Another summer has passed and faculty are settling back into campus life and gearing up for a busy year at Ontario universities. Many faculty associations hosted back-to-school or Labour Day events this month. Some of these events brought members together to discuss priorities for the year, while others encouraged faculty members to get out in their communities.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) hosted a successful welcome back social to remind their members of the various committees they can join and to discuss the state of their current contract negotiations. UOITFA used the social to emphasize the focus points for the new collective agreement: improved collegial governance and faculty participation in decision making; fairness, equity, and respect in workload, evaluations, and promotion & tenure; and competitive pay and benefits. UOIT currently has compensation that compares poorly to other universities in the province.
The Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) also hosted a faculty social to ring in the new school year and provide support for their collective bargaining committee. The association recently confirmed its dates for conciliation, on October 7-8, 2015. NUFA also co-hosted a faculty-student mixer this week with the Nipissing University Students Union, an event which helped strengthen the connection between faculty and students on campus.
Several associations also celebrated Labour Day by participating in local events. Some examples include the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) who took part in the London and District Labour Council’s annual picnic, and the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) who walked in the Labour Day march in downtown Toronto. UWOFA’s Librarian’s and Archivists also announced last week that they had filed for conciliation with Ontario’s Ministry of Labour.