Taking a Look Back at the First Agreement

Thirty years ago, the Association was certified by the Manitoba Labour Board. On 16 September 1982, the first agreement between UWFA and the Employer was signed. When one looks at the first agreement and the one signed just last month, the similarities are striking. Though there have been substantial changes in the intervening years, the first negotiating team set the foundation for the strong Collective Agreement we have today. Sandra Zuk, who was one of the negotiators at the time, provided us with these photos of the bargaining teams.

UWFA Team - Front (from left): Sandra Zuk (Library), Claudia Wright (Chief Negotiator, Political Science), Geraldine Sweet (Geography); Back (from left): John Cote (Psychology), John Ryan (Geography), H. Vincent Rutherford (History)Employer Team - Front (from left): Robert Dyck (Chief Negotiator), Stephen Coppinger, Michael McIntyre; Back (from left): Larry Didow, A. Ross McCormack, John Clake, David Dyck