Our proposals have been developed in the context of the agreement reached in respect of the teaching faculty in the Joint Committee, and following careful consideration of the proposals tabled by MUFA at our meeting on April 6th. They take into account f actors relating to the work done by librarians, the new Librarian Classification System, and the current and the anticipated financial situation of both the University Library and the Health Sciences Library over the next three years.

We are pleased to note that MUFA seeks a three-year agreement, and concur in this objective, under the conditions described in "Proposal", below.

Financial Framework and Merit Allocation

The Library's budget was increased by 1% for fiscal year 1999-2000. With respect to librarians' compensation, this provided approximately $14,500 of new resources with which increased salary and benefit costs can be met. Although it is recognized that t he across-the-board increase of 1% to be implemented on May 1, 1999 was negotiated under the 1997-99 agreement, that implementation, combined with a slight incremental increase in the cost of benefits, will exhaust these new funds. Consequently, any incr ease in compensation is constrained by this fact, and our proposals are based on the Library's position that the availability and distribution of a merit pool is the highest priority. The 1997-99 agreement, which contained elements for which implementati on was delayed beyond the start of the compensation year, was negotiated in the light of conditions prevailing at the time, and optimistic prospects for some improvement. Unfortunately, the improvement that was hoped for has not materialized, and the bud get increase has remained at the level of 1%.

Across-the-Board Increases

Unlike the compensation structure for the teaching faculty, librarians have opportunities for promotion on assuming increased position responsibility, and for individual professional achievement promotion. Both of these types of promotion result in salar y increases of 5%. These costs continue to be met from within the library's allocated budget.

Across-the-board increases may be justified if average salaries are low relative to the market, or if salary levels are inhibiting the ability to attract a good candidate pool in respect of any vacancy, or if the retention of librarians is a problem. No ne of these factors bears on our current situation. For these reasons, we do not incline to the provision of across-the-board increases.

Librarians' Professional Development Allowance

We accept the proposal as tabled by MUFA

Pension Holiday of 50% Employee Contributions...

We accept the proposal as tabled by MUFA

Modem Pool Funding

We propose that modem pool funding be made available to librarians in a way identical to the provision for the teaching faculty.

Lump Sum Payments

Merit increments averaging more than 1.5% have been distributed in each of the past five years. In this same five-year period (1994-95/1998-99) the average annual reduction in the University Library's budget for operations has been just over 1.5%. The rationale for the MUFA proposal of this item in Year 2 is the delayed payment of merit increases in 1997 and 1998. These delays were agreed to in the circumstances which prevailed in the 1997/99 period. The library's financial situation, outlined above, has not changed.

Scale Adjustments

Although the transition to the new classification system gives rise to some uncertainty about the new scales (the development of which has been delegated to the Levels and Promotions Committee) we believe there is a need to ensure that all eligible librar ians have access to performance-based merit allocation. Consequently, we propose the upward movement of librarian salary scales in each of the three years.

PROPOSALS

Year 1: June 16, 1999 to June 15, 2000

1. A Merit Pool of 1% of Librarian salaries, to be paid on June 16, 1999

2. An increase of 1% in the LPDA, effective May 1, 1999

3. A pension holiday of 50% of employee contributions with a corresponding adjustment of the termination benefit

4. Implementation of modem pool funding for librarians on the same basis as for the teaching faculty, effective June 16, 1999

5. An increase of 1% in librarian salary ranges (only), effective June 16, 1999

Year 2: June 16, 2000 to June 15, 2001

1. A Merit Pool of 1.5% of Librarian salaries, to be paid on June 16, 2000

2. An increase of 1% in the LPDA, effective May 1, 2000

3. A pension holiday of 50% of employee contributions with a corresponding adjustment of the termination benefit

4. Continuation of modem pool funding for librarians on the same basis as for the teaching faculty, effective June 16, 2000

5. An increase of 1% in librarian salary ranges (only), effective June 16, 2000

Year 3: June 16, 2001 to June 15, 2002

1. A Merit Pool of 2% of Librarian salaries, to be paid on June 16, 2001

2. An increase of 1% in the LPDA, effective May 1, 2001

3. A pension holiday of 50% of employee contributions with a corresponding adjustment of the termination benefit

4. Continuation of modem pool funding for librarians on the same basis as for the teaching faculty, effective June 16, 2001

5. An increase of 1% in librarian salary ranges (only), effective June 16, 2001