full-time academic staff. Bishop’s staff voted down the offer and APBU, supported by a 97 per cent strike vote taken earlier this year, filed formal notice of the general staff intention to start strike action. General staff walked out June 27, while negotiations continued for the academic staff units.

On July 26, citing a “lack of progress at the tables,” the employer broke off talks in
mid-afternoon and announced that a lockout of all unionized employees would begin at midnight. It was the first employer-initiated pre-strike lockout of a CAUT member association in the history of the association.

With virtually all Bishop’s staff — academic and general — on picket lines, pressure increased on the employer to reach agreement at all three tables.

Among the APBU demands achieved in the settlements were protections of the defined benefit pension plan and its indexation and protection for members against arbitrary layoff and redeployment. General staff also won protection against outsourcing and a substantial wage settlement.