The part-time academic staff at Algoma University held a strike vote at the end of January. Of those casting a ballot, 85% were in favour in favour of a strike mandate. The Algoma University Faculty Association filed for conciliation on Feb. 7, 2014.
The part-time unit is pushing for benefits and an experience-based salary grid. They are also working to achieve greater fairness and equity on campus. Currently, part-time faculty are the only employees on campus without health care benefits. The university provided benefits for management, staff (both full and part-time), and full-time faculty. Even the students have health coverage.
Algoma’s part-time faculty also have no pension plan. The university provides a defined benefit plan for full-time faculty and administrators hired before 2003, and a matching defined contribution package for all other employees of the university – except the part-time faculty.
Faculty at Brescia University College reached a tentative settlement in December of 2013. Both the faculty association and the university administration have ratified the agreement. The term of the new agreement is from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016. Faculty at Brescia have been negotiating this contract – their first since certification – since August of 2011. Monetary gains include zero percent increases in the first two years; a two per cent lump sum increase (not added to base) and a 0.5% increase to base and employer pension contribution in 2013-14; and two per cent and 2.5 per cent increases to base in the final two years, respectively. On the non-monetary side, a key gain is lay-off protection language in the agreement.
Faculty at OCAD University reached a tentative agreement in mediation with William Kaplan in January. The ratification process is underway.
UOIT teaching stream faculty are currently in conciliation. King’s University College, Trent, and contract faculty at St. Jerome’s are all in negotiations.
Brock, Carleton, RMC, Guelph, Laurentian, Nipissing contract faculty, St. Michael’s, Western, and Windsor are preparing to enter bargaining. Collective agreements at Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier (full-time) are also set to expire in 2014.