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The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) Joint Statement on Ontario’s Blue-Ribbon Panel

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TORONTO, June 1, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF/FESSO), Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-Ontario), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) are deeply concerned about the composition, lack of transparency, and unknown mandate of the government’s so-called Blue Ribbon Panel on postsecondary institutions’ financial stability and student experience.

We find the exclusion of current students, staff and faculty from the panel deeply irresponsible and out of touch with the present realities of postsecondary education. Although the panel will conduct consultations, these consultations are not equivalent to being represented on the panel that will make recommendations that will impact Ontario’s postsecondary sector for years to come.

Moreover, the very chair of this panel, Dr Alan Harrison, was appointed as a special advisor to the government on the Laurentian University insolvency. He produced four reports, none of which were made public. The insolvency resulted in a massive restructuring which included the elimination of 76 academic programs, affecting the academic careers of more than 900 students and the loss of 340 jobs at Laurentian and the federated universities. Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk found the use of creditor protection by Laurentian to be “unsuitable and damaging.” The concern for the future of public post-secondary education is justified by the makeup of the panel, excluding key players in the sector and prioritizing those with a history of dismantling public institutions.

We are concerned the panel will call for more privatization of student support services, elimination of select programs, potential mergers between northern institutions, increased precarity of employment, expansion of hybrid and online learning at the expense of quality hands-on learning, and redirection of apprenticeship funding to private training centres. It is reckless to continue underfunding the postsecondary sector and heavily relying on international and domestic tuition fees, placing education and research quality, secure employment and the integrity of Ontario’s institutions in jeopardy.
All of the threats above will have deep implications through cuts to staff and faculty, hugely diminishing student experience as well as the social and economic vitality of the regions where the post-secondary institutions are located.

Our experience is that the chronic and systemic underfunding of postsecondary education is causing damage to the student experience and the Ontario economy. Ontario sits last in the country in terms of per-student funding. Only 30 per cent of the operating budgets of universities and 38 per cent of the operating budgets of colleges come from the province. Despite the Ontario’s government’s regular claims of historic investments and innovation in post-secondary education, the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) is projecting annual shortfalls through 2027-28 in public funding totaling $40 billion, including a $2.7 billion shortfall in funding for post-secondary education.

It is clear this lack of investment in our public universities and colleges is setting up the system for failure, which would set up students, workers, communities and future generations for failure as well. The growing reliance of postsecondary institutions on private funding threatens intellectual standards and harms the quality of student experience.

Now is not the time to shortchange post-secondary education in Ontario. The economic benefits of investing in post-secondary education are, by the government’s own admission, too important to ignore. Every dollar invested in education generates a positive economic return on investment of 36%.
There is a better way – a more sustainable way forward for post-secondary education in Ontario, and it will require responsible leadership that invests in public services and institutions.

We urge the panel to ensure robust and sustainable funding for Ontario’s public colleges and universities to protect high-quality teaching and student supports. We also call for transparency, accountability, and public funding to allow our public post-secondary institutions to thrive. In order to ensure the longevity and health of Ontario’s institutions, education quality and student experience must be prioritized over the interests of the private sector.

It is time for the government to prioritize the needs and expertise of students, academic professionals, support workers and faculty. We ask the panel to address these urgent issues and take immediate action to ensure the future of public education in Ontario.

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Signatories:
Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA)
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)
Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF/FESSO)
Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-Ontario)
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)
Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL)

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Western librarians, archivists, and faculty demand their Employer fund the front line!

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 Members of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) held a well-attended campaign launch at the Western Grad Club. Representatives from OCUFA, PSAC 610, and UWOFA leadership rallied behind the librarian and archivist unit who will begin bargaining next week. Fair compensation, sustainable workloads and growing the complement are key concerns. It is critical that the Western Administration funds the front line and reinvests in the librarians and archivists and faculty at Western who uphold the teaching and research mission at the university. 
 
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Faculty welcome Liberal government review of bankruptcy laws for public post-secondary institutions

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TORONTO, May 1, 2023 – Ontario faculty and academic librarians applauded today’s announcement from the federal government that consultations will begin soon to reform corporate restructuring legislation that caused massive devastation at Laurentian University in 2021.

Following through on a 2021 Liberal election platform commitment, the Trudeau Government announced that the consultations will be held over the next 30 days with universities, experts, lenders and other stakeholders. The move marks a critical step in the right direction towards protecting public institutions from inappropriate and destructive corporate restructuring processes.

“The government’s decision to consult with stakeholders on this issue is welcome news for all Canadians who cherish public universities in this country, and this announcement indicates a commitment to helping our post-secondary institutions thrive in the future,” said Sue Wurtele, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.

“Since 2021, OCUFA and our allies have been fighting for changes to the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA), which are meant for private—not public—entities,” she added. “It’s time to move forward and prevent another disaster like the one Canadians saw at Laurentian University.”

Over the last two years, Canadians have expressed outrage over the devastating cuts at Laurentian University, and questioned the application of federal laws designed for corporations to a public university. OCUFA has worked closely with the Laurentian University Faculty Association and community allies to campaign for new legal protections for all public institutions. Since then, nearly 5,000 emails have been sent to federal legislators demanding action to reform the CCAA and BIA.

“Today’s announcement opens the door to remedy a shamefully misguided law. Now the hard work of collaborating with the government and these stakeholders begins,” said Wurtele. “We must ensure that these laws are changed—and soon—to properly safeguard the vital public universities that we, and all Canadians, rely on and value.”

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at media@ocufa.on.ca

Emerging from Bill 124: Appeal update

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The Ford government has submitted its factum to the Ontario Court of Appeal in its case against the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s declaration that Bill 124 violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. OCUFA supports the Superior Court’s declaration of Bill 124 as null and void, and opposes the government’s decision to file an appeal.
 
In this statement, legal counsel for the Ford government dismissed Justice Koehnen’s conclusion that Bill 124 caused substantial interference of collective bargaining. The government makes the narrow argument that restraining wages to a one per cent cap in and of itself did not prevent the ability of unions to proceed with meaningful and good faith negotiations. The Ford government also claims that Justice Koehnen failed to recognize unions’ ability under Bill 124 to seek an exemption from the salary cap and pursue the right to strike.
 
While Bill 124 did not prohibit the right to strike (and strikes did occur while unions were restrained by this legislation), Justice Koehnen did point out that unions were significantly limited in their scope of bargaining and prevented from meaningful and fulsome negotiations, including trading salary demands for non-compensatory gains such as decreases to unsustainable workload demands. Power dynamics between parties at the bargaining table were significantly compromised, amidst pandemic pressures and spikes in inflation.
 
The government’s appeal is ongoing despite recognizing that Bill 124 is no longer in effect. Court dates have been set for June 20-23, 2023.

For further information and updates on the Superior Court ruling, appeal, and successes post-Bill 124, please visit the OCUFA page on Bill 124

Emerging from Bill 124: Key future dates

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The Ford government officially filed an appeal in December 2022 against the Superior Court’s decision that declared Bill 124 unconstitutional. Key dates in the ongoing process include:  

  • March 10 – The government’s written factum was submitted 
  • May 9 – The unions’ responses will be filed 
  • June 20-22 – The scheduled hearings at the Ontario Court of Appeal 

OCUFA has been monitoring the situation closely and continues to do so. In February, OCUFA published a statement responding to the decision by the Ontario Superior Court that Bill 124 was unconstitutional.  
 
Catch up on related bargaining gains for faculty associations, including at Trent, Wilfrid Laurier, and Queen’s. 

Budget can’t miss another opportunity to protect universities

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TORONTO, March 24, 2023 –Ontario university faculty demand that the federal government make good on their election platform promise to protect public universities and other public institutions by amending destructive corporate restructuring legislation—a no-cost move that could save millions and preserve Canadian communities.

“In 2021, the government squandered an opportunity to protect public institutions from corporate legislation in their last budget. Now’s the time to act on their promise and not miss another chance,” said Sue Wurtele, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “When Laurentian University filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), it became the first public university in Canada to do so—with devastating consequences for the institution and the Sudbury community. The government has an opportunity in this budget to make sure it never happens again.”

OCUFA and its allies have called on the government to exempt public institutions from seeking protection through corporate legislation since 2021.That’s when Laurentian administrators filed for creditor protection under the CCAA—an unprecedented decision resulting in the loss of 69 university programs and 200 faculty and staff jobs.

“The CCAA and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) are federal pieces of legislation specifically designed for private-sector corporations, not public institutions. However, in their current form, these acts can be used to dismantle and restructure public institutions in particular ways, as we saw with Laurentian,” said Wurtele. “If other public institutions, like universities and hospitals, are allowed to invoke the CCAA or BIA, the results will be destructive.”

In late 2022, Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk deemed the CCAA process an inappropriate remedy for addressing the financial challenges of public institutions. And documents released in 2022 showed that the Ford government knew of Lawrentian’s financial situation, they offered little meaningful assistance to Laurentian and its community during a time of crisis. To prevent another crisis, all levels of government have a role to play, said Wurtele.

“Public universities are pillars of their communities, and are vital spaces for teaching, learning, and research,” she said. “The federal government has an opportunity to ensure that they—and all public institutions—won’t be vulnerable to the same destruction suffered at Laurentian, by amending the CCAA and BIA to exempt public institutions now.”

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at manishaas@ocufa.on.ca or 416-306-6033

Budget falls short on investment in Ontario universities

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TORONTO, March 23, 2023 – The Ford government continued its streak of neglecting Ontario’s public universities in the provincial budget, tabled today at Queen’s Park. The government failed to meaningfully invest in universities, which university faculty warn may lead to more privatization and instability for students, faculty, and staff on campuses.

“Ontario sits last in the country in terms of per-student funding from the government, so there is nowhere to go but up. But today’s budget doesn’t accomplish even this. It fails to include enough investment to adequately fund our universities,” said Sue Wurtele, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “The government claims to want to help Ontarians with high student debt, high tuition fees, and improving the financial health of our universities, but its choices provide no real solutions, insufficient financial support and, as such, reveal that they aren’t serious.”

The budget includes no additional operating funding for universities, nor an increase in per-student funding. The government announced additional seats for medical and nursing students, but provided no details on the allocation of those seats, no funding commitment for faculty to teach new students, and no assurance that instruction won’t be privatized.

The consequences of continuing to underfund colleges and universities will have far-reaching effects for all Ontarians.

Insufficient funding from the government, on a per-student and operating basis, has created an unsustainable dynamic for Ontario’s universities, in which they increasingly rely on high tuition fees from international students as a significant source of revenue. Short-term tuition freezes recently proposed by the government—applicable to only some students—will provide some much-needed relief in the immediate term for students struggling with the high cost of living. But this approach fails to address the larger issue of chronic underfunding of public universities in the province.

“Only robust, long-term public funding will ensure the long-term financial health of our universities. The Ford government has once again failed to invest in the vibrant public institutions we rely on,” said Wurtele. “Ontario’s citizens expect our government to support our world-class public universities. The government should be focused on making sure our universities thrive instead of starving them of the resources they need.”

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at manishaas@ocufa.on.ca or 416-306-6033.

STATEMENT: Along with tuition freeze, Ontario university faculty and students call for more post-secondary funding

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TORONTO, March 17, 2023 – Ontario university faculty and students know the math does not add up in the provincial government’s latest announcement on post-secondary education.

University tuition fees are unaffordable for many in Ontario, and are among the highest in the country. Tuition fees remain the most significant barrier to accessing post-secondary education in Ontario. The government clearly recognizes this crisis and has taken a step in the right direction by continuing the tuition freeze for some students in the 2023- 2024 academic year. But while this tuition freeze offers some relief for students facing record-high inflation, it does not address the chronic and systemic underfunding of Ontario’s post-secondary education system. The government’s decision not to provide additional funding to universities, despite record inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living, is irresponsible. Universities and colleges urgently need appropriate funding to ensure their sustainability and provide equitable access to post-secondary education.

Ontario sits last in the country in terms of per-student funding, and only 30 per cent of the operating budgets of universities come from the province. Freezing tuition without an adequate increase in funding forces institutions to rely more heavily on other sources of funding, including international tuition fees. This over-reliance on tuition fees as a source of funding for public universities has put an incredible strain on students and their universities. This dynamic has led to the aggressive and exploitative recruitment of international students, whose tuition fees are unregulated. As a result, domestic and international students in Ontario are graduating with historically high levels of student debt and the provincial government continues to neglect to invest in the student grants programs that so many students need.

This lopsided approach to revenue generation is unsustainable. OCUFA, CFS-Ontario, and their members, are disappointed that the provincial government’s tuition freeze announcement did not include any long-term public funding solutions commitments. Only with appropriate funding and in consultation with students and faculty can Ontario have an accessible post-secondary system.

The provincial government must make a different choice that does not put our world-class higher education system on an unstable footing for the future. That includes faculty and students as primary stakeholders. Instead of narrowing universities and colleges’ options to fund our vibrant, safe, innovative campuses and offering short-term freezes for some students over others, the government should provide meaningful, ongoing, robust public funding for the institutions in which we teach and learn. A short-term tuition freeze for some students will not solve the affordability crisis for all. Only a robust investment of public funding for Ontario universities will make our education system accessible.

Signatories:

Mitra Yakubi, Chairperson – Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS-O)

Sue Wurtele, President – Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA)

 

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario is the oldest and largest student organization in Ontario, representing over 350,000 college and university students in every region of the province.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at manishaas@ocufa.on.ca or 416-306-6033.

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Ontario faculty support Ontario nurses

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During two days of all-out pickets in late February and early March, OCUFA staff, member organizations, and allies showed their support online and in person for the Ontario Nurses’ Association as they bargained with the Ontario Hospital Association and the provincial government for a new contract.

Nurses are fighting for better staffing and fairer wages, which will lead to better care for all Ontarians. OCUFA was proud to support friends in the public sector!

5 people standing outside with a large flag and signs in protest.

Ontario academic workers and allies demand fairness for contract faculty

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On February 28th, tenured faculty, students, community members showcased their support and appreciation for contract faculty’s contributions to our campus communities through sharing short videos and graphics online for OCUFA’s eighth annual social media day of action. 

Participants used this opportunity to bring attention to contract faculty demands for job security, equal pay for equal work, and access to pension and benefits. They also highlighted ongoing campaigns at OCADU and negotiations at Ontario Tech. 

The day also saw broad participation from allies in the labour movement, including health care workers, organized labour, and precarious workers. 

Watch some of our video contributions:

See more on Facebook and Twitter.

A new contract at Queen’s

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The Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) has ratified a new three-year agreement ending June 2025. The agreement was reached following a strong strike mandate.

QUFA is the first faculty association to fully avoid wage restraint under Bill 124. Annual across-the-board (ATB) increases of 3.5 per cent, three per cent, and three per cent were achieved. Even more significant compensation gains were attained for contract faculty (Term Adjuncts), whose base stipends increase prior to the ATB rates being applied, and who will receive a two per cent increase to pay in lieu of benefits (from six to eight per cent).

The faculty association’s QUFA Disrespected campaign highlighted key priority areas which members organized around to achieve impressive bargaining outcomes. Faculty and academic librarians and archivists demonstrated their commitment to their bargaining demands through one-on-one outreach, displaying demand specific posters, an email campaign, and stepping into leadership roles as picket captains as conciliation moved forward.

As a result, the profile of equity-related work has been raised by including activities that advance Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti- racism, and accessibility in several areas, including:

  • administrative and professional service
  • evaluation
  • contract faculty appointments
  • renewal, tenure, and promotion

The value of the diverse range of scholarly methodologies and ways of measuring research impact is now acknowledged with respect to appointments, evaluation, renewal, tenure, and promotion.

On the key priority of increased job security and respect for contract faculty members, the new agreement has many notable improvements. Right of first refusal provisions now provide more time for contract faculty members to teach specified courses to gain eligibility. A course taught as a Postdoctoral Fellow also now counts towards eligibility. In another change, contract faculty will now be able to include the following work in appointment reports:

  • professional and administrative service
  • contributions in pedagogical development
  • innovation related to teaching

Adjunct faculty scholarly and creative work, and professional development, will now receive greater support through an increase to an annual fund that provides resources in the form of a salary stipend and/or grant. For Continuing Adjunct faculty, the timeframe to apply for the Full Professor rank has decreased, with eligibility for sabbatical leave in the first year of their promotion to Full.

An annual course release for the purposes of research support is now available for Continuing Adjunct faculty members who have obtained a multi-year grant as a principal investigator; this is a significant expansion of this right. The pay structure for Continuing Adjunct faculty now provides an option for the Adjunct to take on a service load comparable to the departmental norm with an increase in their full time equivalent salary. This, in turn, allows the departmental service load to be shared more widely among full-responsibility and continuing adjunct faculty members.

On workload, the workload standard will now include mechanisms for dealing with extraordinary tasks related to teaching, including deferred grading that extends into sabbatical or nonteaching terms.

Librarians and Archivists’ terms and conditions are now more aligned with faculty, specifically in the areas of sabbatical leave and renewal, promotion, and continuance.

University faculty excluded from government planning on future of higher education

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TORONTO, March 2, 2023 – Ontario university faculty criticized the Premier’s decision to leave their expertise out of critical decision-making regarding the future of post-secondary institutions and warn that doing so will be a recipe for disaster.

In an announcement March 2, the government announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Panel focused on post-secondary institutions’ financial stability and student experience. Panel members include those from business and administrative backgrounds, but no direct student voices or faculty representation.

Sue Wurtele, the President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, said this glaring omission could have devastating effects.

“Ontario’s universities can’t run without faculty, academic librarians, academic professionals, and students, and to omit their expertise from this panel is shocking and irresponsible,” said Wurtele. “Without the knowledge and recommendations from the people whose work drives campus life, the government won’t get a clear or accurate picture of our post-secondary landscape and their decisions could be deeply harmful to our campus communities.”

On behalf of 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and academic professionals represented by OCUFA, Wurtele called on the Ford government to engage directly and meaningfully with faculty associations and student groups to help shape the future of Ontario’s colleges and universities to avoid future issues. Wurtele pointed to the crisis at Laurentian University, in which corporate advice was taken over faculty concerns, to disastrous results.

The government publicly stated its plans to receive recommendations from the panel in summer 2023. The process is much too rushed for effective consultations.

“Fiscal responsibility and the student experience are extremely important, but transparency, accountability, and public funding will allow our public post-secondary institutions to thrive,” said Wurtele. “The decision to have a discussion about university education that ignores the very people doing the teaching and research is a tell-tale sign that this panel is about performance more than planning.”

OCUFA is ready to work closely with the government to ensure the ongoing success of Ontario’s world-class academic institutions and continues to call for robust and sustainable funding for Ontario’s public universities to ensure fiscal health, high-quality teaching, and student supports.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at manishaas@ocufa.on.ca or 416-306-6033.

After Bill 124 declared unconstitutional, university faculty call for changes to collective agreements

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TORONTO, February 22, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) calls on universities across the province to revisit employment agreements with faculty and academic staff negotiated during the last three years under the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act—formerly Bill 124, now declared unconstitutional.

“Faculty, librarians, and staff have worked tirelessly in service of their students, colleagues, and their institutions since 2019—and throughout the pandemic—despite unconstitutional interference from the government on their collective bargaining rights,” said Sue Wurtele, President of OCUFA. “For three years, contracts were settled while the rules were rigged. Now that this legislation has been overturned, university administrations need to respond to academic workers to reopen those agreements and put fairness on the table.”

In late 2022, Justice Markus Koehnen struck down the legislation at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Koehnen said the legislation interfered with collective bargaining in several ways, including limiting the scope of bargaining, preventing unions from trading salary demands for non-monetary gains, limiting the right to strike and independent arbitration, and significantly altering the power dynamics between parties at the bargaining table.

OCUFA campaigned against the legislation since it was proposed, including as part of a coalition that launched a coordinated Charter challenge in 2020, led by the Ontario Federation of Labour and representing more than 250,000 Ontario workers across more than 40 unions. The government stated publicly it plans to appeal the ruling.

“The government’s announcement to appeal this ruling is an irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money, and Ontario’s leaders should be focused on investing in public universities and all other public services instead of trying to erode workers’ rights,” said Wurtele.

OCUFA also says university administrations should engage with faculty to redress the wrongs of the legislation now instead of waiting for an appeal or tie up the Court with remedy proceedings.

“After this victory for the labour movement, there is an opportunity now for universities to work in good faith with faculty associations to restore fairness in agreements that were previously stifled by unconstitutional government inference,” said Wurtele. “OCUFA supports its member organizations as they seek to move forward and get the best agreements for their members.”

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

Emerging from Bill 124: Bargaining Gains

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Last fall, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act (formerly Bill 124) violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, on the grounds that the legislation interfered with collective bargaining rights. OCUFA member organizations have called for changes to their collective agreements, now that the restrictions placed on wages and other bargaining rights have been struck down. Following are some recent successes:

Trent University

TUFA was the first association to reach a deal after Justice Koehnen’s decision to strike down Bill 124, after having already served the bulk of its moderation period under the previous agreement. Salary increases included an immediate increase of 1.75 per cent for January 1, 2023, cutting short the union’s moderation period by six months. Three per cent increases were achieved for the second and third years, applied on July 1.

Wilfrid Laurier University

The WLUFA full-time unit was successful in recapturing a $900 lump sum that was precluded while Bill 124 was in force. The university has now provided eligible members with the Ontario System Adjustment amount.

Two new agreements ratified

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Nipissing University

Congratulations to the members of the Nipissing University Faculty Association Contract Academic Staff Bargaining Unit (NUFA-CASBU), who ratified a three-year collective agreement in early January 2023 following a protracted round of negotiations. This was the unit’s first agreement post-Bill 124 moderation. On compensation, members received across-the-board (ATB) increases of one per cent in the first year, and two per cent in the second and third years. There were also increases to professional development fund, and research related activities were added to the list of eligible activities. The conference fund was also increased, and a new tuition subsidy fund worth $10,000 was negotiated.

On job security, several gains were made on right of first refusal (RFR), including the protection of RFR during emergencies, in cases of Ontario Human Rights Code-based accommodations, and when pursuing educational opportunities related to their discipline for a maximum of 24 months. The RFR review committee has been eliminated. The length of membership in the bargaining unit now extends 12 months after the start of the most recent contract for the specific purpose of being able to vote for strike mandates and ratification.

Other gains include a new clause on leave that acknowledges members’ right to take Human Rights Code leaves, particularly creed-based leaves, as well as an agreement on mode of delivery. The latter stipulates that the mode of delivery of a course cannot be changed after the contract for the course has been signed without the written consent of the member, except in case of an emergency.

 

Trent University

Congratulations to members of the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) who ratified a new three-year collective agreement in mid-December 2022. The hard work of the bargaining team over 12 days of compressed bargaining resulted in significant gains in the priority areas of remuneration, equity, employment security for members in teaching-intensive positions, and workload.

On benefits, improvements were negotiated for paramedical coverage, including a more than doubling of the maximum for psychological care, as well as expansion of coverage to include psychotherapists and social workers. There were also improvements to vision care and hearing aids. On dental there is new coverage for major restorative dental work, as well as an increase to orthodontic coverage. An additional transgender benefit was secured through Sun Life in the amount of $10,000/year to a lifetime maximum of $50,000.

On equity, TUFA made a number of gains, including a new definition of “Underrepresented Groups” aligning Trent with Tri-Agency standards; data collection and sharing; appropriate training for members dealing with personnel matters; five targeted searches at senior academic ranks; and agreement that all TUFA positions would be posted as preferring candidates from underrepresented groups until internal targets were met. Service by members from underrepresented groups has been recognized both for its extent and its particularities and such contributions and community leadership roles can now be considered the equivalent of a major university committee for purposes of service work, and in the normal allocation of duties.

Specifically on Indigenization, evaluation standards for tenure and promotion now include a recognition of “different knowledge traditions, including the traditions associated with conventional academic scholarship as well as traditional or Indigenous knowledge, and differences in the ways knowledge is acquired, generated, and transmitted.” There is also a process to consider questions related to Indigenous identity whereby senior administration will directly work with Indigenous stakeholders (particularly the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers Council and the Indigenous Education Council) to make recommendations that—if pertinent to faculty/librarian employment—are then considered at Joint Committee prior to implementation.

With respect to job security, there is a one-time conversion process for limited term appointments (LTAs) with a minimum amount of continuous service into probationary teaching-intensive positions. Teaching-intensive faculty will now receive tenure rather than permanency, their titles will be consistent with other faculty members, they will be eligible for promotion to Full Professor, and the restriction on their academic freedom that required them to focus on “discipline-related pedagogical research” has been eliminated.

On workload, there is now an explicit requirement to factor graduate teaching and supervision into members’ assignments and to ensure that the data necessary to do this are made available to department chairs in a timely way. For members in teaching-intensive and LTAs, who also serve in leadership roles (e.g., program coordinators, department chairs), various course releases were negotiated, including an extra course release for such members when they are new to the leadership roles. As well, program coordinators may receive additional course release when their workload is anticipated to be exceptional (program start-up, cyclical reviews, etc.). Teaching support provisions have also been substantially revised to increase the base allocation to the Marking Fund, as well as to ensure such supports are announced to members to facilitate planning, course design and hiring. A committee will also be struck to consult with the Joint Committee on potential improvements to a variety of administrative processes, particularly those that are particularly time-consuming for members.