U of W academic workers get 10 to 23% wage hike in 1st agreement

Tutors, teaching assistants and lab demonstrators are among the academic workers at the University of Winnipeg who will see a significant wage increase this year.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced Tuesday that after 18 months of negotiations, a first-ever collective agreement has been imposed by the Manitoba Labour Board.

The one-year agreement includes pay increases of between 10 and 23 per cent for all units and a further two per cent increase in August 2017. The imposed collective agreement is effective Jan. 26, 2017, to Jan. 25, 2018, said the University of Winnipeg.

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Along with salary hikes, the agreement includes a stipulation that all new jobs must be posted, and others around transparent hiring processes, disciplinary procedures, paid training and orientation sessions for all employees, and protection against discrimination and harassment, said a news release from PSAC.

Sharon Muldrew, president of PSAC Local 55600, said the agreement makes jobs for young people less precarious at the University of Winnipeg.

"Congratulations to the bargaining team and to all of the student workers on this important achievement," Muldrew said. "The working world for millennials is more and more precarious, but I want students to know that if they fight for labour justice, they can achieve it."

University of Winnipeg English language instructors are in the midst of negotiating their second agreement, while research assistants and research associates will begin negotiating their first agreement in the coming months, said PSAC, which represents those units as well.

The union said the academic worker agreement sets a positive tone for future negotiations.

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