The latest issue of Academic Matters explores how collective negotiation has helped to ensure that the principles of the university are upheld and that academic staff are treated and compensated fairly. In the shadow of COVID-19, it is through this process that faculty associations are working to protect their members so that they can effectively […]
Today, the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition, of which OCUFA is a member, sent the following letter expressing our solidarity with the support staff at the University of Ottawa. These workers, who are members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, went on strike today as they continue their efforts to resist cuts being demanded […]
A new report , published by OCUFA’s University Governance Committee, highlights the concerning results of the “University Governance during COVID-19” survey. The report is the result of a survey of 27 faculty and academic librarian associations across Ontario. Among its findings, it shows that an overwhelming 88 per cent of faculty association respondents considered their institution’s pandemic response to be top-down in nature. […]
The faculty association at Brescia University College in London, Ontario, has negotiated a new one-year collective agreement that contains two significant wins. First, the faculty association, which represents both tenure-stream and contract faculty at the institution, has secured language guaranteeing that all teaching at Brescia will be done by faculty association members. Second, contract faculty […]
This Labour Day will be unlike any other and there are a diversity of events happening right across Ontario. Join a car caravan in your community, go to a drive-in movie, or log on to join fellow workers in a virtual celebration of the labour movement. Find an event near you.
All workers deserve paid sick days. On August 29, join OCUFA and the Fight for $15 and Fairness to call for at least 7 days of paid sick leave for all workers, plus an additional 14 days of paid sick leave during public health outbreaks. Sign up now to receive more details on how you can raise your voice for paid sick days for all on August 29!
Rising to the challenge: Reflections on a round of pandemic bargaining By Larry Savage, Brock University “When the Brock University Faculty Association entered its most recent round of bargaining in April 2020, the Ontario government had already declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19 and Brock University had suspended face-to-face classes…” Building an anti-racist campus means fundamentally rethinking institutional structures and practices By Siobhan Stevenson, University of Toronto “Two weeks after police […]
Congratulations to the King’s University College Faculty Association (KUCFA)! After weeks of organizing – made more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic – the members of the KUCFA overwhelming voted to form a union, a decision that was just certified by the Ontario Labour Board. Faced with an increasingly uncooperative administration, members of the faculty association […]
The Brock University Faculty Association has negotiated a new collective agreement that secures substantial new rights for Indigenous faculty members, increases consultation with Indigenous members of the university community when making Indigenous-focused appointments, and ensures that Indigenous knowledge and experience are recognized in hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions for both faculty and academic librarians. The agreement also provides for greater scheduling flexibility, a guaranteed […]
On Friday, May 8, OCUFA held its final Board of Directors meeting of the 2019-20 academic year, and the organization’s first ever virtual Board Meeting. The meeting took place in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended every aspect of academic life, including the learning and teaching process . Throughout the day, board members discussed the pandemic’s impact on […]
Today, OCUFA, along with other members of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition, sent the following letter to Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton. Dear Ministers Romano and McNaughton, First and foremost, we hope that you and your families are doing well during these […]
There is more to Academic Matters than just the print issue. New articles are being added to the Academic Matters website every week. Here are some recent articles you might find interesting: What is fair dealing in copyright? Here’s why it matters when moving classes online due to coronavirus By Samuel E. Trosow, Western University and Lisa Macklem, Western University “As a new spring semester begins in Canada, all-online teaching continues. In […]
OCUFA is concerned about the erosion of democratic, transparent, and accountable collegial governance practices at Ontario’s universities as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. With it becoming abundantly clear that universities will not be able to return to their usual operations in the foreseeable future, some administrations are foregoing their responsibility to respect the shared […]
Congratulations to the Renison Association of Academic Staff who have recently voted in favour of and received union certification from the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The association is looking forward to negotiating their first collective agreement, and we know that faculty associations across Ontario will be there to support them.
On Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9, OCUFA held its second Board of Directors meeting of the 2019-20 academic year. Over the weekend, board members discussed the organization’s current priorities – good jobs, university funding, and capacity building – with a focus on challenges to the postsecondary sector and to public education as a […]
