APUO Settlement

Congratulations to the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa who ratified a two-year collective agreement in late February.  Members made significant gains on their key mandate goal of workload and complement.

The agreement contains a new course load norm, which makes workload more equitable across the university for the faculties of Arts, Education, and Management, and for Language Teachers. Two working groups will be established, to examine members’ needs for teaching assistant support and administrative support.

On complement, a previous letter of understanding indicating a minimum floor is now in the collective agreement, giving it greater durability.

A salary scale and progress-through-the-ranks (PTR) increment increase of 2.5% in each of the two years was negotiated as well as improvements in benefits coverage, and an increase in professional expense reimbursements. 

Members also won stronger equity provisions for Visiting Professor appointments and academic service activities. Members’ annual reports may now also record their individual efforts to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, as well as to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Other notable wins include: increased job security through a pathway for conversion from fix-term replacement positions to continuing appointments; the establishment of a joint committee to recommend the creation of a new PTR structure for Librarians, more aligned with Faculty Members; and the inclusion of administrative activities in Librarians’ professional activities.