Collective Bargaining

This page provides regular updates during active collective bargaining periods. Keyano College respects the bargaining process and is committed to keeping the College community up to date during the negotiation of collective agreements with its unions.

The information shared here will align with the collective bargaining process and our obligations and responsibilities under the Labour Relations Code and Post-Secondary Learning Act.

What is Collective Bargaining?

Postsecondary institutions in Canada have collective agreements with their faculty and staff. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating these agreements.

The Labour Relations Code and Post-Secondary Learning Act guide Alberta's post-secondary institutions' labour relations and collective bargaining.

 

Bargaining groups at Keyano College

Canadian Union of Public Employee (CUPE) - The previous collective agreement can be found here: 2020 to 2024 Collective Agreement between Keyano College and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 2157.

Keyano College Faculty Association (KCFA) - The previous collective agreement can be found here: 2020 to 2024 Collective Agreement between Keyano College and the Keyano College Faculty Association.

CUPE Collective Bargaining Updates

The College’s bargaining committee met with CUPE’s committee to discuss initial bargaining proposals. This is the first meeting between the College and CUPE in this round of negotiations. The College's bargaining committee is pleased with the tone and demeanor during this initial meeting.

During the meeting, the College’s bargaining committee presented objectives for this round of collective bargaining. These objectives include enhancing current processes within the collective agreement and promoting long-term labour stability. These objectives are intended to strengthen the College's ability to effectively tackle challenges arising within the sector as the Canadian post-secondary landscape faces uncertainties and disruptions.

KCFA Collective Bargaining Updates

The College’s Bargaining Committee and the KCFA’s Committee met on December 18 and 19. The parties discussed proposals on several non-monetary articles in the Collective Agreement. Although there were some divergent views, the parties were able to agree on and sign off on a significant number of proposals. The parties are scheduled to meet for more bargaining sessions in January 2025.

The bargaining committees for Keyano College and the KCFA met on January 15 and 16, 2025, to proceed with collective bargaining. During these meetings, the committees discussed several proposals and successfully signed off on an article of the Collective Agreement. While discussions on other proposals are ongoing, the College’s committee is looking forward to continuing productive talks with the Faculty Association’s committee.

This round of collective bargaining is taking place in the context of several challenges facing the College. This includes the challenges posed by the Federal Government’s implementation of caps on international student visas, which will impact student headcount and programming. Despite these significant challenges, we remain committed to providing quality education and supporting our employees, industry, and community partners. As we have done in the past, we will continue to inform the College’s position and challenges as we move forward in this process.

The committees will reconvene in late February.

Keyano College and the KCFA met on April 10 and 11 to continue collective bargaining discussions. To date, the parties have been able to reach an agreement on a significant number of articles in the collective agreement. Discussions regarding the remaining items have been productive, with both parties engaging in constructive dialogue.

The College will continue to provide updates on the collective bargaining process.

Keyano College is delighted to announce that the Collective Agreement with the Keyano College Faculty Association (KCFA) is now ratified for another 4-year term (2024-2028). 

The negotiation process commenced in Fall 2024, with bargaining committees from both the College and the KCFA engaging in meaningful discussions over several months. These negotiations addressed critical areas including compensation, benefits, and workload. The parties presented their respective concerns and proposals, ultimately reaching an agreement that they believed would provide stability and serve the best interests of the college, faculty, and students. 

The newly ratified Collective Agreement will be posted promptly. Faculty members seeking clarifications or information regarding the new Collective Agreement are encouraged to contact their Leaders or the KCFA Executives. 

The College acknowledges the joint efforts of both its own and the KCFA’s bargaining committees for reaching this new Collective Agreement. This successful round of bargaining speaks to the parties' open and collaborative relationship. 

Keyano College has commenced collective bargaining with the Keyano College Faculty Association (KCFA) and wants to keep our employees and other vital partners informed about this round of bargaining.

The bargaining teams of Keyano and KCFA met on September 20, 2024. The parties exchanged non-monetary proposals. Bargaining was productive, and discussions between the parties were positive. Both parties are scheduled to meet again in December 2024, and the College is looking forward to further positive and productive talks.

Keyano articulated clearly what we see as specific challenges that will inform this round of collective bargaining with the KCFA. Those include challenges related to our growth as a college and the need for flexibility to address that growth. We have seen significant growth largely due to increased international student enrolment. The College welcomes this growth and hopes that it will continue sustainably. Given several external factors, however, such as the Federal Government’s new restrictions regarding international student visas, the sustainability of that growth is unclear. 

Thank you for your attention to these critical updates. We are committed to keeping you informed as negotiations progress.

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