Bill 124 declared unconstitutional after Charter challenge by OCUFA member organizations, allies

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TORONTO, November 30, 2022 – Following a coordinated Charter challenge by a coalition of over 40 unions, including OCUFA member organizations and led by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act (formerly Bill 124) violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“This is another major defeat of the Ford government’s attempt to infringe on workers’ rights,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “This decision marks an important step in addressing the hard hit to public sector workers in this province, who were forced to accept an annual wage cap of one per cent annually for three years, including during a pandemic and spiking inflation.”

“Government and public sector employers should respect this decision and redress the wrongs brought about by the legislation,” she added.  

In his decision, Justice Markus Koehnen said the law substantially interferes with collective bargaining, infringes on the applicants’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and the right to strike.

The coalition that brought forth the Charter challenge represents more than 250,000 Ontario workers across the broader public sector including in education, skilled trades, and healthcare. The coalition argued that the legislation interfered with the rights of workers to free and fair collective bargaining, threatened pay equity and benefits for contract faculty and other marginalized workers, and could erode the foundations of Ontario’s vital public services—including public education. On Tuesday, the government announced an intention to appeal the ruling.

“OCUFA and its allies will be watching the court proceedings unfold and are prepared to continue holding this government accountable for its attacks on all public sector workers in Ontario,” said Wurtele.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

Bill 124 declared unconstitutional after Charter challenge by OCUFA member organizations, allies

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TORONTO, November 30, 2022 – Following a coordinated Charter challenge by a coalition of over 40 unions, including OCUFA member organizations and led by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act (formerly Bill 124) violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“This is another major defeat of the Ford government’s attempt to infringe on workers’ rights,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “This decision marks an important step in addressing the hard hit to public sector workers in this province, who were forced to accept an annual wage cap of one per cent annually for three years, including during a pandemic and spiking inflation.”

“Government and public sector employers should respect this decision and redress the wrongs brought about by the legislation,” she added.  

In his decision, Justice Markus Koehnen said the law substantially interferes with collective bargaining, infringes on the applicants’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and the right to strike.

The coalition that brought forth the Charter challenge represents more than 250,000 Ontario workers across the broader public sector including in education, skilled trades, and healthcare. The coalition argued that the legislation interfered with the rights of workers to free and fair collective bargaining, threatened pay equity and benefits for contract faculty and other marginalized workers, and could erode the foundations of Ontario’s vital public services—including public education. On Tuesday, the government announced an intention to appeal the ruling.

“OCUFA and its allies will be watching the court proceedings unfold and are prepared to continue holding this government accountable for its attacks on all public sector workers in Ontario,” said Wurtele.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

Unsealed Laurentian documents show university avoided transparency, accountability during financial crisis

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SUDBURY/TORONTO, November 29, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased that the Superior Court of Justice has agreed to unseal correspondence between Laurentian University and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities relating to the university’s insolvency claims in early 2021. However, the unsealing of these documents after 69 program cuts, more than 200 faculty and staff job losses, and interrupted learning for thousands of students is too little, too late.

“Together with our allies, we have been calling on the Laurentian administration and the Ontario government for almost two years to be transparent about how this crisis came about, and while we are glad to see these documents unsealed, we know it should not have taken this long,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “These files show the lengths to which Laurentian would go to avoid taking accountability for their financial mismanagement, despite the disastrous effects on students, faculty, staff, and the Sudbury community.”

The letters reveal that Laurentian President Robert Haché aimed to avoid public accountability for the university’s finances following pressure from the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA). They also show that Haché wanted to avoid paying full severance to faculty members who would be terminated due to the financial situation by pursuing protections under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) and bypass existing methods for addressing university financial difficulty in existing collective agreements for faculty and staff. The letters also show that the Ministry of Colleges and Universities was aware of the depths of Laurentian’s financial needs and offered minimal support at a crisis moment.  

“It’s clear that Laurentian’s senior administrators planned to forge ahead with CCAA to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, rather than face their mistakes and work together with faculty, staff, the government, and the community,” said Wurtele. “The government also clearly knew Laurentian was headed for crisis and didn’t intervene in a meaningful way early on. They could have done more to help Laurentian and unfortunately decided not to.”

The release of the unsealed documents follows the implementation of Laurentian’s Plan of Arrangement earlier this fall to pay back its creditors, and the recent publication of a damning report from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario that found Laurentian’s senior administrators intentionally sought out the CCAA process on the advice of private financial advisors and lawyers at a cost of $30 million in fees. The decision resulted in disaster for students, staff, faculty, and the Sudbury community. The Auditor General’s report noted that these funds could have been used to invest in the university community during a pivotal moment.

“Laurentian spent millions on insolvency proceedings even though the Auditor General of Ontario found that the CCAA was an inappropriate method to deal with their problems,” said Wurtele. “That money could have been spent at the university, and the university could have worked with stakeholders and community members to ensure Laurentian’s future success. They didn’t do that, and the negative effects will be felt in Sudbury for years to come.”

Going forward, OCUFA is calling for more government funding for Laurentian and all Ontario public post-secondary institutions to ensure stability and success for students, faculty, and campus communities. At Laurentian, OCUFA supports LUFA’s push for greater transparency from administrators, improvements to governance, and increased faculty complement. OCUFA also supports legislative changes at the federal level to exempt public institutions from the CCAA and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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:

Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca 

Ontario faculty attend in-person Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park

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On Tuesday, November 15, faculty and academic librarians from across the province gathered at the Ontario Legislature to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament to advocate for robust funding of public post-secondary institutions, better working conditions and support for contract faculty, the need for faculty renewal at Ontario universities, and for changes to Bill 26 that can create a culture of consent and prevention of sexual violence on campus.

After attending a preparation session on November 14, the delegation spent Advocacy Day meeting with more than 25 MPPs representing all political parties and regions of Ontario, many of whom have universities in or adjacent to their ridings.

At a breakfast reception, MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam (NDP), Mike Schreiner (Green Party), and Dr. Adil Shamji (Liberal) gave remarks. Other MPPs and staffers from all parties joined OCUFA representatives for informal conversation and refreshments. OCUFA representatives were also invited to attend Question Period. 

In meetings during the day, faculty and academic librarians discussed pressing issues in the post-secondary education sector, including:

  • The need for meaningful government investment in post-secondary institutions to ensure high-quality, accessible education
  • The financial and job security challenges faced by contract academic workers and faculty and the effect of this precarity on faculty, staff, and students across the university
  • The narrow and punitive approach in Bill 26 to fight the pervasive problem of sexual violence on campuses, and the importance of instead creating a holistic, survivor-centric, and education-first framework to address this issue

OCUFA representatives shared their experiences of the day on social media—the first in-person Advocacy Day since 2019. OCUFA hopes these meetings will lead to fruitful relationships with those in elected office and ongoing dialogue about these important issues. 

Three member organizations avert strikes and reach tentative agreements

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The University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA), the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) and the part-time unit of Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) all reached tentative agreements in recent days following extensive bargaining and mobilization efforts. The agreements are now at various stages in the ratification process. Further details to follow.

Auditor General report details administration mismanagement, lack of government action to help Laurentian

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SUDBURY/TORONTO, November 17, 2022 – A new report from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario confirms that senior administration at Laurentian University intentionally sought to enter the inappropriate and unnecessary Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process on the advice of private financial advisors and lawyers, leading to terrible consequences for students, staff, faculty, and the Sudbury community. The Auditor General wrote that Laurentian spent more than $30 million in fees for these private services, which could have been avoided if the university had not filed for CCAA and could have been used for educating students and paying severance to terminated employees.

“We are glad that the Auditor General’s office released this report detailing the gross mismanagement of funds and process at the senior leadership level at Laurentian and the lack of proactive intervention from current and past provincial governments that could have prevented much of this catastrophe from happening,” said Sue Wurtele, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). “The report is clear that the CCAA process allowed the administration to be less transparent with the community, bypass key elements of collective agreements, and reduce its payment responsibilities to creditors, including faculty and staff unions. This should never have happened, and should never happen again in Canada.”

The report includes details about years of poor financial and strategic decisions by senior administrators at Laurentian, including the use of restricted funds for capital projects, a 75 per cent increase in administrative costs and unwise human resources choices at the senior leadership level over ten years, and a lack of long-term planning for financial sustainability despite incurring a total debt of $107 million by 2020.

Further, the report found that senior leadership did not work with faculty and staff unions to deal with the university’s financial conditions. Senior leadership ignoring calls from the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) to trigger the financial exigency clause in their collective agreement and delayed sharing financial information with LUFA until filing for CCAA protection. In the end, nearly 200 staff and faculty at Laurentian and almost 150 at federated universities lost their jobs.

“The scars of this catastrophe will be with the Laurentian and Sudbury communities for a long time, and this report shows that the provincial government could and should have stepped in earlier to help Laurentian solve these financial problems,” said Wurtele. “More robust government funding, transparency and accountability from leadership, and faculty input on university governance will be imperative to Laurentian’s success going forward.”

The Superior Court of Justice approved a Plan of Arrangement for Laurentian in October 2022 and the university has started the rebuilding process under new leadership—a development OCUFA campaigned for throughout the year. OCUFA is also part of a coalition campaigning at the federal level for an amendment to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to ensure the exclusion of public institutions that receive transfer payments and government operating grants. It is OCUFA’s goal that the CCAA process never be used to address financial troubles at a Canadian university again.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 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.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

Auditor General report details administration mismanagement, lack of government action to help Laurentian

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SUDBURY/TORONTO, November 17, 2022 – A new report from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario confirms that senior administration at Laurentian University intentionally sought to enter the inappropriate and unnecessary Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process on the advice of private financial advisors and lawyers, leading to terrible consequences for students, staff, faculty, and the Sudbury community. The Auditor General wrote that Laurentian spent more than $30 million in fees for these private services, which could have been avoided if the university had not filed for CCAA and could have been used for educating students and paying severance to terminated employees.

“We are glad that the Auditor General’s office released this report detailing the gross mismanagement of funds and process at the senior leadership level at Laurentian and the lack of proactive intervention from current and past provincial governments that could have prevented much of this catastrophe from happening,” said Sue Wurtele, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). “The report is clear that the CCAA process allowed the administration to be less transparent with the community, bypass key elements of collective agreements, and reduce its payment responsibilities to creditors, including faculty and staff unions. This should never have happened, and should never happen again in Canada.”

The report includes details about years of poor financial and strategic decisions by senior administrators at Laurentian, including the use of restricted funds for capital projects, a 75 per cent increase in administrative costs and unwise human resources choices at the senior leadership level over ten years, and a lack of long-term planning for financial sustainability despite incurring a total debt of $107 million by 2020.

Further, the report found that senior leadership did not work with faculty and staff unions to deal with the university’s financial conditions. Senior leadership ignoring calls from the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) to trigger the financial exigency clause in their collective agreement and delayed sharing financial information with LUFA until filing for CCAA protection. In the end, nearly 200 staff and faculty at Laurentian and almost 150 at federated universities lost their jobs.

“The scars of this catastrophe will be with the Laurentian and Sudbury communities for a long time, and this report shows that the provincial government could and should have stepped in earlier to help Laurentian solve these financial problems,” said Wurtele. “More robust government funding, transparency and accountability from leadership, and faculty input on university governance will be imperative to Laurentian’s success going forward.”

The Superior Court of Justice approved a Plan of Arrangement for Laurentian in October 2022 and the university has started the rebuilding process under new leadership—a development OCUFA campaigned for throughout the year. OCUFA is also part of a coalition campaigning at the federal level for an amendment to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to ensure the exclusion of public institutions that receive transfer payments and government operating grants. It is OCUFA’s goal that the CCAA process never be used to address financial troubles at a Canadian university again.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 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.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

A new agreement for St. Jerome’s contract academic staff

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The St. Jerome’s contract academic staff unit ratified their new three-year agreement last month. The overall theme of their bargaining campaign was fairness and dignity for contract academic staff. The outcome was successful, with significant improvements to the seniority system, longer job contracts of up to two years, access to new benefits and leaves, higher Record of Employment (ROE) hours per course for Employment Insurance (EI) reporting purposes, new compensation for training and service, and new supports for teaching, research, and professional development. The agreement also includes a reopener clause in the case that Bill 124 is repealed or successfully challenged.
 
On job security, members can now accumulate seniority points and earn seniority status more quickly, with the elimination of the one point per academic year cap. A member can achieve seniority status in two years (from four), while the expiry window for seniority points is expanded from three to six years. The new agreement also includes multiple contract commitments of up to 24 months, and a past practice of offering eight-month contracts where feasible will be reinstated. Furthermore, if a member teaches six courses per year over three years, the Dean must consider appointing that member to a definite term appointment in the full-time bargaining unit.
 
On pensions, members who hold multiple contract commitments and meet the University of Waterloo Pension eligibility requirements are now eligible. Pay in lieu of health benefits equivalent to three per cent of base salary for members who teach at least one course per term for three consecutive terms has also been secured. Members are also now eligible for paid sick leave of up to two weeks, as well as have access to the employee and family assistance plan. Record of Employment hours will be increased from 180 hours to 235 hours per course. As the Bill 124 moderation applied for term of the agreement, a one per cent increase per year was applied to stipends.
 
New forms of compensation for service were negotiated, as well as a new Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Fellowship Program for members with seniority status. The Fellowship Program allows a member to pursue research, course development, professional development, or any other activity of benefit to the member and the university, while receiving a stipend. Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) funds are increased by $50 to $200 per course. In consultation with the union, members may also negotiate compensation for new on-campus course developments and for course updates.

Annonce des prix de distinction de l’OCUFA de 2021-2022

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L’Union des associations des professeurs des universités de l’Ontario (OCUFA) a rendu hommage à 12 membres de la communauté universitaire de l’Ontario pour leur enseignement, leur bibliothéconomie, leur journalisme, leur érudition et leurs services à leur association des professeurs en leur décernant les Prix de distinction de l’OCUFA de 2021-2022.

« Les lauréats de cette année représentent l’étendue de l’expérience et la profondeur des connaissances qui sont requises pour l’enseignement, la recherche et les services à la communauté universitaire et au grand public, a déclaré Sue Wurtele, présidente de l’OCUFA.  L’OCUFA est honorée de leur rendre hommage pour leurs réalisations. »

Les lauréates des Prix de l’enseignement de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA sont :

  • Dre Nicole Campbell, professeure agrégée, école de médecine et de dentisterie/département de physiologie et de pharmacologie, Université Western
  • Marylynn Steckley, Ph. D., professeure agrégée, faculté des affaires publiques/baccalauréat en études mondiales et internationales, Université Carleton

Le lauréat du Prix de bibliothéconomie de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA est :

  • Matthew Rohweder, bibliothécaire de liaison, affaires et économie et sociologie, Université Wilfrid Laurier

Les lauréates des Bourses de recherche Henry Mandelbaum pour l’excellence en sciences sociales, en sciences humaines ou en arts de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA sont :

  • Jade Da Costa, doctorante, sociologie, Université York
  • Luz Paczka Giorgi, étudiante de maîtrise, design pour la santé, Université de l’École d’art et de design de l’Ontario

Les lauréats de la Bourse Mark Rosenfeld de l’OCUFA en journalisme sur l’enseignement supérieur de 2021-2022 sont :

La lauréate du Prix de distinction de la condition féminine et de l’équité de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA est :

  • Karen Poole, présidente du comité d’équité, de diversité et de la condition féminine, Lakehead University Faculty Association

La lauréate du Prix des griefs et de l’arbitration de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA est :

  • Sheila McKee-Protopapas, directrice principale et coordonnatrice des griefs, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association

Le lauréat du Prix Lorimer pour la négociation collective de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA est :

Les lauréats du Prix du service de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA sont :

  • Fabrice Colin, Ph. D., président, et Linda St-Pierre, Ph. D., directrice principale et agente en chef des griefs, Laurentian University Faculty Association/Association des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de Laurentienne

Les prix ont été décernés lors du Gala des prix de distinction de 2021-2022 de l’OCUFA à l’hôtel Marriott Toronto City Centre, le samedi 29 octobre. Il s’agissait de la première fois en deux ans que les prix de l’OCUFA étaient décernés en personne.

Les mentions complètes de chaque prix et une vidéo honorant les lauréats sont maintenant accessibles dans le site Web de l’OCUFA.

« Nous reconnaissons que nombre de nos lauréats accomplissent leur travail inestimable malgré l’adversité et la résistance, et nous les remercions pour leur engagement envers leurs collègues, leurs étudiants et leurs communautés, a déclaré Mme Wurtele. Certains de nos prix remontent à 50 ans, mais cette année marque la première fois que nous célébrons tous nos lauréats ensemble et que nous reconnaissons leur contribution collective à nos universités, à nos associations et à l’ensemble du secteur postsecondaire. »

2021-2022 OCUFA Awards of Distinction Announced

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The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) recognized 12 members of Ontario’s academic community for their teaching, librarianship, journalism, scholarship, and service to their faculty associations as recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Awards of Distinction last week.

“This year’s award recipients represent the breadth of experience and depth of knowledge that are required to teach, research, and serve the academic community and wider public,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “OCUFA is honored to recognize them for their achievements.”

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Teaching Awards are:

  • Dr. Nicole Campbell, Associate Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry/Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University
  • Dr. Marylynn Steckley, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Public Affairs/Bachelor of Global and International Studies, Carleton University

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award is:

  • Matthew Rohweder, Liaison Librarian, Business and Economics & Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowships for Excellence in Social Sciences, Humanities, or Arts are:

  • Jade Da Costa, PhD Student, Sociology, York University
  • Luz Paczka Giorgi, Master’s Student, Design for Health, Ontario College of Art and Design University

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism are:

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee Award is:

  • Karen Poole, Equity, Diversity and Status of Women Committee Chair, Lakehead University Faculty Association

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Grievance/Arbitration Award is:

  • Sheila McKee-Protopapas, Executive Director and Grievance Coordinator, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award is:

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Service Award are:

  • Dr. Fabrice Colin, President, and Dr. Linda St-Pierre, Executive Director and Chief Grievance Officer, Laurentian University Faculty Association/ L’Association des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de Laurentienne

The awards were presented at the 2021-2022 OCUFA Awards of Distinction Gala at the Marriott Toronto City Centre Hotel on Saturday, October 29, and marked the first time in two years that OCUFA awards were presented in person.

Full citations of each award and a video celebrating all the award winners are now available on the OCUFA website.

“We recognize that many of our awardees do their invaluable work in the face of adversity and resistance, and thank them for their commitment to their colleagues, students, and communities,” said Wurtele. “Some of our awards date back 50 years, but this year marks the first time we are celebrating all of our awardees together and appreciating their collective contribution to our universities, our associations, and the entire post-secondary sector.”

OCUFA stands in solidarity with Ontario education workers and condemns Ontario government’s tabled back-to-work legislation

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TORONTO, October 31, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) extends a message of solidarity to education workers in Ontario, represented by CUPE – Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) and condemns the Ontario government’s tabled back-to-work legislation and threats to invoke the notwithstanding clause to protect this legislation from constitutional and legal challenges.

“Canadian workers have a constitutionally protected right to strike, and in our view, this legislation is an illegal, attempted infringement on this right,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “This legislation is a pointed and conspicuous threat to workers’ rights in Ontario. OCUFA supports CUPE-OSBCU education workers in their fight against this legislation and their calls for fairness and equity on the job.”

The 55,000 OSBCU members include education assistants, school library workers, administrative assistants, custodians and tradespeople, early childhood educators, instructors, social workers, and more. These workers earn $39,000 per year on average, and 51 per cent of them must work another job to make ends meet. They are calling on the Ford government to hire more education workers to support all students, and to increase their wages, as they are the lowest paid employees in the sector.

Representing 17,000 faculty, librarians, and academic workers across Ontario, OCUFA supports education workers’ fight for fairness and equity inside and outside the classroom. OCUFA is concerned that education workers have seen an 11 per cent real wage cut in the last decade, and 91 per cent face financial hardship today. Further, OCUFA is disturbed by the disproportionate impact of low pay on women, who make up 70 per cent of the CUPE-OSBCU workforce and are more likely to be employed in positions with lower annual incomes than men and in positions that are affected by temporary layoffs during school breaks. These inequities add to the province’s gender pay gap.

On behalf of its 31 member organizations, OCUFA calls on the provincial government to continue to bargain in good faith, raise education workers’ wages significantly to ensure their financial stability, and to hire more workers to do the essential jobs that keep children safe, healthy, and cared for in schools. We also invite supporters to sign a letter of support and learn more about the campaign.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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:

Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

OCUFA stands in solidarity with Ontario education workers and condemns Ontario government’s tabled back-to-work legislation

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TORONTO, October 31, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) extends a message of solidarity to education workers in Ontario, represented by CUPE – Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) and condemns the Ontario government’s tabled back-to-work legislation and threats to invoke the notwithstanding clause to protect this legislation from constitutional and legal challenges.

“Canadian workers have a constitutionally protected right to strike, and in our view, this legislation is an illegal, attempted infringement on this right,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “This legislation is a pointed and conspicuous threat to workers’ rights in Ontario. OCUFA supports CUPE-OSBCU education workers in their fight against this legislation and their calls for fairness and equity on the job.”

The 55,000 OSBCU members include education assistants, school library workers, administrative assistants, custodians and tradespeople, early childhood educators, instructors, social workers, and more. These workers earn $39,000 per year on average, and 51 per cent of them must work another job to make ends meet. They are calling on the Ford government to hire more education workers to support all students, and to increase their wages, as they are the lowest paid employees in the sector.

Representing 17,000 faculty, librarians, and academic workers across Ontario, OCUFA supports education workers’ fight for fairness and equity inside and outside the classroom. OCUFA is concerned that education workers have seen an 11 per cent real wage cut in the last decade, and 91 per cent face financial hardship today. Further, OCUFA is disturbed by the disproportionate impact of low pay on women, who make up 70 per cent of the CUPE-OSBCU workforce and are more likely to be employed in positions with lower annual incomes than men and in positions that are affected by temporary layoffs during school breaks. These inequities add to the province’s gender pay gap.

On behalf of its 31 member organizations, OCUFA calls on the provincial government to continue to bargain in good faith, raise education workers’ wages significantly to ensure their financial stability, and to hire more workers to do the essential jobs that keep children safe, healthy, and cared for in schools. We also invite supporters to sign a letter of support and learn more about the campaign.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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:

Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

OCUFA Awards of Distinction honour Ontario academic community members

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TORONTO, October 26, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to recognize twelve members of Ontario’s academic community who have been recognized for their teaching, librarianship, journalism, scholarship, and service to their faculty associations as recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Awards of Distinction.

“This year’s award recipients represent the breadth of experience and depth of knowledge that are required to teach, research, and serve the academic community and wider public,” said Sue Wurtele, OCUFA President. “OCUFA is honored to recognize them for their achievements.”

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Teaching Awards are:

  • Dr. Nicole Campbell, Associate Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry/Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University
  • Dr. Marylynn Steckley, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Public Affairs/Bachelor of Global and International Studies, Carleton University

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award is:

  • Matthew Rohweder, Liaison Librarian, Business and Economics & Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowships for Excellence in Social Sciences, Humanities, or Arts are:

  • Jade Da Costa, PhD Student, Sociology, York University
  • Luz Paczka Giorgi, Master’s Student, Design for Health, Ontario College of Art and Design University

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism are:

  • Tahmeed Shafiq and Jadine Ngan

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee Award is:

  • Karen Poole, Equity, Diversity and Status of Women Committee Chair, Lakehead University Faculty Association

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Grievance/Arbitration Award is:

  • Sheila McKee-Protopapas, Executive Director and Grievance Coordinator, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association

The recipient of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award is:

  • Dr. Larry Savage, Chief Negotiator, Brock University Faculty Association

The recipients of the 2021-2022 OCUFA Service Award are:

  • Dr. Fabrice Colin, President, and Dr. Linda St-Pierre, Executive Director and Chief Grievance Officer, Laurentian University Faculty Association/ L’Association des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de Laurentienne

The awards will be presented at the 2021-2022 OCUFA Awards of Distinction Gala at the Marriott Toronto City Centre Hotel on Saturday, October 29, and marks the first time in two years that OCUFA awards will be presented in person. Full citations of each award are now available on the OCUFA website, and videos featuring the full citations and statements from award recipients will be posted soon. Visit: https://ocufa.on.ca/ocufa-awards/

“We recognize that many of our awardees do their invaluable work in the face of adversity and resistance, and thank them for their commitment to their colleagues, students, and communities,” said Wurtele. “Some of our awards date back 50 years, but this year marks the first time we are celebrating all of our awardees together and appreciating their collective contribution to our universities, our associations, and the entire post-secondary sector.”

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 31 member organizations 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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To arrange interviews or for more information, please contact:

Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or manishaas@ocufa.on.ca

New agreement ratified at King’s

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The King’s University College Faculty Association (KUCFA) ratified a new two-year agreement in September. Gains were made on all KUCFA’s goals related to equity, fair compensation, workload fairness, and meaningful collegial governance.

Equity gains were made for Indigenous faculty and retirees. Indigenous-identifying faculty will be evaluated according to criteria that recognizes Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous knowledge with respect to teaching, scholarship, service, and research. Retirees who had held a full-time position for at least five years at the rank of either Associate or Full Professor are now eligible for Professor Emeritus/Emerita Designation. Entitlements include continued access to the e-mail address they had prior to retirement and full library privileges.

On workload, members in their first year of appointment to a full-time tenure track position have a reduced teaching load of two full course equivalents (as opposed to 2.5 for other faculty). With respect to teaching mode of delivery, the collective agreement now has a provision that teaching duties will normally be performed in person. However, online or asynchronous delivery for program integrity can be requested by Schools and academic departments, subject to the Dean’s discretion. Limited-Term Appointments (LTAs) are now expected to engage in scholarly and professional activities.

On governance, KUCFA can now negotiate a new or amended policy or practice discussed at the Joint Consultative Committee where the policy is determined to affect the terms and conditions of employment of members, prior to implementation. Improvements to the grievance procedures involve ensuring that KUCFA has carriage of all grievances. Language around financial exigency and program redundancy has been strengthened.

On compensation, King’s was still under one year of moderation. In each of the two years of the agreement, there is a one per cent ATB increase to salaries, as well as to Progress-Through-the-Ranks (PTR) increments, and a one per cent increase to overload rates in the first year of the agreement. For 2023-2024 there will be an additional one-time increase of $5,000 on the base salary to address the comparator wage gap. KUCFA also negotiated a wage re-opener clause for 2023-24 in the case that Bill 124 is repealed or amended.

On pension and benefits, the King’s Pension Plan Committee is instructed to make a formal recommendation to the parties by March 31st, 2023, regarding the transfer of the King’s Defined Benefit (DB) pension plan to the University Pension Plan (UPP). Group life insurance increased by $78,000 to a maximum of $438,000. Increases were also gained for hearing aids, nursing home, and mental health counseling coverage. LTAs of minimum one year now receive $4,000 per year towards the purchase of a benefits package in place of the new faculty start-up benefit. New full-time LTAs with contracts of three years are now eligible for moving expenses. Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) funds increased by one per cent in each year of the agreement.

Through the Salary Anomaly Study established in the previous agreement, a standardized set of criteria for the determination of experience credits for full-time faculty has been set up as an appendix in the collective agreement.