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QUFA Ratification Process for the Tentative New Collective Agreement

June 13, 2008

Dear QUFA Members,

You will have recently received an email relaying the information that the bargaining teams have reached a tentative new collective agreement in negotiations between Queen's University and the Queen's University Faculty Association (QUFA). The tentative new collective agreement is now subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the University and ratification by the Members of QUFA.

QUFA's ratification process as per the Bargaining Protocol (Revised 2005) reads:

"When all the articles have been agreed to by the parties at the negotiating table, the proposed Collective Agreement will be presented by the Negotiating Team to the Executive Committee and to Council for approval in principle for recommendation to the membership of the respective Bargaining Unit. Once this recommendation has been obtained, the Executive Committee will present the proposed Collective Agreement to the members of the respective Bargaining Unit for their ratification by secret ballot."

The Bargaining Team and the Executive have now both unanimously recommended approval in principle of the tentative new collective agreement and are forwarding this message to Council today. We expect Council's deliberations will require until the end of next week, which means that the Membership should expect to be notified about Council's recommendation, positive or negative, on June 20 or soon thereafter.

The full Membership of the amalgamated bargaining unit will receive email notification of the recommendations of the Council (on June 20 or soon thereafter) and the following information for deliberation and voting:

• An executive summary of the progress toward reaching the priorities established by the Membership;
• A more detailed summary of changes in the tentative new collective agreement from the old collective agreements;
• New and revised articles in the tentative new collective agreement;
• A URL for an on-line vote by secret ballot and a deadline by which to cast your vote.

Please be alert for the email about the recommendation, supporting documentation and the voting details.

Marvin Baer, QUFA's Chief Negotiator, put on the record at the last Executive Meeting his thanks to the negotiating team members for the fine work they did and the professional manner in which they performed it.