Collective agreements at UNB

The University of New Brunswick has enjoyed a long-standing positive relationship with various union groups on each campus for well over 30 years.

Mutual respect and the concentration on providing a positive learning and working environment are paramount to those relationships.

Collective agreements

Contract Academic Employees, consisting of a bargaining unit of part-time instructors and librarians, was certified by the AUNBT in 2008. The bargaining unit consists of “All persons employed by the University of New Brunswick in contractual part-time teaching in a for-credit course or employed as part-time librarians at, or out of, all campuses of the University of New Brunswick, save and except Deans, Associate or Assistant Deans, those above the rank of Dean, the University Librarian, faculty members who are members of the Board of Governors, persons for whom a trade union holds bargaining rights under the Industrial Relations Act, and those excluded by the Industrial Relations Act.” There are approximately 600 employees in this bargaining unit who teach 1500 courses per year.

Recommended templates for units offering courses

For questions pertaining to the AUNBT (CAE) collective agreement, contact:


Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers

AUNBT, certified in 1979, is one of the first faculty associations in Canada to become a certified trade union under applicable provincial labour legislation. It is the bargaining agent for a unit of "persons employed in full-time teaching or employed as librarians at the University of New Brunswick at its campuses in Fredericton and Saint John...save and except Deans, Associate or Assistant Deans, those above the rank of Deans, the University Librarian, faculty members who are members of the Board of Governors and those excluded by the Industrial Relations Act." There are approximately 600 members - faculty, instructors and librarians- in the AUNBT bargaining unit.

For questions regarding academic employees, contact:


Canadian Union of Public Employees - Local 3339

Certified as a bargaining unit in 1989 these Support Staff employees are on the Saint John campus.

CUPE Local 3339 represents support staff employees on the Saint John campus performing work in the following categories: clerical, secretarial, library assistant, tradespeople, labourers and technicians. There are approximately 55 positions in the CUPE bargaining group.

For questions pertaining to the CUPE collective agreement, please contact Jennifer Sutton, HR Consultant.


Unifor Local 4504

The General Labour and Trades and Allied Services and Audio Visual Group was certified as a bargaining group in the 1970's. The group represents support staff employees performing work as tradespeople, labourers, cleaners, audio visual and security. There are approximately 145 positions in the GLTA bargaining group.

For questions pertaining to the GLTA collective agreement, please contact Jeffrey Sharpe, Labour Relations Specialist.


Public Service Alliance of Canada - Local 60550

Certified in 2017, this bargaining unit includes all Post-doctoral Fellows on both campuses except for those who secure their own transferable funding from external sources, including grant-funding agencies, and for whom is the primary source of funding.

For matters pertaining to the PSAC-PDF Collective Agreement contact Jennifer Larson, HR Counsel - Labour Relations Specialist.


Public Service Alliance of Canada - Local 60551

Certified in 2013, the PTSU bargaining unit includes over 370 employees on both campuses who provide a broad range of services to students, faculty and other staff.

For questions pertaining to the PSAC-PTSU collective agreement, contact:


Public Service Alliance of Canada - Local 60550

Over 400 unionized Graduate Student Workers (Graduate Student Teaching Assistants & Research Assistants).

Hiring graduate students (People & Culture processes)
Information for Faculty Members and Academic Administrators (not part of Collective Agreement)

For matters pertaining to the PSAC-UGSW Collective Agreement contact Anne MacLean,  HR Counsel - Labour Relations Specialist.

The UGSW may be contacted via:

Mail: Box 612 Stn A, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A6
Office: Marshall d'Avray Hall 322-1B, 10 Mackay Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3

Phone: (506) 451-6882
ugsw.unb@gmail.com
UGSW.ca | UGSW on Facebook


Unifor Local 4504

This group, certified approximately 20 years ago, represents support staff employees performing working the following categories: secretarial, accountant, library assistant and clerical. There are approximately 220 positions in the SALAC bargaining unit.

For questions pertaining to the GLTA collective agreement, please contact Jeffrey Sharpe, Labour Relations Specialist.


Collective bargaining updates

The Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT)’s Contract Academic Employee (CAE) group, certified in 2008, represents, “all persons employed by the University of New Brunswick in contractual part-time teaching in a for-credit course or employed as part-time librarians at, or out of, all campuses of the University of New Brunswick, save and except Deans, Associate or Assistant Deans, those above the rank of Dean, the University Librarian, faculty members who are members of the Board of Governors, persons for whom a trade union holds bargaining rights under the Industrial Relations Act, and those excluded by the Industrial Relations Act.”. There are approximately 600 employees in this bargaining unit who teach 1,500 courses per year.

UNB and AUNBT signed a new 3-year collective agreement on Jan. 23, 2023, which will expire on April 30, 2025.


The Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT)’s Full-Time group, certified in 1979, represents, “persons employed in full-time teaching or employed as librarians at the University of New Brunswick at its campuses in Fredericton and Saint John...save and except Deans, Associate or Assistant Deans, those above the rank of Deans, the University Librarian, faculty members who are members of the Board of Governors and those excluded by the Industrial Relations Act.” The bargaining unit currently has approximately 600 members.

UNB and AUNBT signed a new 3-year collective agreement on Dec. 15, 2022, which will expire on June 30, 2025.


The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3339 was certified as a bargaining unit in 1989, the unit covers support staff positions on the UNB Saint John campus and includes clerical, secretarial, library assistant, tradespeople, labourers and technicians. There are approximately 55 members in the CUPE bargaining unit.

UNB and CUPE signed a new 5-year collective agreement on May 11, 2022, which will expire on June 30, 2025.


The Public Service Alliance of Canada local 60550, Post-Doctoral Fellows (PDF) group certified in 2017 represents all Post-Doctoral Fellows on both campuses except for those who secure their own transferable funding from external sources, including grant-funding agencies, and for whom this is the primary source of funding. This bargaining unit currently has approximately 60 members.

UNB and PSAC signed a new 4-year agreement on December 6th, 2023, which will expire on April 30, 2026


The Public Service Alliance of Canada local 60551, Professional and Technical Staff Union (PTSU), represents employees on the Fredericton and Saint John campuses who are employed in various capacities including professional and technical staff positions. The bargaining unit currently has 447 members.

UNB and PTSU signed a new 4-year collective agreement on October 16, 2023, which will expire on June 30, 2026.


The Public Service Alliance of Canada local 60550, Union of Graduate Student Workers (UGSW) group certified in 2007 represents Graduate Student Teaching Assistants and Graduate Student Research Assistants. This bargaining unit currently has approximately 400 members.

UNB and UGSW signed a new 4-year collective agreement on August 24th, 2023, which will expire on April 30th, 2026.


Unifor Local 4504 represents two employee groups: the Secretaries, Accountants, Library Assistants, and Clerks (SALAC) group certified approximately 20 years ago and the General Labour, Trades and Allied Services, and Audio Visual (GLTA) group certified in the 1970's. Unifor represents approximately 200 members in the SALAC group and approximately 125 in the GLTA group.

These two groups typically bargain together although they have separate collective agreements.

UNB and Unifor signed two new 4-year collective agreements on April 11, 2023, both of which will expire on Sept. 30, 2025.


Employment-related policies for APT employees

The non-union Administrative, Professional and Technical (APT) group includes support staff employees on both campuses who do not belong to a union. There are approximately 430 employees in the APT group, 370 on the Fredericton campus and 60 on the Saint John campus.

The terms and conditions of employment for the APT group are set by UNB, and in some cases are set through UNB policies. Such policies also apply to unionized employees at UNB, to the extent that the policy is not contradicted by the terms of a collective agreement. For specific questions, please contact People & Culture. Search individual policies from the University Policy Repository.