Background

An application was made to the Labour Relations Board (The Board) to include the classification

of Cooperative Education Coordinator (CEC) in the MUNFA bargaining unit. The MUNFA

bargaining unit is presently comprised of academic faculty members (i.e., lecturers and

professors), counselling faculty members, and librarians.

Union Position

MUNFA representatives expressed the intention that if this application were successful, MUNFA

would treat CECs as another parallel group within the bargaining unit, covered by separate

provisions in the collective agreement with a set of articles similar to those now covering

librarians and counselling faculty members in the existing collective agreement.

MUNFA considered these employees to be academic professionals in their qualifications and

submitted that they have a strong community of interest with the other academic staff. In support

of their argument, MUNFA asked that the following be taken into consideration:

 CECs are not currently included in any bargaining unit and have signed cards stating that

they wish to become members of MUNFA.

 Work terms are defined in MUN's calendar in the same format as courses, demonstrating

the integration of the academic terms with the work terms.

 CECs are charged with developing the curriculum and the mechanisms that promote the

formal integration of classroom and workplace learning.

 CECs develop the evaluation procedures and apply these through calendar regulations

dealing specifically with work terms.

 CECs make promotion recommendations that carry the same consequences as academic

promotions (i.e., the consequences of failing a work term are the same as failing a term or

program).

 Academic staff members and coordinators work in the same physical location, sharing

the same program goals, and they educate, evaluate, and promote the same students.

 Many elements of their education activities can be classified as teaching, either in the

traditional sense or as it relates to experiential learning.

 CECs, like faculty, report directly to Deans of their units and their pay is akin to that of a

lecturer.

 CECs conduct research in areas related to cooperative education and also in their own

field of expertise and contribute articles to many newsletters, journals, and other

publications.

 The Board has already certified MUNFA to represent librarians and counselling faculty.

CECs, like librarians and counselling faculty, have a Masters degree and are not required

to teach.

 MUNFA has been able to fairly represent the librarians and counselling faculty through

separate provisions in the collective agreement.

 In other universities, CECs are considered faculty and included in the bargaining unit.

The CECs describe themselves as educators in partnership with teaching faculty. For example,

MUNFA pointed out that in the Engineering faculty, six out of fourteen student semesters are

work terms for which the CEC is responsible. Based on these numbers, the CECs state that they

have more influence over an undergraduate student's career than any other academic staff or

faculty member. Thus, MUNFA requested that the Board amend the Certification Order to

include the classification of Cooperative Education Coordinator in the MUNFA bargaining unit.

Employer Position

The Employer disagreed that CECs have more influence over an undergraduate student's career

than any one academic staff or faculty member. The Employer contended that faculty members,

librarians, and counselling faculty members have in common their teaching, assisting, and

counselling of students on a daily basis, with all of their activities centred around the student;

whereas, the primary responsibility of the CECs is to track down relevant jobs within the

business community.

The Employer stated the fact that CECs are not presently included in any bargaining unit is not

sufficient reason to include them in the MUNFA unit. The Employer denied that CECs share a

community of interest with members of the MUNFA bargaining unit.

The Employer denied that counselling faculty members have more in common with CECs than

with regular faculty members and librarians. The Employer pointed out that counselling faculty

members hold academic rank (e.g., Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) and are expected to

engage in scholarly activity. Their promotion from one rank to another is dependant, in part, on

their achievements in the area of scholarly activity (research, writing, and publication). The

Employer further stated that the Counselling Centre has over the past few years developed a

credit course and at least two counselling faculty members teach this course.

The Employer denied that CECs are academic employees any more than computer technicians or

laboratory demonstrators are academic employees. It was submitted that although they work in

academic units, they provide a support role for the major programmes that are conducted by

faculty members. To the extent that CECs teach, the Employer stated that it is very minimal and

involves the preparation of resumes and other aspects directly related to preparing young people

to enter the work force.

The Employer stated that CECs have no or minor responsibilities in the following areas:

 They are not required to teach credit courses or engage in research activities.

 They have only a minor responsibility for making promotion recommendations (i.e.,

evaluating the work term performance of the students).

 They are not involved in any major way with the normal processes of admission,

promotion, and appeal, but only as part of a committee dominated by faculty members.

 There is no requirement to develop and review scholarly material for publication; the

only publication materials for which CECs have responsibilities are handbooks and

promotional materials.

 There is no requirement to maintain membership in learned societies and professional

associations.

The Employer therefore requested that the Board decline to amend the Certification Order by

reason that the CECs do not have a community of interest with the employees presently included

in the MUNFA bargaining unit.

Question

Should CECs be included in the MUNFA bargaining unit? Justify your position with the aid of

course readings and two additional sources of information from the library or internet. Be sure to

provide the full citations at the conclusion of your response.