On Tuesday, September 2nd, members of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) voted 90% in favour of a strike mandate to support their negotiating team. “We are heartened and gratified by this strong endorsement by our members,” said LUFA President Anis Farah. “We hope that this will bolster negotiations, and that we can arrive at […]
The University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA) has set a strike vote for September 8th and 9th, 2014. The vote is required to secure gains already made at the bargaining table and to provide momentum to secure a fair settlement. This is particularly important as the association enters conciliation with the employer. UGFA negotiators have […]
Contract faculty at Algoma University have ratified their new collective agreement. After a difficult round of bargaining, the new deal gives senior contract faculty access to the pension plan, while introducing a new step pay system. Non-monetary gains include a new policy committees charged with clearly defining the step-by-step processes for hiring and evaluations. The […]
Bargaining continues across Ontario, with eight faculty associations currently at the table. Despite a difficult bargaining environment, important progress continues to be made. The Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) reached a tentative settlement on July 27, 2014. A ratification vote is now scheduled for August 21st, August 26th, and August 27th. Details of the […]
Professors and academic librarians at the University of Windsor have voted strongly in favour of a strike mandate. The August 14th vote, which passed with 81.4 per cent in favour, authorizes the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) to call a strike if one becomes necessary. The strike vote was taken after months of provocative and […]
This week, news broke that the Ontario Labour Relations Board will investigate the McMaster administration’s conduct during its negotiations with cleaning staff. The administration threatened to outsource the jobs of the cleaning staff if they did not approve the final offer, prompting the investigation. The cleaning staff in question are the lowest paid staff at […]
The Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) has set August 14, 2014 date to seek strike authorization from its members. This move came in response to the unilateral imposition of terms and conditions by the Windsor administration, an unprecedented action for an Ontario university. The imposition of terms comes after weeks of aggressive and provocative tactics […]
After weeks of aggressive tactics, the administration of the University of Windsor unilaterally imposed terms and conditions of employment on July 28, 2014. The administration had previously moved to impose terms on July 7th , but backed down in the face of opposition from the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) and faculty associations across Canada. Imposing terms and conditions of work on this scale is unprecedented […]
Contract faculty at Nipissing have ratified their settlement with the university administration. The new deal was reached through conciliation, and covers a two year term ending in April 2016. The contract faculty unit was able to secure an increase in the course stipend, and new language around lay-offs. There is now a process where the […]
In light of developments at the bargaining table, the University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA) is cautiously optimistic that the outstanding issues may be resolved. As such, they have decided to suspend the strike vote planned for Wednesday, July 9th. Should progress not occur, UGFA is ready to reschedule the vote. Part-time faculty at Algoma and Nipissing, […]
Administrators at the University of Windsor have taken a heavy-handed, provocative approach to negotiations with the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA). As well as damaging its relationship with professors and academic librarians, the admin’s actions are a dangerous distraction from the important work of negotiating a fair agreement. As previously reported in OCUFA Report, the […]
Despite ongoing negotiations, the administration at the University of Windsor has requested and received a “no board” report.This puts the university in a legal lockout position as of July 3, 2014. The Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) has not taken a strike vote, and has no current plans to do so. “The administration’s actions are […]
Faculty at Trent University have reached a tentative settlement with their employer. Details of the agreement are still confidential pending a ratification vote. On June 5, 2014, Contract Academic Staff at St. Jerome’s ratified a new agreement alongside the Board of Governors. The new agreement runs until April 2018. A primary goal of the St. […]
Last week, OCUFA made a submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which is currently considering Bill C-525. Our submission argues that this private members bill has the potential to harm employee secrecy, encourage employer interference, disregards employee choice, and damage the existing decertification […]
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 […]
