News Archive
Reminder: Childcare questionnaire
March 6, 2018 | All News
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 …
Negotiations update: on authority and governance at the U of S
March 5, 2018 | All News
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 …
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Negotiations update: where are we now?
March 5, 2018 | All News
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 …
CWI writes President Stoicheff: Indigenous Women – Tenure and Promotion
February 27, 2018 | All News
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, …
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Living our Values
January 15, 2018 | All News
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; …
USFA Conference Fund: Invitation to apply January 2018
January 11, 2018 | All News
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 …
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AUFA signs tentative agreement
December 11, 2017 | All News
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 …
Tenure and Academic Freedom in the 21st Century
December 11, 2017 | All News
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. …
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The status of academic labour relations in Canada: not so good
November 20, 2017 | All News
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 …
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Reminder: Semi-monthly pay as of January 1
November 16, 2017 | All News
The university is moving to semi-monthly pay for all faculty and staff starting January 1, 2018. This move is for compliance with provincial labour legislation. Every month will be divided into two pay periods. First period will be from the 1st – 15th with salary payment on the 15th for salaried employees and on the …
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The Association is in a good position
November 14, 2017 | All News
At the recent AGM, after Senior Grievance Office Patricia Farnese reported despite unprecedented numbers of arbitrations, some members asked whether this is an attempt to strain the resources of the Association. Secretary-Treasurer Susan Fowler-Kerry reported that USFA remains in a good financial decision. Almost thirty years ago, the membership of USFA voted to establish a …
Grievance load soaring
November 10, 2017 | All News
At our Annual General Meeting, Senior Grievance Office Patricia Farnese reporting on behalf of the Association Grievance Committee (AGC) said that the number of grievances the Association is dealing with has been unprecedented. Some highlights from her report: For the second time, a member of Senior Administration was found to have discriminated or retaliated against …
Important Notice: Claims now being accepted for reimbursement of professional fees
November 1, 2017 | All News
If you are required to maintain a certification or license in order to perform your academic duties, you may be eligible for reimbursement of some or all of your licensing or certification fees (Article 22.12.2). Claims for reimbursement must be submitted between November 1 and December 1, 2017. What you need to know: Claim forms …
Negotiations Update October 2017: Equity and Stability?
October 31, 2017 | All News
Our collective agreement expired June 30, 2017 and we have begun negotiations with the employer. We do not anticipate this being an easy, or a quick, round of negotiations. While our theme for negotiations planning has been “equity and stability” including issues of scope and rank for academic clinicians in the College of Medicine (see …
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Grievance Filed Regarding Appointment of a Senior Administrator
October 30, 2017 | All News
The Association has filed a grievance with respect to the recommendation for tenure and rank after a decanal level appointment. This is not a personal attack on the qualifications of the unit leader, but a matter of upholding the integrity of the collegial processes defined in our Collective Agreement and protecting the jurisdiction of the …
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Faculty Member’s Complaint of Discrimination by Former Dean Upheld
October 26, 2017 | All News
An Arbitrator recently ruled that the actions of a Dean in removing the responsibility for a University exchange program from a faculty member’s assigned duties for the 2015-2016 academic year was a violation of the collective agreement, and that the Dean’s action was discriminatory and retaliatory in nature because the member had expressed her intention …
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Concerns about UnivRS CVs addressed
October 24, 2017 | All News
Some time ago, as part of the UnivRS project, the University undertook to convert curricula vitae of faculty members to a standard format. The process of conversion has not proceeded as quickly as anticipated, and many faculty members have shared concerns with us about errors in the data entry process, limitations with the software, and …
Discussions Proceeding on Total Rewards Website
October 19, 2017 | All News
Your Benefits Committee and the Grievance Committee raised serious concerns about the issues associated with members gaining access to and possible privacy of information violations on the Total Rewards Website. On September 14, 2017, we sent out an e-Letter explaining our concerns about the scope of rights you were being asked to waive to gain …
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Upcoming Changes to U of S Computer Security
October 16, 2017 | All News
Members of the Executive of the Faculty Association, including our Senior Grievance Officer, Patricia Farnese, had an opportunity to discuss forthcoming changes to computer security with senior ICT staff, including Associate Vice-President of Information and Communication Technology, Shari Baraniuk. The plan includes increasing the security around sensitive institutional information, but also requirements for more security …
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Excessive Workload Assignments
October 12, 2017 | All News
The issue of excessive workload assignments has been raised by members in at least one unit who feel the burden of the institution’s financial concerns are being shifted onto the backs of members. More than a decade ago, USFA negotiated an article entitled Guidelines for Assignment of Duties (article 11.5 in the Collective Agreement). The …