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A closer look at the StatCan tuition data reveals some worrying trends

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On September 7, 2016, Statistics Canada released its tuition fee data for 2016-17. You can read the StatCan highlights here. OCUFA researchers have taken a deeper dive into the datasets, and the results are concerning.

Ontario’s domestic undergraduate fees are 74 per cent higher than the average in the rest of Canada. Since 2010, they have increased by 10 per cent compared to four per cent in the rest of Canada. Graduate tuition is even worse: 96 per cent higher than the rest of Canada, having increased by 13 per cent since 2010, compared to six per cent in the RoC.

International fees tell a similar tale: undergraduate tuition fees are 54 per cent higher than the rest of Canada, and graduate fees are 66 per cent higher. But the rate of increase in international fees is the alarming bit: since 2010, international undergrad fees have increased by 31 per cent, while graduate fees have gone up by 20 per cent (compared to 13 per cent and one per cent in the RoC).

All of these numbers are based on weighted average tuition fees (weighted by enrolment in program of study) and are corrected for inflation. What they show is that Ontario continues to shift the cost of higher education onto students and their families. And if those students come from outside Canada, the shift is occurring at a very brisk pace indeed.

Brescia faculty hold successful strike vote

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In a vote held on September 7, 2016, members of the Brescia Faculty Association (BFA) authorized its Executive Committee to initiate a strike action if a fair and reasonable settlement is not reached during the collective bargaining process. Members voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.

“Today’s vote sends a strong message that Brescia faculty are united in their call for a fair and equitable collective agreement,” said Melissa Jean, president of the BFA. “With our members behind us, we’re looking forward to getting back to the bargaining table to address the important issues still on the table.”

A strike mandate vote is not a vote to go on strike. Rather, it sends a message to the employer that BFA members support the negotiating team and the mandate it has developed through member consultation and feedback over the past year. The vote allows the Executive Committee to call for a strike at some point in the future if that action is necessary to secure a fair deal. As always, the BFA is committed to securing an equitable agreement at the bargaining table.

The collective agreement between the BFA and Brescia University College expired on June 30, 2016. Outstanding issues include equal pay for equal work, reasonable workloads, tuition benefits for dependents, course release for BFA Executive Members, and a faculty complement large enough to ensure a quality education for students.

According to the latest Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents data, the average salary of BFA members is the second lowest in the province, ranking 21st out of 22 institutions. This figure is particularly troubling given that Brescia is Canada’s only women’s university and the BFA faculty complement is 72% women, the highest proportion of women academics of any university in Canada. The BFA is seeking equal pay for equal work to faculty at its peer institutions.

All signs point to Brescia’s strong financial health. Over the past five years, Brescia’s former Principal received two payouts in lieu of leave in excess of $350,000 and the institution has awarded double-digit raises to senior administrators.

“Brescia’s mission is to educate women,” said Jean. “So it must set a better example for its students and for society at large by paying its professors a fair and equal salary.”

New study sheds light on precarious academic work in Ontario

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A new report by the Centre for Study of Canadian and International Higher Education (CIHE) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) has revealed important new information on contract faculty in Ontario. Written by Glen Jones and Cynthia Field, A survey of sessional faculty in Ontario publicly funded universities makes an important contribution to understanding who contract faculty are and, more importantly, what they want.

The report surveyed contract faculty at 12 Ontario universities, including research universities, a bilingual university, primarily undergraduate universities, and rural institutions. Key findings include:

  • 60 per cent of contract faculty are women
  • 66 per cent have a PhD
  • Around one third of respondents have been in contract positions for nine or more years
  • 54 per cent of were on contracts of less than six months; only six per cent were on contracts longer than 13 months
  • Even when other income is taken into account, 30 per cent of contract faculty earn less than the Low-Income Measure (LIM)
  • 76 per cent of contract faculty surveyed aspired to a tenure-track position, but 50 per cent of respondents felt that such a position was unachievable

Taken together, this data paints a picture of a large group of academics working in insecure, low-paid positions. OCUFA has estimated that the number of courses taught by contract faculty has doubled since the beginning of the 2000s. This has serious implications for the wellbeing of these individuals, their families, the communities in which they live, and the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s universities.

OCUFA response to the Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee report

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On August 25, 2016 the Ontario Government’s Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee released its final report and recommendations to government on how to close the gender wage gap in the province. The recommendations target three root causes of the gender wage gap: women’s disproportionate responsibility for caregiving work and the absence of adequate public supports, systematic undervaluing of and lower rates of pay in sectors and jobs that are dominated by women, and gender bias and discrimination in business practices that disadvantage women.

The first set of recommendations focus on the need for a more balanced distribution of caregiving responsibilities. These recommendations call for the establishment of a childcare system that provides high quality, affordable, accessible, and publicly funded childcare within a defined period of time and calls on government to address gaps in the existing system right away. It also calls for changes to the pregnancy and parental leave provisions in the Employment Standards Act (ESA) that will encourage both parents to use parental leave and normalize the practice of men taking parental leave.

The second set of recommendations focus on measures that will support the greater valuation of work in female dominated sectors of employment through assessment of the Pay Equity Act and further consultations with workplace parties.

The third set of recommendations focus on workplace practices and calls on government to encourage employers to put in place pay transparency policies, to develop a gender workplace analysis tool, and to increase the number of women on Boards.

The fourth set of recommendations focus on raising public awareness around the gender wage gap and its impacts through a social awareness campaign and through the education system.

The fifth and final set of recommendations call on government to adopt policy, budget making, and operational processes that are attentive to gender based differences and discrimination.

Assessment of report

The report includes two clearly action-oriented recommendations: the call for the establishment of a more accessible, high quality, affordable childcare system in Ontario and the call for changes to parental leave provisions that will encourage more men to take parental leave. These recommendations are consistent with measures that OCUFA laid out in its submission to the Steering Committee and address one of the root causes of the gender wage gap.

The recommendation that the government develop a gender workplace analysis tool that would help employers to understand whether and to what extent a gender wage gap exists within their workforce suggests some parallels with OCUFA’s call for the expansion of the salary review process. Universities and faculty associations have demonstrated leadership on this front, with many institutions across the province undertaking salary anomaly reviews and in some cases applying remedies when a systematic gender wage gap is found (McMaster and Waterloo are notable recent examples).

The report, however, was silent on many of the other measures that were highlighted in the OCUFA submission, including improving access to collective bargaining and improving terms and conditions for precariously employed workers. Moreover, many of the recommendations were relatively weak – calling for further examinations and assessments, and merely encouraging employers to take certain corrective actions rather than making such actions mandatory – for example, merely encouraging rather than requiring employers to develop of pay transparency policies.

Where government plans to move

In response to the release of the report, the provincial government has signaled only that it will take action on four of the report’s recommendations:

  • Make salary data in the Ontario Public Service publicly available by gender in order to increase income transparency
  • Require gender based analysis in government policy making
  • Appoint an Associate Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care to build a childcare system in Ontario
  • Provide employers with materials on anti-discrimination and other educational materials related to the gender wage gap

The government has indicated that they will establish a working group that will be tasked with moving forward with recommendations from the report that call for further consultation. No further details regarding the composition of this working group or the scope of its work have been announced.

Most of the report’s recommendations – including the action-oriented proposed changes to the pregnancy and parental leave under the ESA – are not addressed in the government’s response.

Assessment of government action

The appointment of Indira Naidoo-Harris to the role of Associate Minister of Education, Responsible for Early Years and Child Care and the government’s commitment to build an affordable, accessible, and high-quality child care system in Ontario signals a significant policy undertaking on the part of the provincial government and an important step toward addressing one of the root causes of the gender wage gap. However, establishing a comprehensive childcare system on its own will not close the gender wage gap in Ontario and the remaining government actions in response to the report do not represent a comprehensive government strategy for addressing the issue. The Government of Ontario can and must do more to move forward with the recommendations of the steering committee and to eliminate the gender wage gap in Ontario.

OCUFA update on the Changing Workplaces Review Interim Report

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In the spring of 2015, the Government of Ontario launched the Changing Workplaces Review – a comprehensive review of employment and labour law to address the rise of precarious work. Faculty associations have been actively engaged in this process, which has been led by two Special Advisors appointed by the government. OCUFA made a submission and thirteen faculty association representatives presented at public consultations across the province. On July 27, the long-awaited Interim Report of the Changing Workplaces Review was released. The report outlines the recommendations that were heard to date and lays out several options for ways forward on each issue.

OCUFA’s initial response to the report is available on our website. The report has the potential to serve as a starting point for a bold plan to address precarious work and promote good jobs at Ontario’s universities and throughout the broader economy. OCUFA estimates that the number of courses taught by contract faculty in Ontario has doubled since 2000. The growth of precarious academic work and the job insecurity, unpredictable scheduling, unfair wages, and lack of access to benefits that contract faculty face have brought the need for stronger employment and labour laws into sharp focus.

Overall, the Interim Report recognizes that the rise of precarious work “is an urgent and serious threat to the well-being, not only of a significant number of workers in Ontario, but also to their families and Ontario society” (p. 8). It also provides some strong guiding principles that we can encourage government to adopt going forward including that the “right to meaningful collective bargaining is a critically important constitutional right” (p. 16) and that “decent work” should form the basis for employment and labour law (p. 12).

The Interim Report confirms that faculty voices were heard. In particular, faculty association input is attributed directly in the section on wages and benefits for part-time and temporary work:

“University faculty associations have raised the issue of providing the same wages and benefits to part-time, contract faculty as full-time faculty in order to address growing concerns regarding precarious work in the sector” (p. 227).

All five of OCUFA’s recommendations are reflected in the options outlined in the report:

  1. OCUFA on fair pay and access to benefits: “All workers, including part-time and contract workers, should receive equal pay for work of equal value and equal access to benefits regardless of their employment ”

In the report: The report acknowledges inequality between part-time, contract, and full-time employee wages and urges that this issue be considered carefully along with access to benefits (p. 39 and 40-1). An option listed in the report is that it be required that “part-time, temporary, and casual employees be paid the same as full-time employees in the same establishment unless differences in qualifications, skills, seniority, or experience or other objective factors justify the difference… This could apply to pay or to pay and benefits” (Option 2 and 3, Section 5.3.7, p. 227-8).

  1. OCUFA on more secure and stable work: “The use of discontinuous contracts to prevent the achievement of workplace rights should be eliminated by requiring that after an employee has been employed on a number of fixed-term contracts their employment is continuous for all ”

In the report: The report acknowledges that contracts are often renewed “over many years so that they appear to be almost permanent” and “in some professions and disciplines, permanent employment with the salaries, benefits and security that come with it seems remote and impossible to attain” (p. 40). It also recognizes concern about the “growth of individuals working on ubiquitous fixed and limited term contracts” and “the lack of security, particularly in instances where it appears that employees are kept in such positions indefinitely to justify lower wages and lack of benefits” (p. 221). An option laid out in the report is that a limit be placed on the number or total duration of limited term contracts (Option 5, Section 5.3.7, p. 228).

  1. OCUFA on reasonable notice of work: “Employers should be required to provide employees with at least two weeks’ notice of ”

In the report: The report acknowledges workers’ need for predictability in their work lives (p. 39). An option listed in the report is that all employers be required to provide advance notice in setting and changing work schedules to make them more predictable, including posting schedules at least 2 weeks in advance and require employers to pay employees more for last-minute changes to schedules (Option 4, Section 5.3.2, p. 203).

  1. OCUFA on bargaining unit structure: “The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) must be empowered to redefine the scope of an existing unit, merge bargaining units, or combine newly certified workers into an existing unit, if requested by the ”

In the report: The report acknowledges the issue of “whether there ought to be an explicit power to revise, amend and consolidate bargaining units… in circumstances where the original bargaining unit structure is no longer appropriate” or “where bargaining units are overly fragmented” (p. 86). It outlines that unions are interested in ensuring that when smaller units are certified that a mechanism exists for combining them into “more rational” bargaining structures (p. 88). An option is included that would reintroduce the consolidation provision that was in the Labour Relations Act from 1993-95 that allowed the OLRB, upon application from the union or employer, to consolidate bargaining units where the employer is the same and only one union is involved (Option 2, Section 4.3.4, p. 86 and 88).

  1. OCUFA on the right to collective representation: “The Labour Relations Act should be updated to ensure workers can organize collectively to improve their conditions of work and join a union, including by providing automatic card-based certification, requiring the reinstatement of employees during organizing drives, and making first contract arbitration more ”

In the report: The report acknowledges that research shows mandatory vote models of union certification are associated with fewer certification applications and lower success rates than card-based certification (p.72). An option is included to reinstate card-based certification (Option 2, Section 4.3.1.1,

  1. 73), to protect against unjust dismissal before a first contract is reached (Option 2, Section 4.5.2, p. 106), and to make first contract arbitration more accessible (Section 4.3.2, p. 82).

Other issues

Some consideration was given in the report to new models for broader-based or sectoral bargaining, with a focus on difficult-to-organize workplaces primarily in the private sector. Various models have been proposed including models that allow for negotiated standards to be extended to workplaces

within a sector and region, for newly organized workplaces to attach to a negotiated sectoral agreement, and for unique bargaining structures to be established in specific industries where the current model is inappropriate or ineffective (Section 4.6.1, p. 113-126). Given the need to organize more workers in precarious jobs and that models for broader-based bargaining would be novel features of Ontario labour law, these potential provisions are likely to garner attention from experts and unions in the coming months

While generally not addressed in the submissions received, the Special Advisors who have been leading this process chose to dedicate a section of the report to exploring non-union models of “employee voice” (Section 4.6.2, p. 126-133). However, the report also acknowledges concerns about non-union forms of employee representation being “employer-dominated” in some jurisdictions (p. 129). Going forward it may be appropriate to encourage the Special Advisors to prioritize removing unfair barriers to joining a union rather than circumventing them with non-union models of representation, as well as ensuring that any new structures for representation provide workers with meaningful influence over their working conditions.

Next steps

The Interim Report will be followed by a short period for further consultation. All feedback is due no later than October 14. Several issues of concern to faculty have been identified by the Special Advisors as areas for further comment, including wages and benefits for part-time and contract workers and scheduling. Any faculty association that would like to send a letter providing further feedback on these or other issues, should contact Brynne (bsinclair-waters@ocufa.on.ca).

After this next period of consultation wraps up, the Special Advisors will prepare a final report that includes recommendations for the provincial government to consider. All of OCUFA’s five areas of recommendation have been noted and reflected in the options put forward in the Interim Report. Our next task is to continue our advocacy work so that they are also included in the final recommendations that are scheduled to be released in early 2017.

After the final recommendations are released, a political decision will be made about which recommendations to include in proposed legislation and our Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) will be deciding what to support. This makes the next few months a crucial time for our advocacy on these issues. We will continue to urge the government not miss this opportunity to update the law to bring more fairness for contract faculty and all workers in precarious jobs.

OCUFA clarifies inaccuracies in report on university sustainability

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Two weeks ago, HEQCO released a report on university sustainability in Ontario. More concerned with definitions than data, the report nevertheless contained several inaccuracies. OCUFA president Judy Bates wrote to Harvey Weingarten, CEO of HEQCO, with the following clarifications:

Dear Dr. Weingarten;

I am writing in regards to HEQCO’s recent publication, “Understanding the Sustainability of the Ontario Postsecondary System and its Institutions: A Framework.” The long-term sustainability of Ontario’s universities is a critically important issue, one that is foremost in the minds of professors and academic librarians across the province. In the interest of promoting a well-informed and productive discussion, I wanted to address several factual inadequacies in your report.

In your discussion of faculty salaries, you do not mention two important pieces of data. First, that the average across-the-board salary increases contained in faculty collective agreements has been between one and two per cent since 2012, at or below the rate of inflation. This translates into very low real increases in salary. Second, that the actual salary mass – the proportion of operating budgets taken up by faculty salaries at all ranks (including contract) – has been stable at approximately 30 per cent of operating expenditures since at least 2005.

The report focuses on average salary increases, which are often a function of staffing decisions, and tell us very little about the impact of the age, rank, and discipline composition of the faculty complement on average salaries at Ontario universities. Settlement pattern and salary mass data are therefore useful in contextualizing the change in faculty salaries over time, and prevent exaggeration of both the rate of salary increase and its impact on university budgets.

The report also notes that, “It seems timely to clarify the degree to which meeting ongoing pension obligations represents a serious sustainability problem and for which institutions.  It is also appropriate to develop and offer a set of options to these institutions to meet this challenge.” It is important to recognize that the sector has long been aware of the potential challenges posed by pension commitments, and has been working actively for the better part of a decade to address these concerns. I would draw your attention to the government-funded, joint OCUFA and COU project to explore the creation of a multi-employer university sector Jointly Sponsored Pension Plan (JSPP) for interested institutions as a particularly successful example of these activities.

Finally, as Ontario’s universities remain public institutions and receive significant public funding to support their activities, I was surprised to see so little attention paid to the level and adequacy of public funding provided to our institutions by the Government of Ontario, as this has serious implications for their long-term financial sustainability. While university budgets have increased in nominal terms over the past decade, this has been accompanied by a steady expansion in university enrolment. As a result, Ontario universities receive the lowest level of per-student public funding in Canada, and compare unfavourably to many peer jurisdictions in the United States. Ontario faculty are now teaching more students with less money than ever before. A boon, perhaps, to some definitions of productivity, but not a sustainable situation in the long term.

I hope you take these clarifications into account as you prepare your next publication on the sustainability issue. I welcome any opportunity to further discuss your work, and OCUFA would be equally happy to provide any data we have that would help build a more complete picture of university sustainability in Ontario.

Yours sincerely,

Judy Bates, President of OCUFA
Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Academic women at UWaterloo get salary boost after study shows gender wage gap

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Following the release of a report showing a systemic gender wage gap at the University of Waterloo, the university moved quickly to give academic women a nearly $3,000 salary increase. The report, produced by a joint working group between the university admin and the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW), was released publicly on Thursday, August 4, 2016.

Using regression modelling, the working group found that women faculty members at Waterloo faced “a systemic gender anomaly” that was consistent across the university. The anomaly represented a salary gap of $2,905.

The Waterloo report follows similar projects at McMaster University, Western University, Queen’s University, and the University of Windsor that also found significant gender salary discrepancies and implemented pay corrections. Several other Ontario universities are in the midst of their own gender salary studies. All of these cases demonstrate the importance of ongoing salary reviews to identify and correct gender wage gaps where they exist. While one-time increases can close existing gaps, gender discrepancies can re-emerge if salary anomalies are not monitored over time.

In the longer term, it is also important to address the root causes of gender wage gaps in academia. This includes ensuring parity in starting salaries between men and women, as variations at the beginning of an academic career can compound quickly over time.  Restructuring maternity leaves and benefits to promote equal career progression and fair remuneration is also necessary, as well as measures to build greater equity into merit pay in the years following parental leave.

For more information on this issue, and for ways of addressing the gender wage gap at Ontario universities, please read OCUFA’s submission to Ontario’s Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee.

Strike ends at Laurier, new collective agreement ratified

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Striking workers from CUPE 926 at Wilfrid Laurier University are back at work following the ratification of a new collective agreement. CUPE 926, which represents regular employees within Laurier’s Department of Physical Resources, went on strike to prevent the employer from unilaterally imposing terms and conditions of work, a heavy-handed and unacceptable bargaining tactic.

In a statement, President of CUPE 926 Allan Savard said:

“This has been a very difficult experience for our members who stood on the picket line, and I’m so proud of them for standing up for principles that don’t just affect them – they affect each and every member of this campus and this community.

They fought hard to protect job security language that maintains stable, secure, good jobs that support communities, and we will continue to stand against precarious work that harms communities.

We expect (WLU President) Max Blouw, and this university, to be more than just a leading employer in this community. This university needs to be a responsible employer and it ought to be a model employer.”

OCUFA President Judy Bates sent a letter of support for CUPE 926 to President Blouw, urging the employer to abandon bullying tactics and to negotiate a fair settlement.

Government signals intent to move forward with “mandatory co-op”

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In a series of comments made last week, the Government of Ontario has indicated that it wants to move forward with creating mandatory work-integrated learning for secondary and postsecondary students. This policy would mean that every high school, college, and university student would be required to complete some form of work-integrated learning before receiving their diploma or degree. The proposal was a key recommendation of the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel, released on June 23, 2016.

New Minister of Advanced Education and Skills (formerly Training, Colleges, and Universities) Deb Matthews said the following in Queen’s Park Briefing (subscription required):

“We definitely need better, more timely and regionally specific labour market data, and that’s a real starting point for us. We know for sure, anecdotally, from employers that they’re having trouble finding people to fill certain jobs, and so identifying where those gaps are and quantifying it is a big first step. But we’re not going to wait to get all that information before we move forward on implementing the recommendation.”

There is as yet no timeline – or cost estimate – for implementing the mandatory work-integrated learning policy. Critics are nonetheless cautioning that it will be expensive. Andrew Langille, who has been vocal on the mandatory co-op proposal, said in QP Briefing:

“To ensure high-quality, sustainable placements, there needs to be some level of funding, and for every student, that would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of billions of extra dollars injected into the system…that’s not going to happen.”

OCUFA will be monitoring the development of the mandatory work-integrated learning policy closely, and will be meeting with Minister Matthews in the coming weeks to discuss the government’s plans. OCUFA is particularly interested to learn how the government plans to cope with the persistent problem of co-op unemployment already present in the system; how equity in placement quality between different programs and credentials will be ensured; and how the potential impact on the labour market of introducing thousands of student workers will be managed.

Carleton prof “invalidated” from Board of Governors, CUASA files grievance

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Root Gorelick, the Carleton professor at the heart of an ongoing controversy about transparency and accountability at the university’s Board of Governors, has been effectively removed from the Board. His “invalidation” occurred after he refused to sign the Board’s new Code of Conduct, which Gorelick believes is intended to stifle dissent and obscure the Board’s decision-making process.

In response, the Carleton University Academic Staff Association has filed a grievance and released the following statement:

Today, CUASA has filed a grievance on behalf of Professor Root Gorelick in response to the Employer’s continued actions to circumvent the CUASA collective agreement.

Our members rights’ should never be checked at the doors of a boardroom when they choose to participate in the formation and recommendation of policy within the University, participate in the governance of the University, and while performing service.

CUASA has serious concerns for all of our members who may express interest in these elected positions. Only a short year ago, the Board of Governors attempted to amend the bylaws to force the full exclusion of union officers due to an “irreconcilable” conflict of interest and bar them from holding elected Faculty seats.

One of CUASA’s union officers was appointed after Professor Gorelick’s Expression of Interest was rejected and was required to sign the Code of Conduct in order to preserve his right to retain the Faculty Governor seat.

CUASA will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all our members. All of our members should have the ability to express interest and participate in open elections.

Professor Gorelick documented his conflict with the Carleton Board of Governors in an article in the latest issue of OCUFA’s Academic Matters.

The university funding formula review begins to take shape

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On June 8, 2016, OCUFA representatives met with Glenn Craney, Expert Lead of the Postsecondary Funding Renewal Team, and his staff to discuss the ongoing work to reform the university funding model in Ontario. The meeting was an opportunity to get an update on the progress of the project, learn more about key objectives and principles, and to further explain the faculty perspective on how to create an effective funding model.

From the government side, the objectives of the reform process are:

  1. To create a funding model with a “focus on outcomes.” What is meant by this is currently undefined, and OCUFA will be arguing that better data – and not punishment-based funding- will help inform the discussion around outcomes in the postsecondary sector.
  2. To strengthen differentiation in the sector and support the individual mandates of universities.
  3. To promote financially stable universities.

Glenn Craney’s team is currently working with sector stakeholders on the design of a model that will meet these objectives. In initial discussions, the team has focused on developing options that promote funding stability for individual institutions through a time of enrolment instability. The team has also signaled that transition to a new funding model may be multi-year and linked to the Strategic Mandate Agreements.  Further discussion will highlight details of how funding will be linked to outcomes. If this includes some level of punishment-based funding, OCUFA will continue to argue against this type of model when and where it is proposed.

The government’s preliminary thinking is that the new model will include a consideration of enrolment, with some sort of a renewed “corridor” system (where funding is guaranteed within a certain corridor of enrolment fluctuation); a possible envelope to support differentiation and student outcomes; and a review of existing special purpose grants.

OCUFA is currently reviewing these initial objectives, principles, and ideas, and will be engaging with the review throughout the summer. Our overriding objective is to ensure that the new funding model continues to support accessible, comprehensive, and high-quality university education in Ontario, and that the autonomy of the universities is respected going forward.

Check in with OCUFA Report and on the OCUFA website for the latest news and analysis on the university funding model review process.

Congratulations to the Ontario professors appointed to the Order of Canada

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On June 30, 2016, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, appointed 113 deserving Canadians to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. Many on this list of appointees are Ontario university professors, speaking to the immense social, scientific, political, and economic contributions made by our province’s scholars every day.

Eighteen professors from Ontario universities were appointed to the Order, in fields as diverse as history, politics, music, science, medicine, economics, social work, law, business, and education. Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, of the University of Toronto’s Department of Earth Sciences, deserves special recognitions for her promotion to Companion, the highest rank of the Order of Canada.

Much of the conversation around universities these days is about skills and job training. While this is an important function of the higher education system, universities and the professors that work within them make vital contributions to our society, improving lives while growing the economy and fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves. The new appointees to the Order of Canada are a testament to the myriad ways that professors build a stronger Ontario, a vibrant Canada, and a better planet.

OCUFA calls for renewed commitment to LGBTQ2S safety, equity, and inclusivity

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With Pride celebrations taking place around the world this month, it is an important opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ2S community in the fight for equity. It is a moment to celebrate the victories that have been won and to focus on the work that remains to be done to secure equal rights. This year’s celebrations are particularly powerful following the despicable hate crime that claimed the lives of 49 people, and wounded many more, in Orlando.

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), on behalf of 17,000 full-time and contract professors and academic librarians across Ontario, stands in solidarity with LGBTQ2S people everywhere fighting for greater equality and the right to live a life free from fear and discrimination. We are committed to supporting queer students, staff, professors, and academic librarians working within our universities as we all work toward building more inclusive and safer campuses.

This year, more than ever, it is vital that we ask leaders at our universities – and that we ask ourselves – what has been done to protect and support LGBTQ2S people on our campuses. In the memory of all who have been killed or hurt by hatred, OCUFA encourages universities across the province to redouble their commitment to promoting safety, equity, and inclusivity.

For more on OCUFA’s work on LGBTQ2S issues, and to connect with queer colleagues across the province, please consider joining our Queer Caucus listserv.

L’OCUFA demande un renouvellement de l’engagement à la sécurité, à l’équité et à l’inclusivité pour la communauté LGBTQ2S

Les célébrations de fierté, qui ont lieu à l’échelle mondiale ce mois-ci, sont une importante occasion de reconnaître les défis auxquels font face les membres de la communauté LGBTQ2S dans leur lutte pour l’équité. Le moment est idéal pour célébrer les victoires que nous avons remportées et pour nous concentrer sur le travail qu’il reste à faire pour assurer l’équité des droits. Les célébrations de cette année sont particulièrement puissantes à la suite de l’abject crime haineux qui a réclamé la vie de 49 personnes et qui a fait de nombreux blessés, à Orlando.

L’Union des associations des professeurs des universités de l’Ontario (OCUFA), au nom des 17 000 professeurs à plein temps et contractuels et bibliothécaires universitaires en Ontario, est solidaire avec les personnes LGBTQ2S de partout qui luttent pour le droit de vivre une vie exempte de crainte et de discrimination. Nous sommes engagés à soutenir les étudiants, les professeurs et les bibliothécaires universitaires queers qui travaillent dans nos universités alors que nous œuvrons tous à bâtir des campus plus sûrs et plus inclusifs.

Cette année, plus que jamais, il est essentiel que nous demandions aux directeurs de nos universités – et que nous nous demandions – ce qui a été fait pour protéger et appuyer les personnes LGBTQ2S sur nos campus. À la mémoire de tous ceux qui ont été tués ou blessés par la haine, l’OCUFA encourage les universités de toute la province à redoubler leur engagement à promouvoir la sécurité, l’équité et l’inclusivité.

Pour plus d’information à propos du travail de l’OCUFA sur les questions LGBTQ2S, et pour communiquer avec vos collègues de toute la province, veuillez considérer l’inscription à notre liste de diffusion pour les queers.

Provinces and federal government reach agreement on CPP expansion

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OCUFA welcomed the announcement on June 20 that Finance Ministers have reached an agreement on modest expansion to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). University professors and academic librarians have long supported the expansion of public pensions to provide dignity and a decent standard of life in retirement. A commitment to CPP expansion means that plans for an Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) will not be continued.

In the absence of federal government commitment to improving retirement security, Ontario had been pursuing its own provincial plan – the ORPP – since 2014. OCUFA supported the ORPP as a second best option when CPP talks were stalled. OCUFA had been advocating for an ORPP that was universal to maximize coverage for as many workers as possible. A universal ORPP would have facilitated the portability of pension savings from one workplace to another, and created the greatest benefit to those in precarious jobs, including contract faculty. However, recent announcements had indicated the ORPP would not be universal and it was not clear whether contract faculty – even those without a workplace pension – would have been eligible.

The agreement reached on CPP expansion falls short of the doubling of benefits that faculty had been calling for, but it will be universal and provide portability for workers between jobs. For the growing number of contract faculty at Ontario universities, who too often do not have access to workplace pension plans, an expanded universal public pension represents a step towards more security in retirement.

OCUFA is also working with many of our member associations to develop strategies and solutions to support contract faculty access to workplace pension plans.

“Highly Skilled Workforce” report released by Government of Ontario

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On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel released its final report. The panel was created to help Ontario’s workforce, “adapt to the demands of a technology-driven knowledge economy.” Not surprisingly, the report contains multiple recommendations with implications for the province’s universities.

The report recognizes that good work is already being done to prepare people to pursue and support employment opportunities in knowledge-driven sectors. It also acknowledges that concerns about the so-called “skills gap” are often overblown. Of the 28 recommendations made by the panel, the following are the most relevant for the university sector:

  1. Ontario should commit to ensuring that every student have at least one experiential learning opportunity by the end of their postsecondary program.
  2. A Planning and Partnership Table should be established, chaired by representatives from employers, education, and government, to drive change and develop actionable solutions related to skills, talent development, and experiential learning opportunities.
  3. An inter-ministerial Workforce Planning and Development Office should be created with a mandate to, among other things, work with educational institutions and other stakeholders to monitor and discuss the impact of the changing nature of the workplace on the existing and new labour force.
  4. Sector specific partnerships between postsecondary institutions and employers should be incentivized through the Differentiation Framework Policy and the revised university funding model.
  5. Universities, colleges, and private career colleges should look at ways to shift focus to needed skills and competencies.

OCUFA welcomes discussion about how to support Ontarians as they prepare for a changing labour market, and what role universities can reasonably play in supporting this process. It is important to remember that universities play a variety of economic, social, and civic roles. The focus on skills development and job training should not be privileged over these other essential functions.

In the coming months, OCUFA will be engaging with the government as they seek to implement aspects of the Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel’s recommendations. We will be working to ensure good outcomes for students, while protecting the autonomy of our universities and the quality of the learning experience.