Article content continued

“We acknowledge the university is not proposing to change the (pension) plan,” Clark continued.

“We fear, based on certain amendments that the university has managed to push through historically, that what they are proposing — and by removing our collective bargaining language and protections — that it could open the door to that very kind of change.”

University interim president Alastair Summerlee said university negotiators have not proposed changing the pension plan — from its current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan — and said the union’s demand for “greater control over the way the university manages its pension plan” would be unfair to other labour unions on campus.

“At no time has the university, the board, or the university’s negotiating team ever raised the prospect of converting the pension plan at Carleton to defined contribution or changing the composition of the pension plan committee.,” he said.

“We obviously heard them talking about this and we were completely prepared to put that into the collective agreement.”

Summerlee said the university has also offered a “competitive” salary package and improved benefits.

“But the union persisted with its demand that it wants greater control over the way the university manages its pension plan.”

Summerlee said Carleton has for 50 years taken a unique approach to managing pensions, which he called “a collaborative and collective decision of 50 per cent of employee representatives and the university.