To the CBU Community,

As you know, CBUFA has indicated they will choose to strike as of Friday, January 27, 2023. Although this is not the outcome CBU wanted, we respect their right to make this choice.

Strikes are stressful for everyone, but especially for our students, our staff and our faculty. I know we will all do our very best to maintain a great level of respect for each other, keeping in mind that eventually this period will end, and we will all return to working together as we have since CBU’s establishment.

Please understand that no Canadian university has ever lost a term to strike, and both parties ultimately want what is best for our students. As the situation evolves, we are working through some complicated scenarios and will continue to communicate with you as we know more.

We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached, and we are ready and willing to continue discussions with our valued faculty members. We also want you to know that CBU will not benefit from a strike in any way, even financially.

Here’s what you need to know today:

• CBU is working with CBUFA to finalize agreed-upon strike protocols. This document will be shared as soon as it is ready and will help answer some of the questions you currently have.
• For Sessional (ICA) employees (and for students), classes not affected by strike are listed here. If your class is NOT listed, it is unfortunately paused as of Friday, January 27, due to the strike.
• All non-CBUFA employees are expected, and required, to come to work as they normally would.
• As a CBU employee, you have a legal right to cross a CBUFA picket line to enter campus. We expect that any picketing will occur in a lawful, respectful and considerate manner. While this may be an uncomfortable situation, we encourage you to act as you normally would toward those striking.
• The safety of the campus community is always our top priority. It is legal for those on strike to provide information on picket lines, but they must allow the normal movement of people and vehicles on and off the campus and at CBU affiliated locations, so as not to create a public safety risk on the highway. In the unlikely event you experience difficulty in this regard, please report the incident to your immediate supervisor.
• CBU has no intention of restricting access to official CBU email for any employees as long as it is used in a respectful manner. Important University updates will continue to be distributed via direct email, and it is important that all members of the CBU community receive those updates.

The student and employee FAQs have been updated. We encourage you to read them closely and check them often. This information will continue to be updated as we learn more.

If you have any questions, please send them to labour@cbu.ca or visit www.cbu.ca/labour for the most up-to-date information.

CBUFA has stated that CBU “abruptly left the table” during our final conciliation meeting yesterday. This is false. 

Here is what happened:

• The conciliator urged both parties to put their best foot forward to reach a timely settlement. CBU did just that.
• The conciliator brought a verbal proposal from CBUFA of a 14% economic increase over two years.
• In response, CBU provided a written offer with its best monetary proposal – 8% over three years, plus step adjustments to some ranks.
• The conciliator took this proposal to CBUFA. When he returned, he advised that a deal would not be possible and CBUFA had no counteroffer.
• With no counteroffer, the conciliator ended the meeting and returned to Halifax.

CBU never left the table abruptly and has always been prepared to negotiate. We remain willing to negotiate.

CBU has withdrawn all other proposals that were problematic for CBUFA. 

The only issue left to resolve is money. 

CBU’s monetary offer is in line with settlements at other Atlantic Canadian universities, including Dalhousie University, where the same economic increase was recently ratified by over 93% of their faculty.

CBU faculty salaries are fair and competitive with other universities in Atlantic Canada. CBU’s proposal ensures this continues.

CBU will continue to address inaccuracies.

For accurate information, visit www.cbu.ca/labour

To the CBU Community,

The University and CBUFA met again today for a third day of conciliation in our ongoing collective bargaining process. Regretfully, conciliation has ended without a tentative agreement. CBU has tabled a final offer and asked CBUFA to take this proposal to its membership for consideration.

CBU has worked hard over the last number of months to try and achieve a negotiated collective agreement. A strike would be especially hard on our students and also negatively impact the Cape Breton community as a whole. CBU has listened to CBUFA and has withdrawn most of its proposals or come to the table with compromises. For example:

• The Teaching Scholar proposal has been withdrawn;
• The Memorandum of Agreement to address staffing in high-risk programs has been withdrawn;
• The annual salary increase proposal has been increased.

The University’s latest proposal, for a three-year term, ensures the salaries of CBUFA members among the highest in the Nova Scotia university sector. The updated proposal includes:

• A total general increase of 8% over the next three years (3%, 2.5%, and 2.5% per year) in addition to existing annual step increases; and
• Adding additional steps as permanent increases to the following salary scales to ensure similarity with other primarily undergraduate institutions in Nova Scotia: Lab Instructor (6.4% increase), Senior Lab Instructor (5.5% increase) and Librarian II (2.6% increase).

Full details of this financial proposal can be found here.

This proposal matches the economic increase ratified by the Dalhousie University Faculty Association as of January 13.

CBUFA’s counterproposal on salaries included a total increase of 14% over the next two years (7% per year).

We have prepared an FAQ to keep you updated. These FAQs will continue to be updated, so please check back frequently.

Student FAQ

Employee FAQ 

Students and employees will receive an additional email tomorrow with information on what to expect, including how to know if your course is taught by a CBUFA member. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION in the event of a CBUFA strike:

•         There are two teaching unions at CBU. The first is the NSGEU and the second, CBUFA. Only CBUFA is contemplating a work stoppage at this time
•         All CBUFA courses and services will stop (at all CBU locations)
•         Non-CBUFA courses will continue as usual (a list will be posted before any strike begins)
•         Students will continue to have access to campus and most student services
•         CBUFA has indicated that they will begin a strike on Friday, January 27, 2023.

For accurate and up-to-date information visit www.cbu.ca/labour and if you have questions you would like to submit for the FAQ, please send them to labour@cbu.ca

To the CBU Community,

The University and CBUFA have worked hard over the last number of months to try and achieve a negotiated collective agreement. This has included meetings with the assistance of a provincial conciliator. The parties meet again on January 23, 2023, with the conciliator, for one more opportunity to reach an agreement.

Through the course of negotiations and conciliation, many issues were resolved or withdrawn. This includes the University listening to CBUFA and withdrawing the Teaching Scholar proposal.

The key issue that remains outstanding is wages.

The University’s proposal, for a three-year term, maintains the CBUFA salaries among the highest in the Nova Scotia post-secondary sector. The proposal includes:

• a 2% increase per year over a three-year period,
• adding additional steps to the salary scales for Lab Instructor (6.4% increase), Senior Lab Instructor (5.5% increase) and Librarian II (2.6% increase), and
• a $1,500 signing bonus (equating to a one-time, 1.1% – 3.2% increase in compensation, depending on a member’s current level of compensation).

To provide context for the post-secondary sector, please see other Atlantic Canadian recent settlements:

• Acadia University – four-year term, 2% per year, divided into 1% each six months plus a wage reopener in the fourth year.
• Université Ste-Anne – three-year term, 3%, 3%, and 2% increases per year.
• Thomas University– three-year term, 2%, 1.95% and 1.95% increases per year.
• University of New Brunswick – three-year term, 2.5%, 2.5% and 2.5% per year with a $1,000 signing bonus.
• NSCAD – four-year term, 2%, 2%, 3%, and 2% increases per year.

Additionally, last Friday the Dalhousie University Faculty Association ratified, by a vote of 94% in favour, a tentative agreement with its employer. We understand the financial terms of this tentative agreement are largely in keeping with the sector trend as outlined above. We expect them to announce their agreement soon.

CBUFA’s proposal on wages includes a total increase of 17.4% over the next two years (8.7% per year).

CBU believes in offering competitive compensation. CBU faculty are fairly compensated in relation to other undergraduate institutions in Nova Scotia, as demonstrated by a comparison of 2022 CBU faculty salary scales.

CBUFA has indicated that all senior administration received a 10% pay increase this year. This is not true. There are a number of factors that influenced both non-union and executive pay in the last few years, including:

• The University recently moved to a 5-step salary scale for non-union employees, as opposed to the previous 3-step scale, which means some are now getting a step adjustment. CBUFA members, and other CBU unions, also receive step increases and additional steps are occasionally added to their salary scales.
• Some increases were related to reorganization initiatives and additional duties, which required roles to be re-evaluated through the Hay Job Evaluation process.
• As part of the early response to COVID, some senior executives earning more than $100,000 were required to contribute part of their salary in recognition of potential COVID impacts. With COVID financial impacts being less than anticipated in early 2020, the reimbursement of these contributions was made in 2021.

We do not want our valued faculty to go on strike. It would be devastating to our students and our community.

Our proposals reflect the commitments made by the University in its Strategic Plan, Academic Plan, Strategic Research Plan, and strategic enrolment investments. CBU is committed to ensuring the University and Cape Breton Island continue to thrive.

CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students and within the CBU community.

Sincerely,

Cape Breton University

To the CBU Community,

This week, Cape Breton University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA) completed two days of a conciliation exercise with a provincial conciliator. Unfortunately, the parties were not able to come to an agreement at this time. CBU and CBUFA had jointly agreed to request the appointment of a conciliation officer in an effort to negotiate a new collective agreement in early December. This process continued Wednesday, January 4, and Thursday, January 5, 2023.

During this process, CBU withdrew the Teaching Scholar Proposal. This was an important proposal to CBU and was strongly opposed by CBUFA. Instead, CBU proposed creating a working group to make recommendations to the President for solutions to mitigate the risk in staffing high-risk and high-enrolment programs.

CBU also tabled a fair compensation package that is consistent with recent settlements in the Nova Scotia post-secondary sector: a 2% increase per year over a three-year period, as well as a $1500 signing bonus (equating to a one-time 1.1% – 3.2% increase, depending on a member’s current level of compensation), and the modification of salary scales for the Lab Instructor, Senior Lab Instructor and Librarian II positions. This offer maintains the CBUFA salaries among the highest in the Nova Scotia post-secondary sector.

CBUFA rejected CBU’s monetary proposal, instead requesting a total increase of 17.4% over the next two years (8.7% per year).

As always, CBU’s proposals reflect the commitments made by the University in its Strategic Plan, strategic enrolment investments and commitment to ensure the University and Cape Breton Island continue to thrive. CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students and within the CBU community.

As is standard practice in the collective bargaining process, the provincial conciliator will now file a report. This is a normal step in the process and Cape Breton University remains optimistic that we can reach an agreement.

To the CBU Community,

As we previously made you aware, Cape Breton University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA) have jointly agreed to request the appointment of a conciliation officer in an effort to negotiate a new collective agreement. That process began in December and will continue with two more days of discussion, Wednesday, January 4, and Thursday, January 5, 2023.

This is a normal step in the collective bargaining process and Cape Breton University remains optimistic that we can reach an agreement. We are very much looking forward to coming back together for further discussions.

CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students.

If you have questions, please email labour@cbu.ca or visit www.cbu.ca/labour for more information.

Sincerely,

Cape Breton University

To the CBU Community,

As we previously made you aware, Cape Breton University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA) have jointly agreed to request the appointment of a conciliation officer in an effort to negotiate a new collective agreement. We now know that the conciliation process will begin on December 13 and 14, 2022. This is a normal step in the collective bargaining process and Cape Breton University remains optimistic that we can reach an agreement.

As we move forward several items remain of importance, including salaries and the manner in which CBU manages the human resource needs of high-risk programs heavily reliant on international student enrolment. In addition to improving the student experience, CBU must stabilize these programs in a responsible manner that does not mortgage the future of CBU. This is a key issue, not only for CBU and its students (current and future) but also for the entirety of Cape Breton Island which continues to benefit from the presence of approximately 4,000 international students studying at CBU.

We previously shared an FAQ to help you better understand the Teaching Scholar proposal. It would allow CBU to wisely manage risk currently associated with post-baccalaureate programs. The proposal has substantial advantages for everyone, including but not limited to greater job security for an existing group of faculty members. If implemented, it would allow CBU to continue increasing research capacity, developing new programs, and enhancing existing programs. You can find the full teaching Scholar Proposal here.

As always, CBU’s proposals reflect the commitments made by the University in its Strategic Plan, strategic enrolment investments and commitment to ensure the University and Cape Breton Island continue to thrive. CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students.

If you have questions, please email labour@cbu.ca or visit www.cbu.ca/labour for more information.

To the CBU Community,

Cape Breton University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA) have jointly agreed to request the appointment of a conciliation officer in an effort to negotiate a new collective agreement. This request, which is a normal step in the bargaining process, occurred following meetings of the bargaining committees last week.

CBU’s proposals in this round of bargaining reflect the commitments made by the University in its Strategic Plan, strategic enrolment investments and commitment to ensure the University and Cape Breton Island continue to thrive.

During recent meetings, the bargaining committees agreed on a number of items; however, several important items remain outstanding at this time, including salaries and the manner in which the University can address the human resource needs of high-risk programs heavily reliant upon continuing international student enrolment. Improving the student experience and continuing to stabilize these programs in a responsible manner that does not mortgage the future of CBU is a key issue, not only for CBU and its students, both current and future, but also for the entirety of Cape Breton Island, which continues to benefit from the presence of approximately 4,000 international students studying at CBU.

CBU is trying to wisely manage the risks and substantial advantages of growth and has put forward a Teaching Scholar proposal to achieve this. To help you better understand the proposal, we have created this FAQ. Please read it thoroughly to see how this proposal will ensure a bright future for the University and provide support for the socioeconomic future of Cape Breton Island.

CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students.

If you have questions, please email labour@cbu.ca or visit www.cbu.ca/labour for more information.

Cape Breton University (CBU) and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA), the union representing faculty, librarians, lab instructors, writing centre advisors, archivists, research chairs and nursing practice educators, have jointly agreed to request the appointment of a conciliation officer in their efforts to negotiate a new collective agreement. This request, which is a normal step in the bargaining process, occurred following meetings of the bargaining committees this week.

CBU’s proposals in this round of bargaining reflect the commitments made by the University in its Strategic Plan, strategic enrolment investments and commitment to ensure the University and Cape Breton Island continue to thrive.

During recent meetings, the bargaining committees agreed on a number of items; however, several important items remain outstanding at this time, including salaries and the manner in which the University can address the human resource needs of high-risk programs heavily reliant upon continuing international student enrolment. Improving the student experience and continuing to stabilize these programs in a responsible manner that does not mortgage the future of CBU is a key issue, not only for CBU and its students, both current and future, but also for the entirety of Cape Breton Island, which continues to benefit from the presence of approximately 4,000 international students studying at CBU.

CBU is trying to wisely manage the risks and substantial advantages of growth. This will ensure a bright future for the University and provide support for the socioeconomic future of Cape Breton Island. As it endeavours to do so, CBU is committed to working with CBUFA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement that respects the important role CBUFA members play in the educational experiences of CBU students.

Dr. Scott Moir

Chief Negotiator

CBUFA Bargaining Team

Dear Scott,

The University has received your September 16, 2022 news release, “Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA) Votes for Strike Action”.

While the University believes that the collective bargaining process should be transparent to all parties and that both bargaining committees can communicate, within the legal parameters outlined by Nova Scotia labour law, we take exception with a number of the characterizations in this release.

Recent negotiations

Cape Breton University is committed to the collective bargaining process and achieving a negotiated collective agreement with CBUFA. We have always come to the table ready to negotiate.

CBU was well prepared for bargaining. When collective bargaining opened in early July, the parties exchanged proposals, with CBUFA proposing changes to 18 articles and CBU proposing 12. Meetings of the bargaining teams occurred on July 8, July 18, 19, and 20. CBU provided a fulsome response to the CBUFA proposal on July 20, and vice-versa. CBU again indicated it would respond to the CBUFA monetary proposal once non-monetary issues were fully discussed.

CBU did not abandon negotiations. On August 9, the fifth day of bargaining, CBU tabled a revised Teaching Scholar proposal that modernizes teaching, enhances research and we believe is of overall benefit to the entire community, and that addressed concerns raised by the CBUFA bargaining team during the July meetings, including the addition of language that limits the overall number of Teaching Scholars. In response, the CBUFA bargaining team said they could not proceed further and would have to consult with their membership. With that, the scheduled discussions of August 10 were cancelled by agreement of the parties.

On August 18, we sent you a summary of our Teaching Scholar proposal outlining the rationale for this critical proposal and its benefits to CBU, CBUFA, our students and the Cape Breton community at large. We were eventually able to connect on September 6. At that time, you indicated you would provide a response following a consultation with the membership, which was scheduled on September 9. I reached out again on September 13. We subsequently received a response from you on September 16, a full 29 days from our letter of August 18.

We understand summer is a busy time and delays will be encountered as we accommodate planned holidays. The rate of progress during these negotiations has not been due to CBU’s unwillingness to negotiate or lack of preparedness. The University believes that the issues that are on the table are critically important for the success of the entire CBU community and has, and will continue to, take time to discuss all of them.

The Evolution of CBU

We believe that our proposals, including the Teaching Scholar proposals, will assist in recruiting and retaining the best faculty, serve to enhance the Cape Breton community, and improve the future prospects for our students. As you know, CBU is unique in Canada, given our extremely large proportion of international students. We are proud of that; the benefits to the University and our Cape Breton community are enormous. Simply put, this proposal acts as a critical tool to bring Cape Breton University into the future. It is not a step back.

As we outlined in our August 18, 2022 letter, Teaching Scholars will enhance the student experience and bring more stability to our programs with extraordinarily high enrolments of international students. Faculty who become Teaching Scholars will benefit from more, not less, job security with a shift to continuing positions instead of limited term contracts. Teaching Scholars will also benefit all faculty by ensuring more stability in high-risk programs, thereby providing the financial means to ensure greater stability and capacity for existing programs with proportionately more domestic students.

Our Teaching Scholar proposal, to which we are committed, will provide:

• continuity of faculty staffing to enhance the student experience (and enhanced job security for CBUFA members)
• an opportunity to stabilize international enrolment at CBU with all it brings to our community,
• enhanced focus on the scholarship of teaching to the benefit of all CBU students,
• enhanced job security to current CBUFA members serving high-risk programs with career progression availability, and
• greater stability and capacity to enhance other programs with high enrolments of domestic students (programs that are largely delivered by CBUFA members) thereby obviously enhancing our important institutional research activity.

To summarize, CBU has always been and remains committed to coming prepared to negotiate, CBU did not abandon negotiations, and CBU has prepared and revised, after hearing your concerns, its proposal for Teaching Scholars, which increases stability, capacity and modernizes teaching at our University.

The University believes and remains optimistic that a negotiated collective agreement can be achieved, if both parties work hard and focus on the key issues. Unfortunately, CBUFA’s characterization of the important issues at hand is not helpful in achieving that mutual objective.

We look forward to making great progress together.

Sincerely,

Gordon MacInnis, FCPA, FCA

Vice-President, Finance & Operations

To the CBU Community,

The bargaining committees for the University and the CBU Faculty Association (CBUFA) met on July 8, 18, 19, 20 and August 9, 2022 to work toward the renewal of a collective agreement. The University remains confident that a negotiated collective agreement, that reflects the hard work undertaken by CBUFA members, can be achieved.

The parties have reached agreement on a number of non-monetary items. As is customary, once non-monetary proposals are largely agreed upon, the University will present its monetary proposal.

Amongst the outstanding items to be resolved:

Proposed by CBU:

• Updated and modernized language around online and off-campus course delivery;
• Updated and modernized application of the Professional Activities Report; and

By CBUFA:

• A revised bargaining unit appointment process;
• The addition of a complement clause;
• Updated language around compensation for overload lab stipends (delivery & prep);
• The removal of assessment of research active/inactive faculty; and
• Updated language regarding implementation of salary increases while on sick leave and parental leave.

The parties discussed the University’s proposal for a “Teaching Scholar.” Versions of this model are used at other Canadian universities including the University of Toronto, Western University, and Saint Mary’s. This is a brand-new proposal from the University and different from that made in previous rounds of bargaining. The University has already revised its proposal twice in response to concerns expressed by CBUFA early in this round of bargaining.

The University believes that Teaching Scholars will enhance the student experience and bring more stability to our programs with high enrollment of international students, while providing more job security for faculty who would be Teaching Scholars in these programs. The introduction of Teaching Scholars will benefit the entire University community by creating stability in high-risk programs and providing the financial means to ensure greater capacity to deliver and support existing programs with more domestic students.

Over the coming weeks, we will continue to work hard to achieve an agreement that respects CBUFA members and takes into account the very important role our University plays within the broader Cape Breton community.

As always, to learn more about the bargaining process or for more information, please visit www.cbu.ca/labour.

Sincerely,

Cape Breton University

To the CBU Community,

The University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association (CBUFA), the union representing our faculty, librarians, lab instructors, writing centre advisors, archivists, research chairs, and nursing practice educators, began the process of collective bargaining on July 8, 2022. This bargaining is aimed at achieving a negotiated renewal collective agreement. The current agreement expired on June 30, 2022.

It is the University’s goal to work hard to try and achieve this negotiated agreement in the timeliest manner possible, while allowing the appropriate amount of time for the bargaining committees to discuss and work through the significant issues that are expected to be raised.

For more information, and to find the most recent updates, please visit www.cbu.ca/labour

Sincerely,

The CBU Bargaining Team

Gordon MacInnis, Vice-President, Finance and Operations

Elana Whelan, Director, Human Resources

Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett, Associate Vice-President, Academic & Research

Dr. Rod Nicholls, Academic Director of the Centre of Teaching & Learning

Stephanie Myles, University Counsel