ESA Negotiating Update

The teams representing the Board and ULFA met to begin negotiating a new Essential Services Agreement (ESA) Tuesday December 8th. Each new Collective Agreement requires a new ESA. ULFA proposed in writing to the Board that the ESA should be negotiated at a second table beginning before negotiations on the CA resume in January. In the same letter, ULFA provided the names of our team members (Locke Spencer, Dawn McBride, Rumi Graham, Olu Awosoga, and Rob Sutherland (Chair)). In response the Board provided the names of their team members (Scott Harling (Chair), Jennifer Copeland, and Carolin Cattoi-Demkiw) and a date to begin was agreed upon. At that first meeting the Chair of the Board’s team, Mr. Scott Harling, indicated that he did not feel that a sufficient notice to bargain had been received by the Board. After a short discussion, it was agreed that ULFA would send another notice, this time under the title “Notice to Bargain”. ULFA agreed to prepare a new and complete ESA for discussion at the next negotiation session (TBD).