TORONTO, Nov, 8, 2021 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) stands in solidarity with the members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) who are on strike to demand fair wages that address retention and recruitment issues at the university.
OCUFA, which represents 18,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member associations across Ontario, supports our colleagues at UMFA as they call for the university to agree to a fair deal that enhances the quality of education at the institution. OCUFA is also concerned by the Manitoba government’s history of interfering in collective bargaining.
“We stand in solidarity with our colleagues at UMFA as they bargain for fair wages,” said OCUFA President Sue Wurtele. “But a fair bargaining process must be free of political interference and any attempt by the Manitoba government to arbitrarily cap wage increases. It’s not OK in Manitoba and it’s not OK in Ontario, where we have taken the Ford government to court over its wage restraint legislation.”
OCUFA urges the University of Manitoba administration to come to the table with a fair deal that addresses the existing pay gap between faculty at the university and faculty at comparable universities across Canada. Ensuring competitive faculty compensation will lead to greater retention and recruitment and, by extension, enhance the quality education at the University of Manitoba. Further, OCUFA calls on the Manitoba government to remove any conditions it may have placed on the University of Manitoba’s administration that interfere in a free and fair bargaining process.
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 18,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member associations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Ben Lewis, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca