Posts from June 2012

The 2012 Ontario Budget introduced several measures that will affect Ontario’s public sector pension plans, including those in the university sector. These include:  Consultations on a new legislative framework for jointly sponsored public sector pension plans (“JSPP’s”); The introduction of framework legislation in fall 2012 to pool investment management of smaller public sector plans; The […]

On Thursday June 7, OCUFA made a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in support of Bill 77 , an act which introduces amendments to the existing labour relations act that enhance fairness for employees.   Bill 77 is a private member’s bill that was introduced by NDP labour critic Taras Natyshak and seeks to bring about five small concrete changes to improve the labour relations climate […]

On June 3, 2012, the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) reached a tentative agreement with the administration. The three-year deal includes across-the-board increases and temporary enhancements to progress-through-the-ranks worth 7.14 per cent over the course of the agreement. It also contain improvements to health benefits and increases sabbatical pay to 90 percent for people […]

Australia’s National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) recently released the results of a survey of “casual” academic staff who are appointed on a per-course or research contract basis, equivalent to part-time, sessional, or contract academic staff in Canada. Almost two-thirds of respondents aspire to an academic career, preferably a permanent full-time position with teaching and research responsibilities. Teaching-only positions were the least desirable of the full-time options. […]

This past week, OCUFA awarded the first Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowship to Johnny El-Alam, a PhD Candidate at Carleton University. The fellowship, created in honour of retired OCUFA Executive Director Henry Mandelbaum, provides support to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence, shows exceptional academic promise, and has provided significant community service in his/her university […]

Three individuals who have provided exceptional service to OCUFA and its members were honoured in a ceremony at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel on June 2, 2012. The winners are: Prof. Brian E. Brown from the University of Windsor Faculty Association (WUFA) Prof. John Fekete, from the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) Prof. Atef Fahim, from […]