Possible relief on Bill 104

by Daniel McCabe

Bill 104, the Quebec government law aimed at reducing salary expenditures in the public sector, has unnerved everyone at the University, with good cause. The law would force a number of government and public sector organizations--including universities as of this writing--to cut their salary costs by six per cent.

Institutions would be given first crack at managing the six per cent decrease by trying to arrive at arrangements with the unions and staff associations representing their employees. If that didn't work, the government would simply reduce everybody's paycheques by six per cent, compensating them with additional days off.

Universities are already reeling from budget slashing. "A six percent salary cut would be like a kick in the teeth," remarked one longtime McGill manager.

However, unconfirmed reports suggest that universities may be granted an exemption.

Quebec's cabinet ministers were scheduled to meet yesterday and one of the items on the agenda was Bill 104. The province's universities were guardedly optimistic that the ministers would agree to exclude them from Bill 104's reach.

According to Robert Savoie, executive director of human resources at McGill, an assistant deputy minister in the Ministry of Education was in touch with CREPUQ officials last week to let them know that the government now intends to exempt all employees in the university sector from the application of the bill.

Savoie says, "I don't expect the situation to change from what CREPUQ was told last week, but until it's confirmed in writing, I want to be prudent."

At a meeting of the McGill University Non-Academic Staff Association (MUNASA) last week, the group's legal advisor, Mike Cohen, said that his sources in Quebec's unions also stated that the government had agreed not to apply Bill 104 to universities.

"There is so much at stake," says Savoie. "Everyone will be happy once [the universities' exemption] is official."

At a recent presentation to Management Forum, Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance) Phyllis Heaphy outlined the University's strategy in the event that Bill 104 does affect McGill. "Don't worry yet," Heaphy told the standing-room-only crowd. "We have a plan."

Heaphy said that the University's administration was "totally against salary cuts--even a reduction of one cent would be opposed."

The vice-principal said that the University would argue that it had already achieved cutting its payroll by six per cent thanks to the early retirement plan offered last spring and the decision to close positions throughout the University once they were vacated by staff who left McGill for various reasons.

Heaphy stated that Quebec City will be flexible in how it applies Bill 104. "The government has made it clear to us that deals have been made and that they're open to alternate ways of doing things."

Heaphy tackled other issues during her presentation to McGill's managers.

Referring to the government's move to start charging out-of-province and international students higher tuition fees, she noted that while the change seems to be hurting Bishop's University, McGill hasn't been affected--at least not yet.

"The numbers for students applying to McGill from outside Quebec don't look too bad--it certainly hasn't been a disaster." Heaphy says the University still wants to see if the change has any impact on the number of student applicants who accept offers of admission from McGill.

Discussing the University's new arrangement with Concordia, in which the two institutions are investigating ways to cut costs by working more closely together, particularly in administrative areas, Heaphy told the managers that "if you want to, you can scuttle this.

"This depends on the goodwill of the people involved. Dig in your heels and you can kill this. If you hope the administration will be too busy to make you do it, you're right."

Heaphy emphasized, though, that, like it or not, the government will be cutting McGill's budget by an estimated $31.7 million over the next three years and units are going to have to be open to new ways of doing things in order to cope.

She also addressed the impending departure of Vice-Principal (Planning and Resources) François Tavenas and the recent loss of other administrators such as former comptroller Tim Sullivan, who haven't been replaced.

Heaphy noted that senior administrators were taking on more responsibilities as people such as Tavenas and Sullivan leave. She said that as a result, middle managers have to take on more responsibility themselves and become more autonomous.

Salary administration manager Jean-Claude Provost from the Department of Human Resources used the Management Forum session to remind managers that employees can negotiate new working arrangements with the University if they want to work fewer hours--to study for a degree or to spend more time with their families, for instance.

Provost was quick to say that his department would not be creating any new policies to oversee such arrangements. "The policies we already have in place allow for a lot of flexibility."

He is busy creating a framework that would allow staff and departments to see all the items that would need to be considered before such deals are finalized. These arrangements would be available on a temporary basis and would be reviewed by the parties affected after one year. Salaries, benefits and work responsibilities would be adjusted in relation to the number of hours worked.

At the MUNASA meeting last Thursday, Jim McVety, the group's vice-president, warned staff to be cautious when entering into such pacts. "When you sit down with the boss and a representative of HR, you're outgunned."

McVety said anyone interested in changing their job conditions and working fewer hours should consult their union or staff association before signing on the dotted line.