Bulletin APUO Bulletin

Mutual Interest Bargaining Signalled By Award Of PTR

At the annual general meeting of the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO), on 26 April 2001 the president, Mario Lamontagne announced to the members that the 2001/2002 Progress Through the Ranks (PTR) payment will be made as of 1 May 2001. In making this announcement Professor Lamontagne explained that after extended 'informal negotiations' with the administration, the APUO has assured the employer that it is committed to trying a different approach to the upcoming round of negotiations, otherwise referred to as Mutual Interest Bargaining (MIB). In return the employer, as a measure of 'good faith' has agreed to pay the PTR increment to all members of the APUO as of 1 May 2001, in advance of finalizing the agreement . In the words of Lamontagne "This format for negotiations is a significant deviation from past practice and is hopefully a harbinger of a change in the style of relations between the APUO and the administration. It may be a major step in the transition from the traditional, positional approach that has been typical of past negotiations.

The terms Mutual Interest Bargaining, or Interest-Based Negotiations refer to a format by which agreement is reached, at least in theory, through discussion of the issues important to either, or both parties. Although this format of negotiations is relatively new in the university milieu it has been used with considerable success in the private and public sector for many years. Thus, in focusing on issues rather than solutions, the parties are able to bring the force of the collective mind to bear on unique and enlightened solutions to the problems facing the University. It is an approach founded on mutual trust; trust that both parties have the best interests of the University at heart. As in life, il faut se parler!

At the general meeting, professor Michel Morin, chair of the APUO collective bargaining committee pointed out that the transition from traditional positional bargaining is not without difficulty and does not happen overnight. Rather, he noted, it evolves over the long term as the mutual trust and understanding develop between the parties. "Needless to say, in the absence of trust and understanding the process is doomed to failure" he said. By way of background Morin added, "Experts agree that success in these endeavours is only possible if both parties are well schooled in the principles of interest bargaining. Thus it is essential that the negotiators and principals alike begin by participating together in at least one intensive training session".

During the intervening weeks the negotiating team and executive committee were briefed by consultants from both the public and private sector and the CAUT on various aspects of MIB, including 2 joint briefing sessions with the administration. In the opinion of literally all of the consultants there is a good chance of success with this type of negotiations at the University. In the words of Bruce Hamilton of Concerpro Entreprises Inc., "if there is any milieu where this should work, it's at the University".

The APUO board of directors subsequently decided to commit to the MIB process only if the administration, as a measure of good faith, agreed to make an 'up front' interim PTR payment as of 1 May 2001. After the latest joint meeting of representatives from both the APUO and the employer, the administration formally made such an offer.

Both sides will take part in an intensive training session offered by Bruce Hamilton of Concerpro Enterprises Inc. of Montréal on the 13-14 June 2001. Formal negotiations will begin shortly thereafter.