Bargaining Resource Committee

Terms of Reference

1. The Bargaining Resource Committee is an investigative, deliberative and advisory body whose proper sphere of action includes all matters relating to collective bargaining of the terms and conditions of employment of the Membership, including the following tasks:

a. To seek advice from the Members in all University constituencies and appropriate sources regarding changes to the collective agreement;
b. To assist in identifying the members of the Negotiating Team;
c. To advise the Negotiating Team before, during, and after negotiations regarding:

i. The initial ULFA proposal;
ii. A general response to the Board proposal including both substance and strategy; and
iii. To prepare a written report to assist negotiations next bargaining round;

d. To advise the Executive Committee before, during, and after negotiations, and to recommend acceptance or rejection of the final package;
e. To present the final package to the Membership and to recommend acceptance or rejection.

2. For matters negotiated under the collective agreement, the Committee shall:

a. Recommend to the Executive a five-person Negotiating Team. The members of the Negotiating Team need not be members of the Committee. Full consideration should be given to the continuity of membership, and, to that end, three of the five Members should have experience on the ULFA’s standing committees and/or with collective bargaining.
b. Recommend to the Executive Committee an opening position and identify priorities and general strategy.

Membership Criteria

Members should be knowledgeable (or interested in becoming knowledgeable) about the collective agreement and related matters, i.e., other collective agreements, labour law, the requirements of good faith bargaining, duty of fair representation, and procedural fairness. Elected members shall serve two-year terms and, whenever possible, three new members shall be elected each year

Ex officio: ULFA President, past Chair where applicable.

Elected: Chair and at least six (6) members; The Past Chair of the Committee should, if possible, serve ex officio on the Committee and should be a past member. The Committee shall comprise the following representation, unless sufficient nominees cannot be found from a constituency or constituencies: Arts & Science (3); Professional Faculties (3); Instructors/Academic Assistants (1); Librarians (1); Chief Shop Steward (1). The Past Chair will fill a position and hence there will be no election for that standing committee/constituency. One representative from each of the Librarian and Instructors/Academic Assistant groups will be invited to sit as observer/resource person on the Negotiating Team should issues relevant to those constituencies be on the negotiating table. When negotiations include terms and conditions relevant to Sessional Lecturers, the Executive Committee may appoint a Sessional Lecturer to the Negotiating Team as provided in ULFA’s bylaws.