SFU Records Retention Schedule and Disposal Authority (RRSDA)
Bargaining Unit Negotiations and Agreements

Description | PIB | Authorities | Retentional rational | Rentention and filing guidelines | Status

RRSDA number

2010-005

Record series

Bargaining Unit Negotiations and Agreements

Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR)

All University Departments (General Records Series)

Retention periods

Records Active retention (in office) Semi-active (records centre) Total retention Final disposition
Human Resources CY agreement expires + 35 yrs 15 yrs CY agreement expires + 50 yrs Selective retention
Office of the Vice-President, Legal Affairs CY agreement expires + 35 yrs 15 yrs CY agreement expires + 50 yrs Selective retention
Academic Relations CY agreement expires + 35 yrs 15 yrs CY agreement expires + 50 yrs Selective retention

CY = Current calendar year; CFY = Current fiscal year; CS = Current semester; S/O = Superseded or obsolete; OPR = Office of Primary Responsibility; Non-OPR = All other departments.

Description, purpose and use of records

Records relating to the negotiation and approval of agreements between the University and the unions or associations representing university employees. Records are also used for labour relations planning and interpretation and clarification of employer-employee obligations.

Records include but are not limited to working notes, cost projections, offers and demands of the negotiating parties, strategic plans, provincial government bargaining plans, research background material, draft agreements, collective and framework agreements or understandings, and interpretations of agreements.

Note that following the conclusion of negotiations with each bargaining unit, a copy of the original signed agreement should be sent to the Archives for off-site storage as a vital record copy. See:

RRSDA 1998-036, Collective Bargaining Agreements: Vital Records Copy

For records relating to labour grievances and arbitrations, see:

RRSDA 1997-017, Labour Relations Subject Files

Authorities

These records are created, used, retained and managed in accordance with the following authorities:

Retention rationale

Records documenting past negotiations and agreements act as a valuable reference resource during current negotiations and disputes by aiding in the interpretation of the language of agreements; documenting the rationales behind past decisions; and setting labour relations precedents. Departments need the information to be easily accessible so as to fulfill this ongoing reference purpose. Thus, the lengthy total retention period of "CY agreement expires + 50 years".

Retention and filing guidelines

WEEDING FILES

When closing files cull and destroy copies of obsolete legislation, multiple published copies of agreements, draft documents which were superseded by final versions (unless annotated with unique information), and research background material.

ELECTRONIC RECORDS

Duplicate copies of records may exist in electronic form on a departmental shared drive and/or on individual desktops. These electronic duplicates are subject to the same retention periods and final disposition as file "originals". Responsibility to dispose of electronic "copies" of records in accordance with the recommendations in this RRSDA fall to staff in the record creating office or department.

TRANSFERRING RECORDS TO THE URC

At the end of the active retention period (CY agreement expires + 35 years) box the files and transfer to the University Records Centre (URC). Prepare and retain a file list of records transferred. For each box prepare a box contents listing, itemizing all files. Always include ONE copy of the file list inside the box sent to the URC taped to the underside of the lid; keep ONE copy for your own records; and send ONE copy (paper or electronic) to the Archives (see Procedures for Transferring Records to the University Records Centre).

Status

RRSDA is in force.

Approved by the University Archivist: 11 Feb 2011

Back to top