Student Focus

Collective Bargaining Update FAQs

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Dear Assiniboine Students,

It is our responsibility as your Students’ Association to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information possible.

For this reason, we wanted to give you, our students, an update on the current strike situation at the College. On Friday March 24th, 2023, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) voted in favour of a strike mandate at Assiniboine. The strike mandate allows union employees at Assiniboine to strike with a 48-hour notice.

Below you will find a link to the commitment from the College should a labour disruption happen. This document should answer most of your questions.

If you have further questions after reading through the Commitment, the FAQ, and all information provided in this email, please contact the Students’ Association President at sapresident@assiniboine.net. All questions will be brought forth to the College.

Assiniboine’s Commitment to Student’s Academic Rights and Responsibilities

Frequently Asked Questions, Terms & Definitions

What is a union?

A union is an organization that represents employees for the purpose of negotiating better working conditions such as wages and benefits, safety policies, work hours, working conditions and more. All of these are governed and protected by a collective bargaining agreement. Unions have the ability to legally force a company to negotiate with its employees. All unions in Canada are regulated by federal and provincial legislation.

How does bargaining between a union and an employer work?

Before a strike can even become a possibility, union members (employees) need to meet with their union so that the issue at hand can be brought to the attention of the bargaining committee. This is where negotiations start to take place and it usually begins in the form of a proposal. Once a proposal has been brought to the union, affected union members will receive a meeting notice where the proposal will be presented at the bargaining proposal meeting. If this proposal is supported by fellow members, it is then passed onto the bargaining committee which is comprised of elected union members and a staff negotiator. This committee will review the proposal and identify immediate priorities as well as determine the final presentation package to be sent to the employer. After this point, negotiations with the employer start. The bargaining committee of the union will present their package to the employer, after which the employer presents theirs. If a tentative agreement is able to be reached and the majority of members accept this agreement, the agreement is then ratified and made enforceable.

If no tentative agreement can be reached between the union members and the employer, then one of four options may occur

  1. Strike – Needs a majority vote from union members, and does not necessarily mean immediate action will be taken right away
  2. Arbitration – Each party presents their side to an arbitrator. This is then turned into a legally-binding ruling.
  3. Conciliation – Each party will talk with a conciliator who will make a proposal to each party for the purpose of reaching a resolution.
  4. Mediation – A neutral third party mediator intervenes as both parties go back to the bargaining table.

What is a strike?

A strike is a work stoppage wherein employees represented by a union are unable to meet a collective agreement through negotiations or bargaining with their respective union. The point of the work stoppage (strike) is to withdraw labour efforts, such as reporting to work, to pressure the employer to come to a bargaining position that would be advantageous to the employees (union members), and which they would otherwise be unable to achieve through no strike action or work stoppage.

Why do strikes happen?

Strikes can happen for a number of reasons such as salary and incentive issues, dissatisfaction with company policy, hours of work, benefit coverage and much more.

What will happen during a strike?

Before a strike occurs, there are negotiations that take place so that the two bargaining parties are given the chance to reach a mutual collective agreement. Bargaining sessions are held to negotiate terms of the existing issue and many bargaining sessions may be held before both parties come to a definitive agreement. If an agreement is not obtained after bargaining sessions have been held, the party seeking negotiations may choose to vote to strike. This does not mean a strike will happen, but it does mean the bargaining committee (of the Union) is authorized to call a strike if deemed necessary.

A strike can take shape in many different ways depending on the situation. Union members may choose to induce a full strike. This could cause an abrupt cessation of work, where union members (employees) would walk out in order to pressure the employer to comply. Alternatively, a strike could take shape in the form of a rotating strike. This is where a certain amount of employees (union members) could walk out of work in small increments from varying departments.

What does it mean for my studies if a strike takes place?

The college has several safety nets in place to protect students should a strike occur. Depending on what kind of strike it is, whether it is a full strike or rotating strike, the college will help meet the needs of ACC students as best as they can and as they see fit. Please see below for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQS) regarding the possible strike, from the college:

FAQs on Student Academic Rights and Responsibilities During Labour Disruption

Question: What is a labour disruption?

Answer: Also referred to as a strike, job action, or a work stoppage. At the college, a labour disruption could include instructors, student advisors, Registrar’s Office and a variety of services and support departments. What this means is that services including classes could be suspended for a period of time.

Question: When does this process start? 

Answer: This process starts when actual labour disruption begins in a program. It does not start when there are rumours or when open talk starts of a labour disruption.

Question: How will I be informed if a labour disruption is happening in my program?

Answer: Official college email and the college website www.assiniboine.net/bargaining

Question: What happens if I have exams that are required for a license?

Answer: Individual courses or programs may have exams set by regulatory or licensing bodies. In the case where these exams need to be written, they will be rescheduled for students to complete as quickly as possible.

Question: Does this commitment apply to international students?

Answer: Yes

Question: Am I going to graduate on time?

Answer: It is not the college’s intention to extend the Winter 2023 term unless absolutely necessary, and if needed, that would be decided at the individual program level, based on specific learning and occupational requirements. The options for students provided for in this commitment creates pathways for students to graduate on time or as close as possible.

Question: Can I get a transcript?

Answer: The college aims to have a process in place for students to obtain transcripts during a labour disruption. More time may be needed than usual due to limited staff.

Question: Can I get a confirmation of enrolment letter or a letter of admission?

Answer: The college aims to have a process in place for students to obtain documents during a labour disruption. More time may be needed than usual due to limited staff.

Question: How will this affect my student aid/student loans/sponsorship?

Answer: It is not the college’s intention to extend the term unless absolutely necessary, and therefore we will seek to not change the end date of the program. There are no additional program costs for students as a result of labour dispute. The options for students provided for in this commitment create pathways for students to graduate on time or as close as possible.

Question: I have courses starting in May. Will these continue as planned?

Answer: At this time, we don’t know. For now, students should continue planning for their scheduled start date.

It is possible that courses may be delayed during labour disruption but we would seek to return to the schedule as quickly as possible. The college will work with sponsors and other parties to communicate and advocate for students to ensure their financial aid or visas are not adversely affected.

Question: Will I have access to Moodle?

Answer: Yes, it is the college’s intention to keep the learning management system open during any labour disruption for students to access learning materials and self-study. Note that Moodle might not be monitored by employees during that time, so questions might not be answered by instructors.

Question: How do I file an academic appeal?

Answer: Please follow the regular process as outlined in policy A1: Academic and disciplinary appeals

Question: When and how do I petition for course completion?

Answer: This would only be possible if there is a labour disruption in your program. You may not be affected. The college is currently working on a process. This FAQ will be updated once that is finalized. To prepare, you can gather up copies of your course materials to demonstrate your grades to date. This could include your course outline, completed and graded assessments, screenshots of gradebook, etc. There may be limitations, for example, if there are safety considerations or regulatory requirements for student assessments that cannot be met in the disrupted environment. This will depend on the program.

Question: Where can I go if I have more questions?

Answer: Contact the ACCSA. The ACCSA is meeting regularly with the college and will bring forward your questions every week.

I.M. Well will be open to all students and family members even if classes are cancelled. Please visit the I.M. Well webpage for more information.

Thank you,

Julia Teichroeb, ACC Students’ Association President 2022-23