Friday, May 28, 1993

CONVOCATION:  Convocation ceremonies continue today and tomorrow; 
look for happy faces and traffic congestion.  The schedule:
Friday, 2 p.m., 463 degrees from the faculty of science;
Saturday, 10 a.m., 635 degrees from the faculty of mathematics;
Saturday, 2 p.m., 605 degrees from the faculty of engineering.
All convocation ceremonies are held in the main gym of the Physical
Activities Complex, and the public (including, or especially, faculty,
students and staff) are welcome.

SOCIAL CONTRACT:  The idea of compulsory unpaid days off for public
sector workers, including university staff and faculty, seems to be
dead.  That proposal was abandoned in a "Social Contract Framework Agreement
Proposal" issued late on Wednesday by the provincial government.

Social contract negotiations are continuing in Toronto, but in some
disarray.  Employer representatives have rejected the proposed "framework"
(although the Council of Ontario Universities was not among the agencies
signing the rejection, because COU president Peter George was busy on
Wednesday attending convocation here at Waterloo).  Employee groups have
also expressed their disdain, and news reports say some have formally
pulled out of the negotiations.

The "central table" for negotiations met yesterday; "sectoral tables",
including the one for colleges and universities, met Wednesday and are
scheduled to meet again on Monday.  At that table are government
representatives; heads of universities (chiefly represented by COU) and
colleges; and representatives of seven employee groups.  Of those, Waterloo
has a voice in three: the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty
Associations, the Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations,
and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The "framework" that now interests the government doesn't include the
earlier proposal that everyone would take unpaid days off.  Instead it
calls for "a system of unpaid leaves of absence" to be taken by those who
wanted them, adding up to "significant" savings.  In addition there would
be a complete three-year freeze on pay increases -- cost-of-living, merit,
progress-through-the-ranks and all -- effective April 1, 1993.

PARTNERSHIP WALK: To raise money for international development activities,
a "Partnership Walk" will be held Sunday in ten Canadian cities, including
Kitchener.  The local walk starts at 11 a.m. at the Victoria Park island
gazebo.  More information: 747-1108.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs
credmond@watserv1    ext. 3004