The tentative settlement reached by the administration and faculty association at Huron University College at Western was ratified by the membership on February 10, 2012. The three year agreement includes a 2.5 per cent salary increase for both full-time and sessional faculty in each year of the agreement. The sessional faculty are now also represented by the faculty association; this is an important breakthrough for this group as their salaries were previously frozen under the Public Sector Compensation Restraint to Protect Public Services Act, introduced as part of the 2010 Ontario Budget. The cap on salaries for associate professors was raised by the equivalent of two grid steps. Improvements to workload language in the agreement will clarify what constitutes a reasonable workload expectation.
The administration and faculty association at Carleton are in pre-bargaining mediation on several key issues in an attempt to find common ground prior to commencing negotiations on the parties’ remaining issues. They are being assisted by mediator Julie Macfarlane, a law professor from the University of Windsor.
The faculty association and administration at Nipissing University have set a date of March 23rd to commence bargaining. Their agreement expires on April 30th, 2012.
The OCUFA Collective Bargaining Committee met in Toronto last Friday to discuss the current state of faculty bargaining, and the impact of the Drummond report. To counter the pressure for ramped up efficiency and productivity demands coupled with attacks on compensation, the Committee decided to hold a workshop this spring focused on building member solidarity.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.