Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to provide you with a bargaining update.
As we communicated in our March 17 Council update, your UTFA Negotiating Team insisted that the Administration adhere to the expedited process outlined in Article 6 of the Memorandum of Agreement. UTFA’s objective is to secure either a negotiated agreement or a final and binding arbitration award on all bargaining items no later than June 30, 2026, so that members receive timely Across-the-Board (ATB) and Progress Through the Ranks (PTR) salary adjustments.
In response to UTFA’s push to expedite negotiations, the Administration agreed to participate in mediation tomorrow evening, May 13. If necessary, binding arbitration is scheduled for Saturday, May 23. Note that in bilateral negotiations, the Administration proposed sub-inflationary ATB increases that would effectively constitute real pay cuts for UTFA members.
Please also note that the Administration has advised that if the parties reach an agreement, or if the Arbitrator issues an award by June 15, the July 1, 2026 salary adjustments (ATB and PTR) will be processed in the July 2026 payroll.
We will continue to keep you updated as mediation progresses and if we move to arbitration.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions & Workload