Canada College Uses Indigenous Principles in Contract Talks

A Canadian college and its union just rewrote the playbook for workplace negotiations by putting Indigenous wisdom at the center of their process.

Red River College Polytech in Manitoba teamed up with the Manitoba General Employees' Union to review their entire collective bargaining agreement through the lens of truth and reconciliation. An Indigenous elder named Barbara Bruce guided a special working group that spent months examining every part of their contract.

The group identified 21 areas that needed change. They replaced gendered language with inclusive terms so nobody feels invisible in the agreement. They expanded holiday recognition so employees can honor their own cultural and spiritual days instead of following a one-size-fits-all calendar.

The changes also improved family leave policies and sick time to better reflect the diverse needs of workers. Almost all recommendations were adopted when the agreement was ratified last fall.

College president Fred Meier called the collaboration "truly unprecedented" and a first of its kind in Canada. Union president Kyle Ross plans to share this model at national forums across the country.

The Ripple Effect

This agreement goes beyond one workplace. It shows organizations nationwide that reconciliation isn't just about land acknowledgments or symbolic gestures. It can reshape the everyday rules that govern how people work, rest, and care for their families.

The college and union have already signed a new agreement to continue this collaborative process during their next round of negotiations. Other institutions across Manitoba and Canada are now watching closely.

Kookum Barbara Bruce, who guided the process, said the goal was simple: make the agreement sensitive to the needs of everyone it touches. Workers, students, and faculty all benefit when contracts reflect the full diversity of the people they serve.

This Manitoba collaboration proves that reconciliation principles can improve any workplace process when organizations commit to doing the work with humility and guidance from Indigenous knowledge keepers.