On June 16, the Fight for $15 & Fairness and Ontario Federation of Labour are hosting a rally for decent work. OCUFA is organizing a faculty contingent for the rally. No matter who wins this provincial election, it is crucial that faculty continue to defend decent work and keep the pressure on government to deliver fairness for contract faculty through the implementation of new […]
On May 31, the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA), CUPE 3908 (representing contract faculty and student academic workers at Trent University), and the Peterborough and District Labour Council hosted an All-Candidates Meeting. The event was moderated by Marcus Harvey, Executive Director of TUFA, and Hanah Howlett McFarlane, a Vice-President of CUPE 3908. Questions focused on […]
A lot is at stake for postsecondary education in this election. There are some important differences in how the major parties plan to address issues that matter for Ontario university faculty. Evaluating statements made in party platforms and OCUFA’s questionnaire on postsecondary issues, we have produced a report card that grades each parties commitments to […]
TORONTO – According to a new poll commissioned by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), 68 per cent of Ontarians oppose universities hiring more contract faculty on short-term contracts instead of full-time professors with better pay and access to benefits. Potential voters for all political parties disagree with the current hiring approach, including […]
On May 26, the Ontario Liberals released their platform online. This was followed by the Progressive Conservative platform release on May 30. OCUFA has taken a look at both documents and provided analysis on how they address issues that are important to faculty, including re-investing in universities, supporting faculty renewal, and delivering fairness for contract […]
On May 16, faculty worked with campus partners to host an all-candidates debate in Waterloo. Attended by over 150 members of the community, the debate focused exclusively on postsecondary education issues. Local candidates from all major parties participated in the debate, including incumbent Catherine Fife (NDP), Dorothy McCabe (Liberal), Dan Weber (PC), and Zdravko Gunjevic […]
Faculty associations across the province have been busy hosting election-related events that are putting postsecondary education on the agenda in their local ridings. A lot is at stake for higher education when voters go to the polls on June 7. Commitments to strong public funding, faculty renewal, and fairness for contract faculty are needed to […]
To find out where each of the major parties stands on issues that matter to faculty across Ontario, OCUFA prepared a questionnaire that was sent to the leaders of each party. You can read the Green Party’s response here . Responses were previously received from the NDP and Liberals . We hope you will review these responses to see where the parties stand on […]
The New Democratic Party (NDP) was the first out of the gate with their platform in the 2018 Ontario Election. It contains important commitments, including support for faculty renewal, that will impact faculty working conditions and support students at universities across the province: The Ontario NDP platform promises to end the stagnation of operating funding […]
To find out where each of the major parties stands on issues that matter to faculty across Ontario, OCUFA prepared a questionnaire . The questionnaire has been sent to the leaders of all the major political parties. So far, we have received responses from the NDP and Liberals . We hope you will review their responses to see […]
The Ontario provincial election on June 7, 2018 is fast approaching. OCUFA’s election campaign webpage is designed to keep you informed about how postsecondary issues are being approached throughout the campaign. We’ll be posting responses to questionnaires from major party leaders and preparing platform analyses to explore what’s at stake for faculty across Ontario in this election. We’ll […]
TORONTO – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) strongly condemns the government’s tabling of back-to-work legislation aimed at striking academic workers represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 (CUPE 3903) and defends the rights of academic workers to a fair negotiation process. This legislation breaches the constitutionally protected right of CUPE […]
In late March, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) released a discussion paper on SMA3 and performance metrics. While OCUFA appreciates the publication of the SMA3 discussion paper and the effort to solicit consultation from the community, the timeline and discussion questions proposed by the Ministry are not conducive to a meaningful […]
At this year’s Worldviews Lecture, Professor Sigal Ben-Porath addressed the increasingly heightened debate around free speech on campus. Her lecture was followed by a panel discussion that explored challenges for democratic values and minority rights in academia and beyond. Video of the entire lecture, including the panel discussion, can be viewed online here. In her lecture, Professor Ben-Porath reflected on campus free speech controversies of recent years – from […]
On March 28, the 2018 Ontario Budget was tabled. Given the upcoming election, it is widely understood that this is as much a campaign platform document as a budget. While the continued implementation of reforms to student assistance in this year’s budget are expected to further improve access for students, faculty are concerned that operating […]
