TORONTO, April 1, 2022 – With the French Language Services Commissioner’s revelations that the Laurentian University administration and Ford government failed in their responsibilities to safeguard the interests of the province’s French speakers, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is calling for the 28 French language programs cut by the university to be […]
When Laurentian University filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), it became the first public university in Canada to do so. The upcoming federal budget is our chance to make sure it is also the last. Both the CCAA and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) are federal pieces of legislation specifically designed […]
According to a new poll conducted for OCUFA by Ekos Research Associates, two out of three Ontarians (69 per cent) believe that the province’s next government should prioritize postsecondary education as it works to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. Those polled recognize the value of a university education and believe it is time to introduce […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is pleased to see the Ontario Government extend the tuition fee freeze for domestic students into 2023. However, urgent funding is needed to support education quality and accessibility at Ontario’s public universities. “If the Ford government is serious about tackling student debt and high tuition fees, the upcoming […]
TORONTO, March 8, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) believes that preventing unionized workers from taking claims of discrimination and harassment to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) will strip union members of fundamental rights and undermine work to build more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces. Further, the exceptionally short […]
This election presents a valuable opportunity to put postsecondary education on the agenda and build a better future for Ontario. Each political party is making promises and proposals that will affect university faculty, students, our families, and our communities. This election, OCUFA is focused on three advocacy priorities : Fairness for contract faculty to ensure all faculty are […]
OCUFA has set out its priorities for the 2022 Ontario Budget in a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and in a presentation to the committee on January 20, 2022. OCUFA’s budget recommendations aim to preserve the quality and sustainability of postsecondary education in Ontario through stable, consistent, and adequate […]
The Ford government’s obsession with austerity and privatization was a major driver of Laurentian University’s insolvency and collapse. This was the message OCUFA Board Chair Gyllian Phillips delivered to participants in “Our Movement, Our Fight, Our Future,” a webinar series focused on reclaiming power through labour organizing in Northern Ontario. “Universities, especially northern universities, have […]
The Ontario University and Colleges Coalition echoes the concerns of students and workers across the province about unsafe and rushed plans to return to campus. With notice of returning back to in-person learning for some institutions as soon as January 31, students are nervous about inadequate safety plans, the accessibility of continuing with online learning […]
OCUFA has joined with the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and unions across Ontario to call on the Ford government to take action to address the crisis caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A joint statement endorsed by over 30 organizations, including OCUFA, outlines six demands that frontline workers in health care, long-term care, […]
TORONTO, January 24, 2022 – The voices of Ontario university faculty and academic librarians continue to be ignored by university administrations as postsecondary institutions rush back to in-person learning—even as COVID-19 cases across the province remain high. Outbreaks at universities and in university communities are inevitable if university administrations withhold information about campus health and […]
TORONTO, January, 13, 2022 – OCUFA is disappointed that the Superior Court of Justice has denied the Ontario Auditor General’s request for documents that Laurentian University claims are privileged. Laurentian’s sudden insolvency and unprecedented implosion as a result of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process has devastated the Greater Sudbury community, raised concerns at […]
TORONTO, January 5, 2022 – With COVID-19 cases spiking across Ontario and universities planning to return to in-person learning at the end of January, university faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals are concerned for their physical and mental health. Further, they believe the provincial government’s most recent advice to universities is completely inadequate and […]
Meeting and resolutions The pandemic may continue, but at its Board Meeting on October 23 OCUFA set its sights on the 2022 provincial election and the goal of electing a government committed to supporting high-quality, public postsecondary education in Ontario. Good jobs for all Since the last election, the Ford government has repealed large parts of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act and introduced wage restraint legislation under Bill 124 . […]
Ontario faculty are concerned with the government’s proposed provision regarding the power of Senate at the new Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSMU). The wording used in the Senate section of the NOSMU regulations would undermine the fundamental principle of shared bicameral governance at the new University, by subjecting the Senate’s power to “determine and regulate the educational policy of […]
