Right of Accompaniment

It is your right under Article 11.02.6 of our collective agreement to be accompanied by another person of your choosing (with some restrictions) in dealings covered by the collective agreement, in particular, meetings with deans and other senior administrators.
 
A person you select to accompany you in a meeting need not have any particular expertise in the ins-and-outs of the collective agreement, although such expertise is handy. It is sometimes helpful just to have an extra set of eyes and ears at a meeting to help ensure a more accurate recollection of what transpired at a meeting, or just to have someone present for reassurance at what might be a stressful time.
 
In arranging to have someone accompany you, meetings must be scheduled in such a way that the individual you have selected to accompany you is also accommodated. You needn’t feel stampeded into a hastily arranged meeting without accompaniment.
 
As always, you can contact your Association for advice and if you are having difficulty in finding someone to accompany you to meetings with senior administrators, the Association can help to arrange accompaniment for you.