Red River College - Local 73 and Assiniboine College - Local 71 - Bargaining Brief

Updated: May 29, 2023
Approx. Number of Members: 1,500
Current Contract Expires: June 18, 2021
MGEU Staff Negotiator: Marc Payette
Elected Bargaining Committee Members: Mitchell Hengen (ACC); Kimberly Lynn (ACC); Matt Fontaine (RRC); Jody Gillis (RRC); Wade Parke (RRC)

LATEST BARGAINING NEWS

On May 25, 2023, the Red River College - Local 73 and Assiniboine College - Local 71 Bargaining Committee met with the employers with the aid of a third-party conciliator and they tabled a slightly revised offer.

The Bargaining Committee decided that the changes made to the offer were so minor that they didn't warrant taking it out for another vote. In short, the offer remained grossly insufficient.

There are additional conciliation dates scheduled for June 7, 8, 27 and 28, 2023. 

Overview of Bargaining So Far

Due to the pandemic, members of Red River College - Local 73had an opportunity to put forward ideas and proposals for improving their collective agreementthrough online bargaining proposals  and online proposal meetings in early 2021.

Red River College - Local 73 members once again had an opportunity to put forward their ideas and proposals for improving their collective agreements at a virtual proposals meeting on Monday, October 4, 2021.

The Bargaining Committee then pulled together these proposals, along with those collected in early 2021, into a package to present to the employer.

The Red River/Assiniboine College - Local 73 and 71 Bargaining Committee and the employer exchanged proposal packages on October 26, 2021. Negotiations continued on November 17 and December 1 and 15, 2021, and January 26 and February 9, 2022.

The Committee met with Red River College management only on February 9, 23, and March 23, 2022 and with ACC management only on March 9, 2022. Joint meetings resumed biweekly on April 6, 2022.

Before fall 2022, the Colleges Bargaining Committee and the employer were primarily discussing non-monetary issues like contract language and working conditions. Bargaining resumed on September 21, 2022, with a focus on monetary proposals, like wages and benefits.

Members of Red River College - Local 73 and Assiniboine Community College - Local 71 voted overwhelmingly to reject an offer from employers on November 4, 2022.

The Colleges Bargaining Committee returned to the table with the employer on Wednesday, November 16 and 30, 2022. The Committee presented an offer that is reflective of current inflationary pressures and that meets the needs of employees at RRC Polytech and ACC.

it did not sufficiently address members' priorities.
In early March, the Red River College - Local 73 and Assiniboine College - Local 71 Bargaining Committee held several meetings members to talk about the employer’s latest insufficient offer.

To reach a new deal that includes fair wage increases, the Committee  recommended  members take the next step and deliver a strike mandate. Members had a chance to vote at a series of meetings in March 2023.

On March 23, 2023, the ballots were counted and members delivered a strong strike mandate to their Committee.

On April 5, 2023, the Bargaining Committee met with the conciliator. The meeting had been scheduled for some time.

On April 6, 2023, information pickets were held in Brandon and Winnipeg during the lunch hour, and all members were strongly encouraged to participate.

Job action was to commence April 11 with rotating strikes.

The Bargaining Committee met with the employer with the help of a conciliator on April 6th in the afternoon.

The employer tabled a new offer, which contained some improvements. However, the Committee believed that in this period of high inflation, the employer could, and must, do better. They recommended that members reject the employer’s offer. 

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