FOS Arbitrator Vince Ready to decide preliminary objection; non-monetary issues still outstanding
In the Final Offer Selection (FOS) arbitration hearing between TSSU and SFU Administration on November 27th , TSSU filed a preliminary objection over the failure by SFU Administration to provide a full monetary costing, including methodology, to TSSU. In addition, SFU Administration proposed wage and benefit increases which fall short of the Provincial Government’s PSEC mandate by approximately $26,000 per year, leaving available money unspent. The arbitrator has contacted both parties for further information while he considers TSSU’s objection, and further updates will be provided as they become available.
The arbitrator will be ruling whether or not SFU Administration upheld their responsibility to provide accurate costing data in bargaining sessions with TSSU in November 2015. While a number of different steps could follow, your Contract Committee hopes that the arbitrator’s ruling will prevent Administration’s ‘creative’ accounting from diminishing members’ salaries and benefits.
These calculations also focus attention on TSSU’s proposal for improving Extended Health Benefit coverage (EHB) to include birth control, eyeglass coverage, and other incremental improvements. According to SFU Administration, these improvements will cost $900,000; more than 30 times the current total cost of EHB. Administration has forecast an enrollment of 1520 workers to reach this conclusion, while currently only 40-80 workers enroll in EHB each term. TSSU has objected to these cost figures, which Administration failed to produce any evidence for.
TSSU has provided our response to the arbitrator, including the costing data we have on the current plan, the historical enrollment, as well as our arguments against Administration’s costing methods. We will update you as soon as the arbitrator rules.