Dear MRSA Colleagues,
As we know, the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges. MRSA has worked with MRU on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure that our colleagues are treated fairly regarding “Furlough Leave”.
The intent and the spirit of the MOU is to provide “Furlough Leave” to staff in some positions who are unable to perform their duties on campus and are unable to perform their work duties remotely. Also, it is provided as an option to those who may need to take care of personal matters such as child care during the COVID 19 crisis.
The following steps were taken to reach and sign an agreement by the Employee Relations (ER) Committee members which consists of the MRSA President and the two Vice-Presidents:
- Our colleagues in HR drafted and shared the MOU document
- The ER Committee members met and asked questions, and made a decision to engage the Association lawyer for legal advice. This MOU is very similar to the Agreements signed by MacEwan Staff Association (MSA) and the Non-Academic Staff Association at the University of Alberta
- The Association lawyer provided his feedback and it was shared with our HR colleagues to amend the document
- The MOU was signed on April 24th
- An email was drafted and shared with our MRSA colleagues
As seen by the above detailed process, reaching this conclusion to sign was a thoughtful decision-making process by the Employee Relations Committee. Details of the signed MOU are provided for your reference.
An MRU institution-wide email has been sent to all MRU employees.
Anyone affected by this MOU will be contacted by their Manager and HR.
If you are impacted and have any questions, please contact the MRSA office at mrsa@mtroyal.ca. We would like to remind you that you have ongoing access and support to our Employee & Family Assistance Program.
Please stay safe and stay healthy.