New Collective Agreements Reached for NSCC Employees

March 22, 2024 

Authors: Susan Thompson Graham and Shelley Murphy.

New collective agreements reached for NSCC employees

Nova Scotia Community College faculty and professional support have new collective agreements today.

The 1,081 NSCC workers, members of the Atlantic Academic Union, ratified tentative agreements in an online vote March 21. Eighty-six per cent of faculty and 91 per cent of professional support voted to accept the contracts. Voter turnout was 88 per cent overall. 

College faculty and professional support represent separate bargaining units within the Atlantic Academic Union.

“We have much more work to do in the coming months as we bring all aspects of this agreement to life to improve the working environments of our members,” said lead negotiator for the Atlantic Academic Union Susan Thompson Graham. 

“These collective agreements made over 70 improvements in language to key areas of workload, discrimination and harassment in the workplace, professional development, and probationary periods to name a few,” said Thompson Graham.

The agreements also provided seven per cent in economic increases plus other monetary recognition equivalent to about two per cent. The largest increases take place in the first year of the contact. 

“This agreement is a progressive step forward for the future of the college,” said Thompson Graham. 

“Engagement by the membership was tremendous throughout this collective bargaining process, as well as support by students and industry,” said Atlantic Academic Union president Barbara Gillis. “We are very pleased that members feel we listened to their needs and their voices were heard in this agreement.”

The agreements were reached after a quick succession of negotiation meetings between NSCC and the Atlantic Academic Union this past weekend, following a failure to reach an agreement on Thursday, March 14 with provincial conciliators. Union members were briefed on the tentative offer on Sunday, March 17, early evening. The strike was slated to start March 18.