UWOFA’s negotiating team met last Thursday and Friday with the administration’s team.
The team presented on your behalf a full overview of the extensive mandate it had prepared based on your input, addressing through 19 articles and 14 Letters of Understanding (LOU) (4 of them new) the following thematic areas:
Your team also presented bargaining proposals for the following:
In addition, UWOFA negotiators provided to the employer in electronic form the rest of the proposals it has been busy preparing over the past few months for which there was insufficient time in the two days of meetings to give a full presentation at the table.
The employer presented a document with brief notes on its goals for the 17 collective agreement articles it proposes to open, 8 of which UWOFA is also opening. The Employer also responded to UWOFA’s proposal on Annual Performance Evaluation.
*Further bargaining meetings are scheduled for August 23, 25, and 29 as well as September 2.
UWOFA Calls for Conciliation
While your negotiating team appreciates the constructive dialogue that is taking place at the table, it remains concerned about the consequences of delays for progressing to a timely agreement that it can take back to you, the membership.
Your team knows how hard you have worked in the unprecedented conditions of the past two years. To ensure timely progress towards the kind of agreement you deserve, the UWOFA Board of Directors have unanimously decided to call for conciliation, which means applying to the Ontario Ministry of Labour for the appointment of a conciliation officer to assist the parties in negotiating a collective agreement.
Please watch for a Bargaining Bulletin in the next few days for information on what conciliation entails.
Take Action
As we await further meetings in August, we ask for support in voicing your concerns to the Employer so we can work together for the best outcome for faculty, many of whom have been working overtime to adhere to the university’s mission of teaching and learning during the last two years of the pandemic.
Get loud on social media:
Send a letter or an email to the President and Provost (cc uwofa):
Get in touch with UWOFA’s Communications Officer to make a short video recording of you expressing a message of support, which would then be posted to social media.
If you want to get involved in building support for our UWOFA bargaining goals, please contact our Mobilization Chair, David Heap.
Our faculty collective agreement expired on June 30th. The Employer has yet to meet with your UWOFA negotiating team to begin bargaining for a new collective agreement, although dates have been set, see Bargaining Bulletin Vol. 8, No. 4.
Update on Negotiations
Your UWOFA representatives met with the Employer last week for Indigenous faculty members side table discussions.
We look forward to collective bargaining discussions starting on July 14.
Bill 124
As we get closer to negotiations, we wanted to take a closer look at Bill 124 and the role it plays in our faculty bargaining.
In 2019 the Ford government passed Bill 124 which limits compensation increases for all public sector employees, including Universities, post-secondary institutions, and colleges in Ontario.
The bill limits wage increases to a maximum of one percent total compensation each year for three years. This is effectively a salary cut, given current inflation rates.
This means negotiations during rounds of bargaining must be in line with the parameters set out by Bill 124.
But not everyone is affected by this bill.
Who’s affected?
Affected
Not affected
What’s affected?
Where might monetary gains be possible?
Take Action
While your UWOFA negotiators will do their best to make sure faculty are properly compensated, Bill 124 will play a role in defining the parameters of what is possible.
We ask for your help in voicing your concerns to the Employer so we can work together for the best outcome for faculty, many of whom have been working overtime to adhere to the university’s mission of teaching and learning during the last two years of the pandemic.
Get loud on social media:
Send a letter or an email to the President and Provost (cc uwofa):
Get in touch with UWOFA’s Communications Officer who can make a short video recording of you expressing a message of support, which would then be posted to social media.
Negotiating teams from UWOFA and the Employer have agreed on meeting dates for the Indigenous faculty side table and for collective bargaining. We are looking forward to having constructive conversations.
Meeting dates
*This LOU contains provisions to ensure appropriate recognition of the teaching, service, research, and scholarly and creative activity that is done by Indigenous Scholars. UWOFA acknowledges the hard work that Janice Forsyth and Brent Debassige have done in the development of the LOU. UWOFA’s team for the side table (Brent Debassige, Spy Denommé-Welch, and Jeff Tennant) will continue to engage with Indigenous faculty as this work proceeds. For more information on the LOU you can read an interview with Brent Debassige in the October 2020 issue of Faculty Times.
Your Negotiating Committee is working hard to achieve an agreement that supports the key areas of our goals:
Take Action
While these are important first steps in talks between UWOFA and the Employer, we have a long way to go. We encourage you to continue to support the bargaining efforts by voicing concerns on social media or emailing President Shepard and Provost Strzelczyk (please CC UWOFA) about issues that matter to you, to keep the conversation going.
Social media:
Email addresses:
June is Indigenous History Month. Check out the Biindigen’s Indigenous History Month Challenge 2022 site to learn something new and join in the #WesternUBiindigen 30-day Challenge!
As reported in last week’s Bargaining Bulletin, in late May, when the Employer was not following through on its stated intention to schedule bargaining meetings, UWOFA proposed 29 half days for the parties to meet to negotiate in the period from June 13 to July 15. The Employer is only now responding to the UWOFA negotiating team’s proposal.
The Employer proposes 3 half days over the next month, and all on the last two days before the summer break. They have also added an additional week to the one-month pause in bargaining that had been agreed upon, with only 5 half days in their proposal for the period from August 23 to September 2. This stands in stark contrast to the 9 productive meetings the parties had in the last round of faculty collective bargaining from June 6 to July 16, 2018, bargaining which nonetheless took until November to reach an agreement. At this rate it appears we may still be in negotiations in 2023.
The Process
During negotiations, UWOFA and the Employer’s negotiating teams will hold a series of meetings to exchange proposals and respond to each other’s positions. Each side also meets separately throughout the process to discuss and redraft their respective proposals. This can be a time-consuming process. While it plays out, both sides generally do not comment publicly in much detail on the specific positions on the table. UWOFA’s negotiating team can usually only give us the broad strokes of what is happening and inform members of crucial matters that are affecting the progress of negotiations.
A vote of the faculty bargaining unit must be held before a new collective agreement can be ratified. This vote would only be called once the negotiating team has received an offer it wants to recommend to the membership, and it has had the opportunity to present that offer.
Take Action
We now have a few Employer-proposed dates for bargaining, in part due to your raised voices last week, and you can continue to make a difference. The negotiating team will keep working hard on your behalf to make the most of the limited time offered, but the more time we can get at the table, the sooner we can come to an agreement. Members are encouraged to show support for the negotiating team in the following ways:
Sample Letter/Email Template
SUBJECT: Timeline to the Bargaining Table
June 16, 2022
Dear President Shepard and Provost Strzelczyk:
I write to you in support of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association as their representatives work to begin negotiations for a new faculty Collective Agreement.
The current agreement expires on June 30, 2022, which is fast approaching. I am disappointed to learn that the Employer is proposing that bargaining not begin until July 14th, despite having had over two months to get the process started and a range of earlier dates suggested by the UWOFA negotiating team. As the mandated summer break takes place immediately after the half days proposed in mid-July, bargaining will then be delayed again until nearly the end of August.
As a stakeholder in the university, I demand the Employer prioritise these negotiations and work with UWOFA to achieve a fair agreement without delay. After two years of a pandemic, many UWOFA members feel overworked and overlooked.
Are these delays how the Employer expresses its thanks to faculty for their dedication to quality education?
UWOFA has been working hard to get to the table and begin negotiations for a new faculty collective agreement. The current agreement expires on June 30th, 2022, which is coming up very soon.
Updates from the Collective Bargaining Committee and Negotiating Team
Here is an overview of what we have been up to over the last two months.
*Side tables are off the record discussions on topics of mutual interest
**Bill 124 is the provincial government legislation (introduced in 2019) which limits public sector salary increases to 1%. As we all know, this amounts to an imposed ongoing salary reduction in light of rising inflation.
We call on members to come together now and show the Employer that your patience is not infinite.
Here is what you can do to help encourage the Employer to come to the table:
Take to Twitter and tweet about why collective bargaining matters to you. Feel free to use one of the statements below or craft your own. Don’t forget to tag @uwofa1, @westernu, @westernuProvost – this will ensure that the Employer sees your message, while also allowing us to amplify your voice.
It has been one year since the attack that took the lives of Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Talat Afzaal, and Yumna Afzaal.
The Muslim family was killed in a horrifying act of violence fuelled by racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia.
UWOFA stands in solidarity with members of the community along with the City of London in honouring the family with several community events.
Follow the link below for a list of events across London:
There are campus and community resources here to support you in this heavy and challenging time.
Virtual counselling during the vigil
June 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., CMHA will be providing support. Students can call Reach Out at 519-433-2023.
Priority mental health appointments
Priority mental health counselling appointments are available June 6-10 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for Western students. Appointments can be booked same-day or in advance by calling 519-661-3030 and requesting to be booked for that reason.
Community of care for #OurLondonFamily
On June 7, from 4-6 p.m., in Thames Hall, there is an in-person gathering for Muslim and/or Pakistani identifying students, co-facilitated by Student Experience staff who identify as Muslim. Registration is not required, drop-ins welcome.
Community counselling & support
Khalil Center: helpline and therapy services, 1-855-543-5752 or khalilcenter.com
Naseeha Mental Health Helpline: peer support for Muslim youth, 1-866-627-3342 or naseeha.org
Nisa Helpline: free counselling to Muslim women in North America, 1-888-315-6472 or nisahelpline.com
Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration: mrcssi.com
Crisis supports
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can:
Contact Reach Out at 1-866-933-2023
Contact Good2Talk by calling 1-866-925-5454 or texting “GOOD2TALKON” to 686868
Go to a nearby hospital emergency room
Call 911
Supports for Western employees
Employee Well-being (Human Resources), and the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion have coordinated counsellor-support sessions for Western employees who wish to discuss their experiences and emotions regarding anti-Muslim racism. Visit uwo.ca/hr/benefits/eap/support_muslim_commun.html
Contract faculty members are invited to apply for UWOFA’s Contract Faculty Research and Professional Development Fund.
The purpose of this funding is to support the participation of UWOFA Contract Faculty Members in professional development activities, academic conferences and research.
The total amount to be distributed is $10,000. UWOFA and Research Western will each provide $5,000.
Deadline for submission is Monday, June 6, 2022 at 4:00pm.
Please reach out to uwofa@uwo.ca for any questions or concerns.
UWOFA has been working for several months on preparations to negotiate a new faculty collective agreement. The current agreement expires on June 30th, 2022.
UWOFA’s role at the bargaining table is to represent the interests of our membership and we will continue to consult you in various ways in the coming months as we prepare to negotiate.
APRIL SURVEY
We were very pleased with the high level of participation in the short survey on bargaining priorities we asked members to complete by April 06, 2022. The results of that survey helped inform the early stages of our goal development by letting us know what issues were important to you.
INTRODUCING THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COMMITTEE (CBC)
The CBC, which includes all members of the Negotiating Committee plus five additional members, is responsible for developing bargaining goals in consultation with the membership, drafting proposed contract language, supporting the Negotiating Committee during bargaining and, after an agreement is reached, final drafting and checking of contract language.
Committee Members of both the 2022 Negotiating Committee and the CBC:
· Jeff Tennant – Chief Negotiator (French Studies)
· Johanna Weststar – Deputy Chief Negotiator (DAN Management & Organizational Studies)
· Cindy Cossar-Jones (UWOFA Professional Officer)
· Kristin Hoffmann (Western Libraries)
· Jamie Johnston (English and Writing Studies)
· Steve Lupker (Psychology)
· Nina Zitani (Biology)
· Warren Steele (Information & Media Studies)
· Nigmendra Narain (Political Science)
Additional committee members of the CBC:
· Steve Laviolette (Anatomy & Cell Biology)
· Laura Stephenson (Political Science)
· Spy Dénommé-Welch (Education)
· Aleksandra Zecevic (Health Studies)
UWOFA Members,
On Friday, Jan. 14 the employer sent a notice about its return to campus plan.
UWOFA acknowledges the stress and hard work of all our members and continues to advocate strongly on your behalf.
Many of you have expressed concern about a safe return to campus and about the disruption to pedagogy and additional workload involved in switching back to in-person instruction. Accordingly, UWOFA continues to argue that course instructors should be involved in decisions about the timing of their return to in-person instruction, and that those decisions should be based on a combination of pedagogical considerations, students’ learning outcomes, and personal circumstances. UWOFA is also strenuously advocating for proper Personal Protective Equipment, including an adequate supply of N95 respirators, for our members and all members of the Western community who must be on campus.
Rest assured, we will continue to vigorously advocate for the rights of our members to healthy and safe working conditions.
Please stay tuned for more information in the days and weeks ahead.
In solidarity,
Nigmendra Narain
UWOFA President
The UWOFA membership has voted to ratify the tentative faculty collective agreement reached with the university administration. Members of the faculty bargaining unit voted 90 per cent in favour of the deal in a vote that closed Friday, November 23.
Yesterday, at this late stage in bargaining, the employer asked your negotiating team for concessions in our existing health benefits package – concessions that had not been proposed in their previous offers at the table.
Western’s financial position is extremely strong, and yet the Board of Governors and administration consistently choose not to reinvest in the core mission of quality education, teaching and research. As our examination of the university’s budget reveals, the university has accumulated close to $700 million in surplus over the past 9 years. It recently completed a fund-raising campaign that raised over $800 million. Student tuition has been rising steadily over the past 5 years. In February of 2018, Standard and Poor’s affirmed Western’s AA credit rating, noting the university’s “high levels of cash and available financial resources.” According to the rating agency, Western’s “financial assets are sufficient such that it would likely not default on its obligations under a provincial stress scenario in which all government funding was temporarily disrupted”.
No one wants a strike at Western. UWOFA is working as hard as we can to avoid one. We know talk of a strike causes students a lot of anxiety, so we’ve prepared a set of answers to frequently asked questions here.
A “No Board” Report has been filed with the Ontario Ministry of Labour by provincially appointed conciliator Greg Long. The UWOFA faculty bargaining unit will be in a legal strike position on Friday November 9 at 12:01 a.m., and UWOFA’s Executive Committee has established this date as our firm strike deadline.
These guidelines represent policy adopted by the UWOFA Board of Directors; they represent what your Board is expecting of all Bargaining Unit members. The decision to honour or break a strike is the individual’s own. This is something that neither the Association nor the Administration can decide for you.
The UWOFA membership has voted 94 per cent in favour of strike action to strengthen bargaining goals during faculty negotiations. Thank you for your overwhelming support. Your strong expression of support for your negotiating team will empower them to work toward the best contract possible as we enter conciliation in October.
Negotiations with the administration to reach a new faculty collective agreement have continued to move forward since we last updated you in June.
Discontinuing the use of student questionnaires on courses and teaching for personnel decisions such as promotion, tenure, annual review and hiring is one of UWOFA’s goals during this round of faculty collective bargaining.