posted on Feb. 28: University bargaining team explains latest proposals on displacement, recall

Dear Readers,

Issues of job security have proven to be a significant part of the negotiations between the University and the McMaster University Staff Association. In an attempt to explain the University's latest proposals in these areas, the following information has been provided by the University's bargaining team.

Priority placement remains the first option for an employee whose position is declared redundant.

Displacement

A key demand from MUSA has been to introduce bumping or displacement. The University has significantly enhanced its initial displacement offer to make seniority more meaningful. The proposal also creates a bigger job pool for those within the displacement program.

In order to displace, an employee must have the qualifications for the job, and the person whom they would displace must have less seniority. The changes are based on MUSA's recommendations.

The displacement steps would be completed in the following sequence in order to minimize disruption within the workplace:

1. Displacement or bumping into a position within the redeployment unit* at the employee's own pay grade.

2. Displacement within the redeployment unit to lower pay grades.

3. Displacement into a job within one other redeployment unit.

4. Displacement into positions held by the least three senior employees in the bargaining unit.

*The redeployment unit is a grouping of budget envelopes as agreed to in the collective agreement

Recall Rights

The University originally proposed that employee recall rights continue for 12 months. The current offer extends that term to a minimum of 18 months. Employees with more than five years seniority will have recall rights for 24 months.

The proposal also expands the employee's right to find an appropriate position while on recall. An employee would be able to reject the first position that is available if that job does not match the hours of work, pay level and employment category of his/her previous position.

The employee's seniority would continue to accrue while on recall. If an employee chooses to accept a temporary university position while on recall, the recall clock is frozen until the end of the temporary posting, and is then restarted.

If an employee is on recall, tuition/bursary assistance will continue for the remainder of the academic year.

Priority placement continues to be the first step for an employee whose position is declared redundant. Any employee whose job is declared redundant will continue to have the right to be appointed to another position within the University when they have the qualifications for the position. A vacant position would only be advertised after all employees on priority placement or recall have been considered for the position.

The above changes significantly enhance job security for employees in the MUSA bargaining unit.