The Board and ULFA negotiating teams held their first formal mediation session with the Mediation Services-appointed mediator on February 4, 2026. This session was the thirty-seventh bargaining session toward a new Academic Staff Collective Agreement (ASCA). At this session, the parties met with the mediator virtually at separate times (Board team in the morning and ULFA team in the afternoon). Two ULFA members attended as observers.
Following introductions, the ULFA team discussed the ULFA mediation brief with the mediator, including a discussion of the open issues not yet in agreement on the table. The mediator also outlined their role in the mediation process, and some discussion followed regarding how this role is very different from arbitration.
After the session concluded, the ULFA team reached out to the Board team to follow up on their offer of February 6 and 11, 2026, as possible bargaining dates, asking if the Board team had new proposals to present. Following the ULFA team’s January 30 proposal package, the Board team indicated twice that it did not see a point in meeting outside of mediation. The ULFA team also followed up with the mediator regarding upcoming mediation sessions.The next scheduled mediation sessions are March 2 and 3, 2026. A summary of the progress of items opened in this round of bargaining is available here.
