Negotiations between the University of Windsor administration and Windsor University Faculty Association are progressing slowly.
"We did work through some minor issues, but the bigger issues, both non-monetary and monetary, have yet to be really systematically worked through," says Jeff Noonan, president of WUFA.
He says administration and the bargaining unit met a handful of times before the University of Windsor administration requested a conciliator on June 30, 2017.
"We didn't think that was a great idea. However, they filed and we tried to meet in the interim, but the one meeting we had after they filed for the conciliator didn't really go anywhere, so we decided let's wait for the conciliator," says Noonan.
The first meeting with the conciliator is July 25, 2017.
"Conciliators can be helpful, but they also of course set in process a chain of events that can lead to no board reports, lock-outs, strikes, strike votes. We didn't think it was the best time to file for a conciliator, but either side has the right to do so," says Noonan.
He is still hopeful the contract can be resolved before the return of classes in the fall.
