After weeks of aggressive tactics, the administration of the University of Windsor unilaterally imposed terms and conditions of employment on July 28, 2014. The administration had previously moved to impose terms on July 7th, but backed down in the face of opposition from the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) and faculty associations across Canada.
Imposing terms and conditions of work on this scale is unprecedented in Ontario universities.
Below is a message to WUFA members from Anne Forrest, President of WUFA, sent on July 24th:
I was just informed by WUFA’s Negotiating Team that at 4 p.m. this afternoon, the Administration has effectively left the bargaining table.
On July 15th, the Administration submitted a proposal that WUFA’s Team found unacceptable. WUFA responded on July 18th with a counter-proposal that included significant movement on monetary proposals. The Administration rejected this offer.
Rather than continuing to bargain at the table, the Administration announced this afternoon that it will unilaterally impose the terms and conditions of employment in their July 15th offer. These changes will be effective starting July 28th.
This is an extraordinary step on the part of the Administration. In essence this means our employer is no longer willing to negotiate a collective agreement, but will impose its own terms and conditions.
WUFA’s Negotiating Team rejected the Administration’s July 15th offer because it insists on an unacceptable wage freeze and concessions, in particular:
- there will be no scale increases in the first two years of the contract;
- beginning in the second year of the contract, members who have worked at the University for more than 30 years will no longer qualify for PTR payments;
- beginning in the third year of the agreement, members will be required to pay an additional 1% (for a total of 9%) of salary toward the money purchase component of the pension plan.
The Administration continues to demand a settlement that is sub-par in our sector without providing a clear basis for their position.
The WUFA Team has informed the Administration that they are available for 16 days of bargaining in August. WUFA remains committed to negotiating a fair, competitive, and affordable agreement through the normal collective bargaining process.
Please contact WUFA if you have any questions.
Anne Forrest, President
Faculty Association, University of Windsor (WUFA)