Dear Colleagues,
This month, we are providing information on Salary Policy, Overtime and Floating Days. To improve our working conditions, these policies need to be given greater consideration.
We will be organizing an Open Forum on Salary Policy on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, and will depend on your participation and feedback to present to the University. An invitation will be going out shortly but please save the date!
Salary Policy
The announcement on Salary Policy, received by email on March 12, 2019, has changed from previous years and now recommends merit percentages in the column titled “Merit Increases”. If you are a “Leading Performer” you can receive a merit percentage as low as 1%, and a “Strong Performer” as low as 0.5%. Combining these amounts with the Economic Increase barely measures up to the cost of living, which is now approximately 2%.
What will determine your merit percentage? Is it where you are on the salary scale, close to your mid‐point, at the top of your salary scale, close to retirement? It is hard to say what you will receive since it is subjectively applied and often determined by committees that are unfamiliar with your accomplishments.
You can meet all expectations, show great initiative, meet all deadlines but receive nothing more than the minimum.
Year after year, the Salary Policy announcement, comes a couple of months prior to receiving our merit. We do not have or benefit from a 3‐year agreement, as those who are protected with a Collective Agreement.
In September 2015, the University and M.U.N.A.S.A. entered into an Agreement that spoke to Salary Policy Receipt, Release and Transaction Agreement (EN). In that Agreement, it mentions that “the University wishes to recognize the invaluable contribution of the employees represented by M.U.N.A.S.A. and highlight its commitment to engaging with and receiving the input of M staff, through M.U.N.A.S.A., regarding all working conditions, including the salary policy”.
It goes on to say, “The University agrees, from the date of signing of the present Agreement and before implementing a salary policy concerning M staff, that it shall hold good faith discussions with M.U.N.A.S.A. to discuss this topic and, in formulating the policy, shall take into account the concerns expressed by M.U.N.A.S.A. on behalf of its members; The University agrees that in formulating M salary policy, it shall take into consideration the essential contribution of M staff to the well‐being of the University and do it best to ensure that salary compensation is as commensurate as possible with this contribution;”
M.U.N.A.S.A. intends to ensure that this agreement is respected in the future.
Overtime
It is no secret that many managers work far more than 33.75 hours per week. Many are working 40 to 50 hours per week, and more, without overtime compensation or time off in lieu of overtime. Many departments unequivocally say that they have no budget for overtime or if you work smarter, and not harder, there would be no need for overtime, thereby the efficiency of the employee is called into question. However, overtime is often due to staff shortages, departures, multiple deadlines or unrealistic expectations.
This has resulted in managers not revealing how many hours they work each week because they feel it is futile. This, in time, leads to a work/life imbalance, stress leave or burnout. While MUNASA will continue to have these discussions with McGill, you may find this article helpful https://cmha.ca/mental‐health/finding‐help/emotional‐wellness.
The Overtime Policy is found at https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/employee-relations/policies-procedures/salary-administration-policy.
Floating Days
As you recall, Human Resources announced in May 2018, that some employees were not eligible to benefit from the two floating holidays but had nevertheless been receiving them. This generally applied to employees who were formerly M.U.N.A.C.A. members, and who were hired into non‐unionized non‐academic roles on or after June 1, 2004. https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/channels/news/floating‐holidays‐287545
M.U.N.A.S.A. contested the University’s decision to take away floating holidays from Managers who were formerly M.U.N.A.C.A. employees. More than 20 disputes have been filed, which will go to arbitration in January 2020.
If you were promoted from a M.U.N.A.C.A. position to an M position, M.U.N.A.S.A. will attempt to dispute the loss of your floating holidays. If you have not already done so, please contact M.U.N.A.S.A. immediately at info@munasa.com to report it.
To conclude, we are making every effort to bring about positive change for our members but this needs to be a collective effort. Collectively, we can make a difference.
Judy Dear
President