The Ontario Ministry of Labour has appointed Greg Long as a conciliator to assist your Negotiating Team and the Administration in reaching a settlement. This is a consequence of the Administration filing for conciliation.
Conciliation is scheduled for December 14th, with the possibility of additional dates depending on progress. Negotiations are continuing in the meantime.
The role of the conciliator is to meet with the parties and help them reach a mutually-agreeable collective agreement, but he has no authority to impose a settlement. Conciliation is a service provided by the Ministry at no cost to the parties. The appointment of a conciliator does not signal an unwillingness to negotiate, nor is it a declaration of impasse. In recent years, conciliation has been a normal part of collective bargaining at Laurier.
In Solidarity,
CF Negotiating Team