News Archive
MUNFA reaches tentative agreement
February 14, 2023 | All News
MUNFA and Memorial University reached a tentative agreement late Friday. The deal was reached on the same day as representatives from faculty associations across Canada joined striking MUNFA members on the picket lines and participated in a rally on the steps of the arts and administration building on campus in St. John’s. Faculty had been on strike …
CBUFA ratifies contract offer
February 7, 2023 | All News
CBUFA ratified an agreement with the employer yesterday. Faculty had been on strike since January 27 to support demands for salaries that better keep pace with inflation, respect for the collective agreement, and to maintain the quality of education at the university. The financial terms of the contract include base wage increases of 3.25%, 2.9%, and 2.75% …
CBUFA and MUNFA on Strike
February 2, 2023 | All News
On January 18, with participation from 93% of the membership, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Faculty Association members voted 90% in favour of authorizing strike action. A tentative agreement was not reached by the strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. January 30, 2023, resulting in the union taking job action in the form of a …
Assignment of Duties: Annual meeting and guidelines
January 26, 2023 | All News
This is the time of year when processes for the assignment of duties are beginning. Provisions for the assignment of duties are covered in Article 11 of the Collective Agreement. The processes in the Agreement are there to ensure that workloads are fair and equitable. Department Heads, or Deans in non-departmentalized Colleges, “following consultation and discussion with …
Continue reading “Assignment of Duties: Annual meeting and guidelines”
A Faintly Imagined Haven of Interdisciplinarity: The Forced Amalgamation of the Fine Arts
January 20, 2023 | All News
Read the January 18, 2023 issue of VOX here.
Call for Nominations for CAUT Executive and Standing Committees
January 12, 2023 | All News
CAUT Executive Committee: Nominations are being sought for the following positions on the CAUT Executive Committee: President Vice-President Chair of the Academic Freedom & Tenure Committee Chair of the Contract Academic Staff Committee Co-Chair of the Equity Committee Representative-at-large (Quebec) Representative-at-large (Aboriginal) Representative-at-large (Francophone) Two Representatives-at-large (General) Deadline for submitting nominations is March 1, 2023. Elections by …
Continue reading “Call for Nominations for CAUT Executive and Standing Committees”
CAUT State of the Post-Secondary Academic Profession Survey
January 4, 2023 | All News
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is launching its inaugural State of the Post-Secondary Academic Profession Survey. The survey will build longitudinal information about issues and needs faced by academic staff at Canadian universities and colleges. This data will help CAUT and its member associations advocate for members’ interests. What is this survey? The online survey …
Continue reading “CAUT State of the Post-Secondary Academic Profession Survey”
USask Black Faculty and Staff Caucus
December 16, 2022 | All News
In March of 2021, Black University of Saskatchewan community members came together and formed The Black Faculty and Staff Caucus (BFSC-USask). The mission of BFSC-USask is to be the voice of all Black faculty and staff at the University of Saskatchewan, and to provide support and guidance to members, increase their visibility and engagement on campus, …
RSAW and the Responsible Conduct of Research Policy: A Failed Collegial Governance Process
December 13, 2022 | All News
Read the December 12, 2022 issue of VOX here.
It’s about choice: IT policies are strangling research productivity
December 8, 2022 | All News
For the past three years, USFA has been working to communicate to the Employer the severe damage that is being done to members’ research productivity as a result of its short-sighted IT policies. We have made some progress but regrettably faculty continue to waste hours of their time simply attempting to get the equipment and …
Continue reading “It’s about choice: IT policies are strangling research productivity”
December 6 – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
December 6, 2022 | All News
Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On December 6, 1989, 14 female engineering students were murdered and ten others injured in an act of gender-based violence (GBV). Violence against women and girls is the world’s largest and most persistent human rights violation. This day is an opportunity to …
Continue reading “December 6 – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women”
Collectively Speaking – December 2022 Bargaining Trends and Recent Settlements
December 5, 2022 | All News
The December 2022 issue of Collectively Speaking focuses on bargaining, the background, trends and recent financial settlements at post-secondary institutions in Canada. It also includes a brief update on preparations for our next round of negotiations. Download Collectively Speaking
16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence
December 1, 2022 | All News
Between November 25 and December 10, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and Canadian unions are taking part in 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence. From learning more about this issue to raising awareness, you can be a part of this activism. In 2020, the CLC and researchers from the University of Western Ontario and the …
Continue reading “16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence”
REMINDER: December 31, 2022 is the Spending Credit and Allocation Deadline for the Flexible Spending Plan!
November 29, 2022 | All News
Spend Unused Credits! December 31 is the deadline for spending at least some of your Health and/or Personal Spending Accounts under the Flexible Spending Plan. Amounts remaining in the fund will carry over for only one year, and allocated funds left unspent after two years are returned to the Employer. Make sure you spend the …
Laurentian University – Auditor General Review Report
November 22, 2022 | All News
The Auditor General of Ontario’s Special Report on Laurentian University was released last week. It details financial mismanagement that led Laurentian’s senior administration to the unprecedented decision to seek insolvency protection rather than government assistance, a decision which the Auditor General says was unnecessary, inappropriate and destructive. The Auditor General describes her review of Laurentian University’s operations …
Continue reading “Laurentian University – Auditor General Review Report”
Salary Review Reporting Requirements
November 18, 2022 | All News
The Collective Agreement requires that Department and College Salary Committees report their rankings, decisions, and reasons to members of their unit. These reports are an important part of ensuring a fair, inclusive, and transparent process. They serve to document the distribution of special increases across the full range of faculty duties and help members determine …
Possible Job Action: Sessional Lecturers
November 15, 2022 | All News
Yesterday we learned the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety was informed on November 7 that negotiations between the union representing sessional lecturers, CUPE 3287, and the University of Saskatchewan had reached impasse. The employer confirmed there are no essential service considerations in the sessional bargaining unit and the parties are awaiting the appointment …
Nursing
November 4, 2022 | All News
Members of the USFA Executive met with the President and Provost on October 18thabout the current state of the College of Nursing. Our overall message was that the USFA remains extremely concerned that the problems facing the College are not being given sufficient priority. Despite some positive changes, the new Associate Deans lack support, there are …
Important Notice: Claims now being accepted for reimbursement of professional fees
November 1, 2022 | All News
If, as a condition of employment, 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, 2022. What you need to …
Successful grievance arbitration concerning disciplinary letter sent to member
October 26, 2022 | All News
A recent grievance arbitration has resulted in a decision in favour of the USFA. The grievance leading to the arbitration came about because a USFA member, very active on social media in relation to the importance of science in COVID-19 policy-setting, received a letter of direction from the President, the Provost, and the member’s Dean, …
Continue reading “Successful grievance arbitration concerning disciplinary letter sent to member”