Labour peace appears to be close to returning to CNC.
The college and CUPE Local 4951 reached a tentative agreement on local issues over the weekend, but ratification from both sides won't happen until early next year. The deal wraps up a contentious negotiating cycle, which included a two-day work stoppage last month.
The local deal on Sunday comes of the heels of an agreement earlier this month to set up a province-wide financial framework. Both sides agreed that getting the money agreed on was the most challenging component of the deal, but it still took a little time to sort out the local issues.
"You always have local issues that have a bump and a rub, but all in all the big issue was the provincial framework, that was hard," CUPE 4951 president Lily Bachand said.
CNC communications director Randall Heidt agreed the money issue was the "heavy lifting" segment of the negotiations and he's confident both sides will ratify the deal in due course.
Details of the contract will not be made public until after ratification, however Bachand is pleased with what the two sides have agreed to, given the economic climate in the province.
"I'm as happy as I would be during the bargaining season," she said. "Is it the be all and end all? Absolutely not. Am I happy they got what they got? Absolutely."
The union, which represents 345 support staff ranging from custodians to day care workers to employees of the bookstores and print rooms, will hold its vote on Jan. 6. The college board of governors is set to vote on Jan. 25.
Bachand said the delay in the union vote was necessitated by the holiday break.
"I want to make sure that there are the most people here that can vote on it," she said.
Heidt doesn't expect any hurdles from the employer's end as the deal will go to the board with the blessing of the administrating.
The union held a two-day strike in November, which shut down classes at the institution. It was the first time in 28 years that a labour dispute had shutdown classes at CNC.
If ratified, the new four-year contract would run until June 2014. It's retroactive to June 2010, when the last deal expired.
Bachand said the union will begin preparing for that round of bargaining within six months.
"Wouldn't be nice if we created a collective agreement before it expires, not after?" she said.
