Articles

Reminder: Childcare questionnaire

For those who have not yet completed the online questionnaire related to childcare services for faculty on campus, this is a reminder that the closing date for the questionnaire is scheduled for March 12, 2018. Depending on your responses, the questionnaire should take approximately 5 to 15 minutes of your time. Your responses will be anonymous as you will not be asked to provide… Continue reading Reminder: Childcare questionnaire

Negotiations update: on authority and governance at the U of S

The Employer has proposed changes to Article 3 (Management Rights). This seems to arise from a key interest for the Employer in this round of negotiations, that is, to address issues of authority and governance at our institution, articulated as follows in the November Labour Update: Our interest is in ensuring that we are negotiating… Continue reading Negotiations update: on authority and governance at the U of S

Negotiations update: where are we now?

Since last June we have met with the Employer on 16 separate dates, and have scheduled 10 more between now and June. Talks have proceeded slowly, due to both scheduling difficulties and some lengthy dialogue concerning issues where our interests are far apart. Coming into negotiations with a mandate themed “Equity and Stability,” we encountered… Continue reading Negotiations update: where are we now?

CWI writes President Stoicheff: Indigenous Women – Tenure and Promotion

The Committee on Women’s Issues, chaired by Susan Fowler-Kerry, continues to work actively to raise awareness about women’s issues at the university. Most recently, they have been engaged in a series of discussions related to evaluations of Indigenous Women on this campus. In an effort to promote transparency and fairness as we embrace diversity and Indigenization,… Continue reading CWI writes President Stoicheff: Indigenous Women – Tenure and Promotion

Living our Values

In November 2017, USFA received notice of the drafting of Living our Values, described as a code of conduct. In subsequent weeks, representatives of the Employer met with our grievance officer, and our professional officer to discuss a more detailed draft. We subsequently heard rumours to the effect that the Association had approved the document;… Continue reading Living our Values

USFA Conference Fund: Invitation to apply January 2018

USFA members are invited to submit an application to the Executive Committee for reimbursement of attendance at a conference/workshop/meeting related to the USFA including, but not limited to, labour relations, academic freedom, employment equity, and workplace health and safety. The USFA Conference/Workshop/Meeting Attendance Policy was instituted as a way to ensure that there is an… Continue reading USFA Conference Fund: Invitation to apply January 2018

AUFA signs tentative agreement

Details about the recently-signed tentative agreement reached by faculty and administration at Acadia University will not be publicized after ratification. The Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA) had been dealing for months with snail’s pace ‘negotiations’, and little interest from the employer in addressing concerns of frontline academics. As ‘talks’ dragged on, AUFA leadership sought and… Continue reading AUFA signs tentative agreement

Tenure and Academic Freedom in the 21st Century

2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the 1997 UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of higher education teaching personnel which expressed concern about the vulnerability of the academic community to untoward political pressures that could undermine academic freedom, and declared member states to have an obligation to protect higher education institutions from threats to their autonomy.… Continue reading Tenure and Academic Freedom in the 21st Century

The status of academic labour relations in Canada: not so good

University of Manitoba One year ago today, members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association ratified an agreement after being on strike for three weeks. Seeking provisions on performance indicators, workload, and powers of Deans, UMFA members had voted 86% in favour of strike action. A further issue of deep concern was that the Pallister… Continue reading The status of academic labour relations in Canada: not so good