As negotiations between Queen’s University and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2010 continue towards achieving a fair negotiated renewal Collective Agreement, the union has requested the Ministry of Labour issue a No Board Report.
The USW Local represents approximately 1200 general support staff across the university. The parties commenced negotiations before the Collective Agreement expired on December 31, 2024.
A No Board Report, from the time it is issued, starts a 17-day countdown to a legal strike or lockout date. This does not mean a strike or lockout will occur, as the parties can continue to meet and negotiate during this period, but on or after that date the applicable union is legally allowed to call a strike.
A provincially-appointed conciliator has conferred with the parties but a tentative agreement has not yet been reached.
Conciliation is a process by which a conciliation officer is appointed by the Minister of Labour to meet with the union and the employer to attempt to conclude a collective agreement. It is a normal feature of the collective bargaining process and has helped the parties reach collective agreements in previous rounds. It is a necessary step before any party can request a No Board Report.
The university values the contributions of its employees and respects the collective bargaining process. The university remains committed to continuing to work with the union in the interest of reaching an agreement but has also begun to prepare contingency plans to mitigate the impact of any potential job actions by USW Local 2010. Information on these plans will be shared with students, faculty and staff when and as appropriate.
Once a tentative agreement is reached, the details will remain confidential until it is ratified by both parties. More information can be found in the Labour News Frequently Asked Questions.