The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) extends its solidarity and support to faculty at Ontario Tech University, who are on strike for the first time in their union’s history. Members of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) have been working hard to negotiate a fair collective agreement. To end […]
OCUFA has set out its priorities for the 2022 Ontario Budget in a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and in a presentation to the committee on January 20, 2022. OCUFA’s budget recommendations aim to preserve the quality and sustainability of postsecondary education in Ontario through stable, consistent, and adequate […]
The Ford government’s obsession with austerity and privatization was a major driver of Laurentian University’s insolvency and collapse. This was the message OCUFA Board Chair Gyllian Phillips delivered to participants in “Our Movement, Our Fight, Our Future,” a webinar series focused on reclaiming power through labour organizing in Northern Ontario. “Universities, especially northern universities, have […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) stands in solidarity with the members of the Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA) on strike for greater stability for precarious academic staff, increased hiring of Indigenous academics, stronger equity and diversity initiatives, and improved wages and working conditions to help recruit and retrain academics at their university. […]
The Ontario University and Colleges Coalition echoes the concerns of students and workers across the province about unsafe and rushed plans to return to campus. With notice of returning back to in-person learning for some institutions as soon as January 31, students are nervous about inadequate safety plans, the accessibility of continuing with online learning […]
Universities are designed as spaces where minds are nurtured—where expertise develops and new knowledge is generated. However, under academic, financial, and social pressures, faculty and students are more frequently reporting poor mental health—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest issue of Academic Matters explores the mental health dilemma in the academy. In a space that […]
In ongoing efforts to put more pressure on the Ontario Tech administration to avoid a strike, the UOITFA organized an impressive social media day of action on January 18, which saw faculty members and labour allies from across the province take to Twitter to voice their support for faculty at Ontario Tech. The UOITFA is […]
OCUFA has joined with the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and unions across Ontario to call on the Ford government to take action to address the crisis caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A joint statement endorsed by over 30 organizations, including OCUFA, outlines six demands that frontline workers in health care, long-term care, […]
TORONTO, January 24, 2022 – The voices of Ontario university faculty and academic librarians continue to be ignored by university administrations as postsecondary institutions rush back to in-person learning—even as COVID-19 cases across the province remain high. Outbreaks at universities and in university communities are inevitable if university administrations withhold information about campus health and […]
TORONTO, January, 13, 2022 – OCUFA is disappointed that the Superior Court of Justice has denied the Ontario Auditor General’s request for documents that Laurentian University claims are privileged. Laurentian’s sudden insolvency and unprecedented implosion as a result of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process has devastated the Greater Sudbury community, raised concerns at […]
TORONTO, January 6, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) stands in solidarity with striking faculty at the Concordia University of Edmonton Faculty Association (CUEFA). Members of the CUEFA are currently braving cold winter weather and walking the picket lines as they increase pressure on the university administration to address their concerns […]
TORONTO, January 5, 2022 – With COVID-19 cases spiking across Ontario and universities planning to return to in-person learning at the end of January, university faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals are concerned for their physical and mental health. Further, they believe the provincial government’s most recent advice to universities is completely inadequate and […]
There is more to Academic Matters than just the print issue. New articles are being added to the Academic Matters website every week. Here are some recent articles you might find interesting: Banning large university parties won’t work — students need to be empowered to propose change By Wendy Craig, Queen’s University, Ontario and Klodiana Kolomitro, Queen’s University, Ontario “Every year instructors carefully plan what they’re going to teach during […]
Faculty at the Windsor University have ratified a new collective agreement that includes improvements for equity, Indigenization, and workload. A new LOU will allow for the reduction of Black, Indigenous, and racialized members’ workloads in recognition of their ongoing service contributions. Political leaves for members elected to public positions in Indigenous governance bodies will now […]
Meeting and resolutions The pandemic may continue, but at its Board Meeting on October 23 OCUFA set its sights on the 2022 provincial election and the goal of electing a government committed to supporting high-quality, public postsecondary education in Ontario. Good jobs for all Since the last election, the Ford government has repealed large parts of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act and introduced wage restraint legislation under Bill 124 . […]
