Statement by the University of Toronto Faculty Association on the United Nations International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
January 26, 2023
The University of Toronto Faculty Association recognizes the importance of acknowledging today, January 27, 2023, as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The United Nations (UN) selected this day as it marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.
This year the UN investigates the theme of “Home and Belonging” in the context of the antisemitic violence faced by victims and the survivors of the Holocaust. This global outreach program highlights how the “… violence of exclusion began with disinformation and hate speech that lent support to systemic injustice, discrimination, and marginalization and ended with genocidal killing.” This highlights for UTFA the special role and responsibility of our members to exercise their academic freedom and to challenge disinformation in its historical and modern-day manifestations.
Moreover, UTFA stands with all those who are working to eliminate antisemitism in all its forms and manifestations, whether that be through acts of religious intolerance, vandalism, harassment, incitement to violence, or acts of violence against persons or communities. UTFA categorically condemns any attempts to deny or minimize the catastrophic impact of the Holocaust.
UTFA also recognizes that acts of antisemitism and Holocaust denial have occurred within the University of Toronto community and condemns these actions and events unequivocally. UTFA supports the recommendations of the Report of the University of Toronto Anti-Semitism Working Group.
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Fred F. Wilson In Memoriam
January 13, 2023
b. 1937 d. 2023
UTFA President (1987 - 1990); CAUT President (1991 - 1992)
Professor Fred F. Wilson joined the University's department of Philosophy in 1965 and he retired in 2003 after 38 years of service. Here he is remembered by former UTFA President Bill Graham:
I knew Fred very closely when we were both members of the Philosophy Dept. We worked together on philosophical issues, many surrounding the work of John Locke and David Hume, and even more concerning the status of faculty members at the University of Toronto and across Canada. I served on Fred’s Executive Committee at U of T (UTFA) and also on his Executive at the CAUT, and Fred served on my Executive at UTFA too when I was its President. We both cooperated smoothly to further the lives and careers of our fellow faculty both at U of T and nationally across Canada. Fred was an excellent friend and colleague in these endeavors. Although I have not been able to be with him in some recent years since I moved to BC, I will miss Fred’s friendship, his brilliance, and his collegial assistance. Please pass along my thoughts, with condolences, to his family on my behalf.
We extend our condolences to Fred’s family and all who knew and worked with him in his department, at UTFA, and RALUT. The Association appreciates Fred’s many years of dedicated service on behalf of our membership.
Fred’s family has placed an obituary and guestbook here. A service took place on January 15, 2023 at Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel.
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The Long Journey: Negotiating the 1978 Policies for Librarians
January 11, 2023
UTFA is currently engaged in negotiating the 1978 Policies for Librarians to ensure that the University of Toronto academic librarians obtain parity and equal terms of employment, compared to colleagues at other Canadian universities. January 18, 2018 commenced a series of 27 bilateral meetings with the University of Toronto Administration, followed by mediation and facilitation meetings with Administration in 2021 and 2022. We have one confirmed date with Administration in 2023, January 16, and are currently seeking more dates early in the year to end this long journey.
We are writing to share the history of our journey and to thank you for your continued patience and support.
Throughout this process UTFA has been guided by the following principles: job security, equity, clarity, transparency, consistency, and collegial processes. Three new agreements were achieved:
How can you support us? Please review this PowerPoint presentation for more information and consider reinforcing our efforts as we work toward finalizing the new policy. Language, amplification, and reverberation are keys to ensuring our success:
- Use "Faculty and LIBRARIANS" to amplify the academic role of librarians at U of T
- Discuss our parallels and unique differences as academics with librarians, students, faculty, and staff colleagues
- Ask for time in faculty councils and committee meetings to present these slides or to highlight our guiding principles and pursuits at the table
- Link these slides to your email signature
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Membership Renewal for Retired Members
January 4, 2023
Dear UTFA Colleague,
I am writing to encourage you to continue your membership in UTFA by renewing for 2023. For the small fee of $50, you will help UTFA continue its work on behalf of all our members, including those who are retired. For added convenience, you can renew your membership for two years for $100. Our fees have not increased for several years.
There are many reasons to maintain your membership in UTFA. To name one of the most important ones: UTFA fights to protect equal access to health benefits and benefits improvements for retired and active members—a fundamental principle UTFA’s negotiating team successfully defended when bargaining with the Administration in the 2020–2023 round. See here to learn more about the specific benefits improvements UTFA’s team recently won for all members. The value of these benefits improvements alone exceeds the cost of membership.
As a retired member, you retain an important voice in UTFA. This includes voting to elect the retired members who represent the interests of retired faculty and librarians on the UTFA Council. Currently those representatives are Ed Barbeau, Mary Alice Guttman, Raymond Kwong, and Jody Macdonald. In addition, UTFA has a Retired Members Committee dedicated to advocating for retirees’ interests. The Chair of the Retired Members Committee is Steven Rupp, and he is, by virtue of this position, a member of the Executive and Council.
As a member, you may serve on any of UTFA's standing committees (e.g., Retired Members; Equity; Librarians; Membership; or University and External Affairs). We welcome the perspectives that retired members can offer.
You may also vote at UTFA’s Annual General Meeting, which will take place on April 25, 2023, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. I encourage you to hold the date!
To renew your membership, please complete the following Microsoft Form by January 31, 2023.
I hope you will renew your membership and continue your relationship with UTFA.
Please accept my best wishes for 2023, and don't hesitate to contact the UTFA office if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
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Important Update: Bill 124 and UTFA-Administration Bargaining
December 9, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We write with a very important update on Bill 124 and UTFA-Administration salary negotiations. As a reminder, our current three-year round of salary, benefit, and workload negotiations has been heavily constrained by a law that interfered significantly in bargaining to the detriment of UTFA members and to the advantage of the University Administration.
However, on November 29, 2022, Justice Koehnen issued his decision on the constitutional challenge to Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations, in which UTFA participated. Justice Koehnen upheld the constitutional challenge and declared Bill 124 to be void and of no force and effect.
As you are also likely aware, UTFA and the Administration are currently awaiting a ruling from Arbitrator Eli Gedalof for the terms of the third year of the agreement that covers the period ending June 30, 2023.
Given that the restrictions imposed by Bill 124 have now been struck down and are not in effect, UTFA has requested that Eli Gedalof not issue an award within the 1% restrictions that Bill 124 had imposed, and instead give us an opportunity to go back to the Administration to bargain for increases in salary for the current year, and in order to see if we can also negotiate offsets against the impact of Bill 124 over the first two years, when the Across-the-Board (ATB) increase was restricted to 1% by Bill 124.
Of course, if we could not reach agreement with the Administration, we would then return to arbitration before Eli Gedalof.
We should add that there is the possibility that the government will, as part of its appeal of Justice Koehnen’s ruling, also seek to stay the effect of the Bill 124 ruling while the appeal is argued before the Court of Appeal. If that were to happen, and if the stay motion were to be successful, then we would be back under Bill 124 at least until the appeal is heard and decided.
You can be certain that UTFA is making every effort to offset the effects of wage restraints in the face of inflation. If we cannot make further gains in relation to the current Agreement, we will continue to do everything in our power to do as well as possible in the next round of bargaining.
We will keep you informed of further developments as they come.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload
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CAUT Survey on the State of the Academy
November 29, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), of which UTFA is a member, is seeking to understand academic staff experiences and attitudes towards the job, the workplace and the post-secondary education sector. The State of the Post-Secondary Academic Profession Survey will help identify current issues and needs of academic staff at universities and colleges. Results will help inform CAUT advocacy, as well as the tools and resources that are needed to support academic staff associations in meeting member needs.
CAUT affiliates are asked to distribute this request to their members. We invite you to read their formal request and complete the survey before January 16, 2023. Your voice is essential for providing credible data.
Regards,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jeff Bale
UTFA Vice-President, University and External Affairs
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Memorandum 22:56
Date: November 25, 2022
To: Presidents and Administrative Officers; Local, Provincial and Federated Associations
From: David Robinson, Executive Director
Re: Survey for Post-Secondary Faculty and Researchers
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 will collect information directly from post-secondary academic staff employed at universities and colleges across Canada about their experiences and attitudes towards selected topics including:
- attitudes towards the PSE sector;
- attitudes towards the workplace;
- employment conditions / work activities.
The survey may also include additional questions, related to current topical issues, for example, questions on COVID or experiences of Indigenous faculty. As well, the survey will request demographic information that will enable analysis on equity, diversity and inclusion (gender, sexual identity and expression, visible minority status, Indigenous identity, self-reported disability, and use of official languages).
Who can participate?
The survey is open to all post-secondary academic staff at Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics regardless of union membership. While the survey is entirely voluntary, we are asking for your assistance in ensuring as many academic and general staff as possible are included in this critical study.
Please circulate this survey to your members and to other associations of academic and general staff, if any, on your campus.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Caroline Lachance, Research Officer, at lachance@caut.ca.
The deadline for completion is January 16th, 2023
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Important Message on Masks
November 17, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We write to share with you the urgent message sent today to U of T health sciences students, staff, and faculty members by deans in the health sciences faculties.
The deans strongly urge the “wearing of a high-quality, tight-fitting mask when indoors in health sciences buildings at the University of Toronto.” UTFA urges all our members in the health sciences and beyond to heed this important call and to wear high quality masks in all indoor spaces at the University.
UTFA vigorously applauds the principled leadership demonstrated by these deans.
This intervention by the deans is especially welcome following a lack of progress at the Central Health and Safety Committee with the senior Administration. UTFA continues to advocate that the senior Administration demonstrate respect for science and best practices in health and safety—including by employing a University-wide mask mandate and an education campaign on the significant risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 (re-)infections—rather than follow inadequate minimum standards set by the provincial government.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload
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From: dlsph-core-fac-l: DLSPH CORE FACULTY LIST On Behalf Of dlsph dean Sent: November 17, 2022 9:12 AM
To: DLSPH-CORE-FAC-L@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA
Subject: Important Message on Masks
Dear health sciences students, staff and faculty members,
This is an urgent request that we, your health sciences deans, are asking from our communities to help support our partners.
We work in close partnership with our health care system. The doctors, nurses, and other health professionals across the GTA are also our faculty, our students, and our partners. Thus, we are deeply concerned by the rapid increase in viral illness in our population, the strain that it has put on our healthcare systems, and the recognition that we need to support our partners during this challenging time.
That is why we strongly urge you to begin wearing a high-quality, tight-fitting mask when indoors in health sciences buildings at the University of Toronto.
Those who are lecturing or speaking publicly may want to remove their masks while talking. You may want to remove your mask if you are in your office or eating or drinking. But otherwise, please begin masking while you are indoors in our facilities. We thank everyone in advance for taking this step to help our health-system partners.
The evidence is clear that masks are highly effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Masks also help protect against the flu and RSV – two other viral illnesses overwhelming providers who are already facing remarkable challenges.
During the course of the pandemic, we have been moved by the ways in which our communities have gathered to face so many challenges together. We ask everyone to join together once more by wearing masks and getting all your seasonal shots to help relieve the burden on each other and our partners in care. In order to support this, the University of Toronto is offering vaccination clinics across our campuses during the month of November. Free masks are available on all three U of T campuses for pickup.
We urge everyone to be kind to yourselves and to each other during this extremely challenging time for our healthcare colleagues.
Sincerely,
Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown
Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Lisa Dolovich
Dean, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
Linda Johnston
Dean, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
Gretchen Kerr
Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
Laura Tam
Dean, Faculty of Dentistry
Charmaine Williams
Interim Dean, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Trevor Young
Dean, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Vice-Provost, Relations With Health Care Institutions
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Call to support CUPE 3261 and CUPE 3902 campaigns
November 15, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
As we write this email, Bill 28 has just been repealed. The shared power of public- and private-sector unions, and a massive outpouring of public support for education workers in Ontario forced the Ford government to back down from legislation that attacked free and fair collective bargaining.
While negotiations between the provincial government and K-12 education workers continue, the fight for good jobs at U of T is heating up.
- CUPE 3261 (service workers at U of T) are demanding no contracting out and may soon be on strike—their deadline is Monday, November 21.
- CUPE 3902 Unit 3 (sessional lecturers, writing instructors, music professionals, and sessional instructional assistants) is deeply invested in bargaining for job security and dignity.
- CUPE 3902 Unit 1 (teaching assistants, course instructors, exam invigilators, etc.) are continuing to resist proposed cuts to their healthcare benefits.
These campaigns are all part of a bigger struggle: a movement for good jobs at U of T & a better U of T.
What has UTFA been doing to support these campaigns?
- UTFA Council endorsed CUPE 3261’s Good Jobs U of T campaign at its September 2022 meeting.
- UTFA Council welcomed Amy Conwell, President of 3902, to its October 2022 meeting to learn directly about the issues they are facing in healthcare negotiations with the Administration.
- At its last meeting, UTFA Executive voted unanimously to donate $1,000 to CUPE 3261’s strike fund. This is the largest amount allowed without Council approval.
What can you do to support these campaigns?
- Learn more about the issues by visiting the Good Jobs U of T campaign website and reviewing this Action Document from CUPE 3902 regarding proposed healthcare cuts.
- Quote tweet @cupe3261’s posts and encourage U of T to do the right thing.
- Sign this open letter circulating from U of T scholars to protest the outsourcing of good campus jobs.
- Send a letter to your Chair, Dean, or other Senior Administrators to support CUPE 3902, Unit 1, in fighting healthcare cuts (letter templates included here).
- All out for Good Jobs at U of T: attend this rally on Wednesday, November 16, 12-2 pm, in front of Sidney Smith Hall.
Yours,
Jeff Bale
UTFA Vice-President, University and External Affairs
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
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July 1, 2022, Salary Increase and Retroactive Payment
November 11, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
As a result of the current round (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2023) of bargaining, there will be a 1% Across-the-Board (ATB) salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2022, and the Administration has indicated that it will be implemented for all faculty members and librarians on the November pay run. As a result, your payment for the month of November should include a retroactive salary payment equivalent to 1% of your annualized salary multiplied by 5/12 for the July-November period. Your pay rate in subsequent months will be 1% higher, less appropriate deductions, than your July 1 salary. This 1% ATB salary increase reflects the limits imposed by Bill 124.
If you have concerns after receiving your November salary payment, we suggest that you check with your unit’s Chair or Business Officer to make sure that you have received your retroactive ATB payment.
If you are not able to resolve your concerns, please contact UTFA by emailing advice@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
On behalf of the UTFA SBPW Negotiating Team
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Ford Government Assault on Collective Bargaining--Rally Today at 5 PM
November 1, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
Today, the provincial government announced heavy-handed legislation that imposes a four-year contract on 55,000 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education workers. Bill 28 is rushing through the legislature right now and undermines and disrupts these workers’ rights to free and fair collective bargaining. Worse still, this Bill invokes the notwithstanding clause to override any potential Charter challenge, and explicitly intends to overrule the Human Rights Act.
It is important to stress the sexist and racist pattern of this government’s actions. Not only did Bill 124 impose a wage-increase cap on the public sector jobs in which women comprise the majority of workers. But also, Bill 28 targets education workers who are predominantly female and racialized, who are among the lowest-paid education workers, and who have been subjected to a decade of significant wage suppression.
UTFA calls on Premier Ford and Minister of Education Lecce to reverse course and negotiate in good faith with CUPE to reach a fair deal. We stand in solidarity with all who insist that our provincial government must commit to free and fair collective bargaining, uphold the Charter rights of all workers, and invest significantly in public education.
We encourage you to speak out against the proposed legislation in one or more of the following ways:
- Join UTFA’s contingent at today’s 5 PM emergency rally outside the Ministry of Labour (400 University Ave., south of St. Patrick TTC station).
- Learn more about the issues, including by reading OCUFA’s statement of solidarity with education workers and condemnation of the government’s back-to-work legislation, here.
- Contact your MPP to express your concerns.
- Telephone the Premier (416-325-1941) and or the Minister of Education (416-325-2600) and leave a message opposing Bill 28.
This current conflict is part of a broader pattern that affects us all.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bale
UTFA Vice-President, University & External Affairs
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
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UTFA Wins Benefits Improvements for All Members; Update on Outstanding Issues including Workload
September 30, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We write with three primary purposes:
- to share good news about benefits for all UTFA members, active and retired;
- to provide some of the more important (and egregious) examples of the issues that are still outstanding and are a part of arbitration hearings this weekend; and
- to offer some “lessons learned” thus far in our multi-year negotiation process.
1. Agreement Reached on Benefits Improvements
As we previously wrote, on January 25, 2022, the UTFA Negotiating Team for Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload (SBPW) and the University Administration reached a three-year agreement. Salary, benefits, and workload terms for the third year, ending June 30, 2023, would be subject to arbitration and continue to be constrained by the Ontario government’s Bill 124, which restricts across-the-board (ATB) salary increases to 1% per year during the three-year period covered by this agreement. Benefits increases are also constrained by a cap of 1% increases to total compensation. To read each of the parties’ arbitration briefs and to review UTFA’s previous bargaining updates, see the Ongoing Negotiations page on UTFA’s website.
On September 15, 2022, Arbitrator Eli Gedalof issued an interim award ordering a 1% ATB salary increase (in keeping with Bill 124) effective July 1, 2022, and an increase to the minimum per course stipend and overload rate from $18,255 to $18,438.
Yesterday, UTFA and the Administration reached an agreement on benefits improvements for the third year of this three-year agreement—to be implemented November 1, 2022—that applies equally to active and retired UTFA members.
It is very important to note that UTFA successfully resisted the Administration’s efforts to deny benefits improvements to our retired members. Maintaining equal access to health benefits for active and retired members was a fundamental bargaining principle for UTFA’s negotiating team and a key goal that UTFA Council had mandated us to pursue.
The benefits improvements for all three years of the SBPW Agreement are summarized here:
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Benefit
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Prior Coverage
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Coverage for Years 1 & 2
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Coverage as of Nov. 1st
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Mental Health Maximum
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$3000
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$5000 & Increased the applicable reasonable and customary cap to no less than the Ontario Psychological Association’s recommended hourly rate. Added to list of eligible service providers: Marriage and Family Therapist, Addiction Counsellor.
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$7000 & Hourly rate protections and expanded list of eligible service providers continue.
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Vision Care
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$450 per 24 months.
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$700 per 24 months. Added to list of services covered: laser eye surgery for vision correction.
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$725 per 24 months. Coverage for laser eye surgery for vision correction continues.
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Major Restorative Dental
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$2800
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$5000
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$5000
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Paramedical (includes Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Registered Massage Therapist, Osteopath, Acupuncturist, Dietitian, and Occupational Therapist)
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$1250
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$2500 & Chiropodist added to the list of service providers.
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$5000 & Full list of service providers continues.
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Orthodontics
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50% covered, lifetime maximum of $2500.
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75% covered, lifetime maximum of $5000.
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75% covered, lifetime maximum of $5000.
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Dependent Scholarship Program
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50% of the amount of the academic fees for five full courses in a general Arts & Sciences program at U of T for a first undergraduate degree for enrolments at eligible institutions.
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50% on the same terms.
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Effective the 2022-2023 academic year, 65% on the same terms.
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2. UTFA Interest Arbitration Update
Improving benefits for all our members has been only one part of UTFA’s efforts on your behalf during these protracted negotiations. Other issues, including ensuring fair and equitable workloads and the timely payment of PTR awards while we are bargaining, remain subject to arbitration. UTFA and the Administration have both filed detailed and lengthy arbitration briefs. Oral hearings before Arbitrator Eli Gedalof are taking place this weekend.
UTFA has prepared a chart (that we will continue to update as the process unfolds) that provides a side-by-side comparison of the differences in the parties’ positions on some of the most important issues that remain unresolved. These issues include reining in excessive teaching workloads; the need for transparent workload assignments; Librarian Research Days; the need for a minimum level of TA support campus wide. The chart, and the arbitration briefs on which it is based, can be found at UTFA’s Negotiations and Agreements page on our website.
3. Some Lessons Learned in this Very Long Round of Bargaining
The extraordinary length of the bargaining process, the refusal of the Administration to respond meaningfully to longstanding concerns expressed by our membership about excessive workloads, and the importance to our members of the unresolved issues proceeding to interest arbitration all reinforce UTFA’s view that our bargaining framework as defined by our Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) is deeply flawed. It serves UTFA members very poorly in many respects. As an Association we must:
If we are to resist undue influence by the Administration during bargaining, we must ensure that all terms relating to salaries, benefits, and workload remain in effect during each round of bargaining until a final resolution is reached by settlement or award. This “freeze provision” is a standard right in unionized settings, but there is no requirement for an association to be unionized to have the benefit of such a provision. This freeze provision is one of the items that will be decided following the upcoming arbitration hearings.
We are working in various ways towards addressing these challenges and will say more on this in the coming days and weeks.
Until then, we remain very interested in hearing from you, our members. Please email us your thoughts via faculty@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami PhD, FAAAS, P. Eng.
UTFA VP, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, & Workload
On behalf of the UTFA SBPW Negotiating Team
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Across the Board (ATB) and Per Course Stipend Increase—Joint UTFA and U of T Administration Announcement
September 16, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
In January 2022, we announced that with the assistance of Mediator Kevin Burkett, the University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) had reached partial agreement via Minutes of Settlement (MOS) with respect to salary, benefits, and workload for the period July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. The MOS included the referral of outstanding issues with respect to salary, benefits, and workload for the period July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023 to interest arbitration.
While we are still awaiting the conclusion of the arbitration process, in the interest of implementing pay increases for faculty and librarians in a timely way, Arbitrator Eli Gedalof has made an interim order that provides the following:
- An Across-the-Board (ATB) salary increase of 1.0%, retroactive to July 1, 2022.
- Minimum per course stipend and overload rate increase from $18,255 to $18,438 effective September 1, 2022.
Note that several other proposals (see Schedules A and B in the Minutes of Settlement) in the agreement have yet to be adjudicated.
In his interim award Arbitrator Gedalof noted that his order was without prejudice to either party’s position with respect to the constitutionality of Bill 124 and any ongoing litigation in that regard.
Further details about the implementation of these ATB and per course stipend increases will be forthcoming.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami PhD, FAAAS, P. Eng.
UTFA VP, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, & Workload
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Interim Award Regarding July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 salary increases
September 16, 2022
Interim Award Regarding July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 salary increases
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COVID Update - Fall 2022
September 7, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We write with a health and safety update, and to share serious concerns with the Administration’s continued dismantling of COVID mitigation strategies, especially the ongoing ‘suspension’ of mask mandates.
While we recognize that some members may be comfortable with the lifting of the mandates, UTFA has been hearing from a large and growing number of our members who are deeply concerned about workplaces that the science tells us are unsafe in the absence of proper measures to mitigate the spread of airborne infections. These measures include but are not limited to verified ventilation and filtration improvements, universal masking, and reduced overcrowding. We are still amidst the seventh wave of a deadly pandemic, with levels of test positivity, wastewater signals, hospitalizations, and deaths higher than this date in 2021 and 2020. We are experiencing massive hospital strain with staff shortages, emergency department closures, and unprecedented overcrowding. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence about long COVID speaks to high prevalence and devastating effects, even after mild disease. Multiple infections increase the risk of long-term damage to many organ systems, which may result in serious cognitive and physical decline.
In contrast to U of T’s approach, Western University, Brock University, the University of Manitoba, OCADU, and several other post-secondary institutions have announced mask mandates for at least the Fall term. Western’s announcement on August 22, Western requires COVID-19 booster and masking in instructional spaces this fall, includes the following compelling rationale (among others):
“Mitigating the risk of transmission of COVID-19 as well as of severe outcomes from the infection can be effectively achieved with a combination of masking and vaccination,” said [Dr. Saverio] Stranges, [public health physician and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics]. “This also reduces severity of symptoms and protects those immunocompromised individuals in our community. There is no doubt that this approach will help keep people out of hospitals and preserve on-campus teaching and learning.”
Relying on the expert advice of UTFA’s advisory panel of leading indoor air quality and public health scientists, UTFA has been urging our Administration throughout the summer to reinstate a mask mandate at U of T at least until the end of the Fall semester. UTFA’s position on masking is guided by our commitments to, and advocacy for, key principles: respect for science; the precautionary principle; and best practices in health and safety that exceed legislated minimum standards—as is required by U of T’s own Health and Safety Policy.
In response to UTFA’s advocacy, including our repeated requests for improved COVID case tracking, data sharing, and transparency in decision making, the Administration instead unilaterally reduced the opportunities for us to raise serious health and safety concerns that the Administration is responsible for addressing, by changing the frequency of our Central Health and Safety Committee meetings from twice a month to four times a year. UTFA would like to do more; however, given the shortcomings of UTFA’s Memorandum of Agreement with the University Administration, our members do not enjoy the same workplace protections or timely dispute resolution procedures afforded to our colleagues who are members of certified faculty associations.
Further, the University encouraged the posting of signs around campus that label mask-wearing an optional, personal choice. This message was echoed in a July 28 Provostial memo touting the University’s ‘mask-friendly environment’ and indicating that face masks are optional. This is a powerful example of how the University Administration has derogated its infection prevention obligations and rebranded COVID health and safety (solely) an individual responsibility, if not an individual choice.
The Administration’s decision to reclassify mask-wearing as a personal choice fails on multiple levels. It fails to recognize that because we share the air, the significant COVID risks in our academic workplaces can only be reduced through coordinated and collective action such as universal masking. It fails to protect immuno-compromised and vulnerable members of our community. It fails to meet the standard of “adopting the best practices available to protect the University community.” And, it fails to ensure that the University fulfils its duty of care to staff, faculty, librarians, and students.
Even in the absence of a (much-needed) University-wide mask mandate, UTFA wants the University to do much more to counter misinformation and educate about the importance of wearing well-fitting, N95 masks in indoor spaces. Individual units/faculties, departments, and individual members should have the right to make policies that require masks in their own classrooms, labs, and other shared workplaces. Regrettably, the Administration has advised us that they will grant our members only the right to request that their students wear masks in instructional spaces.
UTFA will continue to closely follow the advice of our leading scientists and to invite collegial, evidence-informed health and safety discussions with the Administration. We will continue to demonstrate how universal masking would enable safer in-person work, support immuno-compromised and other vulnerable individuals and groups, and result in fewer interruptions to teaching, learning, research, and the fulfilment of our broader academic mission. In concert with other GTA campus groups, we are also planning an event in the coming weeks to update members on the latest science and provide expert advice on how they might best seek to manage their risks commuting to and while on campus.
Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
On behalf of the UTFA Central Health and Safety Committee
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Joint UTFA and Administration Communication on Improvements to the Dependent Scholarship Program
August 10, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) and the University Administration are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on an improvement to the Dependent Scholarship Program as part of benefits improvements for the year July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, for both active members and retirees.
Effective immediately the value of the Dependent Scholarship Program for faculty members and librarians will be increased from 50% to 65% of the amount of the academic fees for five full courses in a general Arts & Sciences program at the University of Toronto for a first undergraduate degree for enrolments at eligible institutions.
Applicants should continue to use the current application form for the Dependent Scholarship Program and all applications for the 2022-23 academic year will be processed based on the new value as outlined in this announcement.
For the applications that have already been received, there is no need to submit another application. The student/recipient will receive an email confirming the amount of their scholarship shortly.
Previously, UTFA and the University Administration negotiated a three-year Salaries, Benefits, and Workload (SBW) Agreement covering the period from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023. The outcome of these negotiations determined salary and benefits improvements for the first two years of the Agreement. The terms for the third year will be determined through interest arbitration commencing on October 1, 2022. To facilitate timely access to the Dependent Scholarship Program improvements for the 2022-23 academic year, the parties reached agreement on this item; other SBW proposals, including other benefit improvements, remain to be determined.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami PhD, FAAAS, P. Eng.
UTFA VP, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, & Workload
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UTFA’s Response to the Administration’s Suspension of the Mask Mandate
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
Three weeks ago, the senior Administration announced that it would be discontinuing the University’s mask mandate today, June 30, 2022. UTFA has been hearing from many faculty members and librarians who are concerned about this change. We also recognize that some UTFA members support the decision.
As we begin the summer season, it seems probable that we are entering into another dangerous wave associated with Omicron variants. Wastewater signals in the GTA are currently rising, and studies are emerging that show that the impact of repeated COVID-19 infections can be cumulative rather than diminishing. The increasingly well-documented threat of ‘long COVID’ is particularly worrisome.
UTFA’s position on masking continues to be guided by our commitments to, and advocacy for, key principles: respect for science; the precautionary principle; and best practices in health and safety that exceed legislated minimum standards. Based on the advice we have received from leading indoor air quality and public health scientists, UTFA has responded to the Administration’s announcement by calling for an extension of the University’s mask mandate. Specifically, we are advocating that the Administration require all University community members to wear well-fitting, high-quality masks.
We regret that the University Administration does not appear to have taken the advice of its leading scientists into account when making the decision to remove the protection that mask mandates provide. Transforming the decision about whether to wear a mask from a universal requirement into an individual choice is in our view an ineffective public health strategy because we share the air in common—including airborne pathogens.
UTFA is very concerned about the potential health impacts of lifting the mask mandate, including the risk of increased infections and reinfections on campus. UTFA is also concerned that the lifting of the mask requirement will make it more difficult for the more vulnerable amongst us (e.g., those who are immunocompromised) to attend in-person activities on campus.
Moving Forward
UTFA will continue to engage in collegial discussions with the Administration and to advocate in a principled manner.
We call on the Administration to follow in the footsteps of Ontario hospitals, and to extend the University’s mask requirement throughout the summer, and into the fall as appropriate. UTFA believes an extension of universal masking would enable a safer return to in-person work, which is in the interests of the entire University community.
UTFA will continue to provide you with updates as they become available.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami PhD, FAAAS, P. Eng.
UTFA VP, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, & Workload
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Important Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) Information
Monday, June 6, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
Any remaining balance in your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) expires after two years. Unused funds from 2020 will expire on June 30, 2022.
One way to use a remaining HCSA balance is to seek reimbursement for your past extended health care premiums. You can find detailed instructions from UTFA on how to do so here, to supplement the instructions that the Administration sent you on May 31 (see below and here).
Sincerely,
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
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Date: May 31, 2022
To: Eligible Faculty & Librarians
From: Ian MacEachern, Director, Benefits, Pension & Payroll Re: Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA)
As you may know, any balance remaining in your Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA) on the last day of the benefit year (June 30) gets carried forward to, but not beyond the end of, the next benefit year.
Since any funds set to expire on June 30, 2022 cannot be carried over, an excellent way to use your HCSA is to submit the health and dental premiums deducted from your pay.
The process, which can be completed by logging in to Green Shield’s plan member online services website, is simple and the step-by-step guide to submitting these expenses is available on the HR Service Centre.
If you need assistance related to Green Shield’s website, please contact Green Shield directly at 1-888-711-1119 or customer.service@greenshield.ca.
Provocation Ideas Festival - May/June 2022
Thursday, May 12, 2022
The Provocation Ideas Festival aspires to create a new public square of spirited discussion that is rooted in local communities but informed globally, for which an informed and engaged public is critical.
The festival brings together voices from community, public health, justice, governance, and acclaimed artists whose work challenges our conventional perspectives.
Provocation is a not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who have generously shared their expertise, knowledge, support, and commitment in overseeing the planning and development of the festival.
Please visit here for more details about the Festival.
www.provocation.ca
Workshops: Teaching Stream May 24 & Tenure Stream May 25
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
I am writing to let you know about our annual workshops for our members in the Teaching and Tenure Streams. To facilitate attendance, UTFA will offer the workshops through Zoom video conference. We look forward to seeing you online!
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Continuing Status Review Workshop for the Teaching Stream
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom video conference
This workshop helps Teaching Stream members prepare for the interim review and the continuing status review. It is designed to demystify review procedures.
This workshop is open to Teaching Stream members of the Association and includes the following:
- useful tips from teaching dossier experts
- an overview of all relevant University review procedures
- a forum to share and exchange strategies towards compiling a successful file
The workshop will cover the policies and procedures for the review processes as outlined in the Policies and Procedures on Academic Appointments (PPAA). It will be most appropriate for full-time faculty at the Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream rank. The workshop will not focus on issues that are particular to promotion to Professor, Teaching Stream, and it will not cover continuing status reviews for part-time faculty, which follow a different policy.
Speakers: Megan Burnett, Associate Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), and Helen Nowak, UTFA General Counsel
Host: Sherri Helwig, Chair, UTFA Teaching Stream Committee
To attend, click below to RSVP with your name and department/faculty. Once registered, you will receive a link prior to the event.
Tenure Stream Workshop
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Via Zoom video conference
UTFA presents a workshop on the interim review and the tenure review. This workshop is open to all members of the Association and includes the following:
- an overview of all relevant University review procedures
- useful tips on compiling a successful dossier
Speaker: Emma Phillips, Lawyer from Goldblatt Partners
Leslie Stewart Rose, Chair, UTFA Appointments Committee, and Helen Nowak, UTFA General Counsel, will also be there to help answer questions.
To attend, click below to RSVP with your name, department/faculty, and which review you are preparing for. Once registered, you will receive a link prior to the event.
POSTPONED: Teaching Stream – Continuing Status Review Workshop (May 2)
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
I am writing to let you know that the Continuing Status Review Workshop for the Teaching Stream, originally scheduled for May 2, 2022, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., is postponed. UTFA will circulate an email in the coming days advising members of the new date once it has been confirmed.
My sincere apologies for any inconvenience.
Respectfully,
Sherri Helwig
Chair, Teaching Stream Committee
Reminder: UTFA members determine whether (some) SETs may be used in their PTR and other academic review processes
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
In response to requests UTFA has received in the past few days regarding student course evaluations and the PTR process, this is a friendly reminder that, pursuant to Article 5 of the COVID LOU that UTFA negotiated with the Administration:
“any faculty member or librarian teaching a course that normally includes in-person classes in the period during which physical distancing measures were in place and in-person classes could not continue… may determine whether or not the student course evaluations for courses taught in that period may be relied on in any academic review process, including the PTR process, and that no adverse consequences will flow from a decision not to consider those course evaluations.” (emphasis added)
If any of your courses in 2021-2022 meet these criteria (i.e., “normally includes in-person classes in the period during which physical distancing measures were in place and in-person classes could not continue”) and you wish to exclude the student course evaluations in respect of any (or all) of those courses from the 2021-2022 PTR assessment (or any other academic review), we encourage you to email your department chair as soon as possible.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please reach out to us at faculty@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Petition to Maintain the University of Toronto’s Mask Mandate
Friday, April 22, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
UTFA has been hearing from many faculty and librarians who are concerned about U of T’s plan to “pause” the mask mandate May 1st. Members have been asking us about how to express their view that the mask mandate should be maintained. This view is also strongly held by UTFA’s expert public health advisors.
CUPE 3902 and USW 1998 have been receiving similar calls from their members.
Together we created a petition calling on President Gertler to maintain the requirement to be masked in indoor University spaces.
We encourage you to sign the petition and to share it widely!
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami PhD, FAAAS, P. Eng.
VP Salary, Benefits, Pensions, & Workload
UTFA
Teaching Stream – Continuing Status Review Workshop (May 2)
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
I am writing to invite you to our annual Continuing Status Review Workshop for members in the Teaching Stream. UTFA will once again offer the workshop via Zoom.
We look forward to seeing you May 2!
Sincerely,
Sherri Helwig
Chair, UTFA Teaching Stream Committee
________________________________
Continuing Status Review Workshop for the Teaching Stream
Monday, May 2, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
This workshop assists Teaching Stream members in preparing for the interim review and the continuing status review. It is designed to demystify review procedures.
This workshop is open to all Teaching Stream members of the Association and includes the following:
- useful tips from teaching dossier experts
- an overview of all relevant university review procedures
- a forum to share and exchange strategies towards compiling a successful file
Speakers: Megan Burnett, Associate Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), and Helen Nowak, UTFA General Counsel
Host: Sherri Helwig, Chair, UTFA Teaching Stream Committee
To attend, click below to RSVP with your name and department/faculty. Once registered, you will receive the link to attend the event in the days ahead.
UTFA Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Register here.
AGENDA
1. Acknowledgement of Traditional Land (Joseph Carens)
2. Review of the Agenda
3. Minutes of 2020–2021 AGM
4. Welcome and President’s Remarks (Terezia Zorić)
5. Featured Q&A-based discussion: Jim Turk, founder of the Centre for Free Expression, with Rinaldo Walcott and Judith Taylor
Jim will discuss the stakes of free expression in society, and what we can do to safeguard and inspire it. On the Centre’s site under Events, you can view and listen to Centre-hosted talks and panels to get a sense of the Centre’s priorities and vision, and you can look at their projects as well. Please send your questions for Jim to faculty@utfa.org
6. Greetings: Susan Wurtele, OCUFA President
7. Presentation of the UTFA Academic Citizenship Awards (Judith Taylor with Terezia Zorić and Jun Nogami)
UTFA’s 2021 Academic Citizenship Award honours faculty members from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health: Professors Arjumand Siddiqi, Ashleigh Tuite, David Fisman, James Scott, Jeffrey Siegel, and Paul Bozek.
8. Reports of the 2021–2022 UTFA Officers and Chairs of Committees
The reports are published in the AGM Newsletter and will not be read at the meeting. However, Officers and Committee Chairs will be available to answer questions. Also, the Past-President will be available to answer any questions on the University Pension Plan (UPP).
9. Presentation of UTFA Student Award Recipients (Roy Gillis)
2022 UTFA Al Miller Memorial Awards
2022 UTFA Undergraduate Tuition Awards
10. Other business and questions from the floor
11. Adjournment
Invitation to UTFA AGM: Tuesday, April 19
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
I would like to congratulate all our members who participated in the two presidential campaigns and to express my deep appreciation to all who voted. The election process did what democratic contestation is supposed to do, it compelled candidates to articulate our values and our visions for UTFA as an association. And it engaged the UTFA “citizenry.” That a record high 70% of our membership voted speaks to the health and vitality of our organization. I am honoured to have received a decisive majority and clear mandate to lead UTFA for a second term. As a democratic organization, UTFA gains its strength from having an informed, engaged, and active membership, so let’s continue the momentum.
I am delighted to formally invite you to UTFA’s Annual General Meeting. UTFA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Tuesday, April 19, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Register here.
Our 2022 AGM will feature a Q&A-based discussion with Jim Turk, founder of the Centre for Free Expression. Jim will discuss the stakes of free expression in society, and what we can do to safeguard and inspire it. On the site under Events you can view and listen to Centre-hosted talks and panels to get a sense of the Centre’s priorities and vision, and you can look at their projects as well. Please send your questions for Jim to faculty@utfa.org.
More details, including the UTFA AGM Newsletter containing important reports from Executive members, will follow.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić,
UTFA President
UTFA Presidential Election Results
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Results
Terezia Zorić: 1669 votes (61.5%)
Renan Levine: 1043 votes (38.5%)
Turnout
2720 (70.3% of electors, including 8 abstentions)
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
UTFA President Elected
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to inform you that Terezia Zorić has been elected President of the University of Toronto Faculty Association for the term July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024.
Congratulations and best wishes to Terezia.
I also wish to thank Renan Levine for his participation in this important democratic process.
Thank you to Terezia, Renan, and their teams for their commitment to a fair election.
Finally, I would like to thank UTFA staff for their support throughout the election process.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
Statement by the University of Toronto Faculty Association on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD)
Monday, March 21, 2022
The United Nations designated March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) to annually commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre, where South African police murdered 69 women, men, and children (and injured 180 others) as they peacefully protested apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.
UTFA joins the world-wide community to observe this day. Despite a half-century of legal advances in the fight against racism and racial discrimination, UTFA members continue to experience racism in our workplaces and communities, including racial profiling, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism. These experiences are a result of systems that maintain privileges for some groups of people over others, as well as individual racist acts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, white supremacist groups have exploited a context of deepening socio-economic precarity, racism, and xenophobia to fuel intensified discrimination and violence toward Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities across global societies. In particular, racial harassment and assaults against Asians have increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognizing the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, UTFA reaffirms the importance of full respect for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and the importance of protecting civic space. We stand in solidarity with individuals and organizations that stand up against racism, racial discrimination, and intolerance in all forms and manifestations. UTFA reaffirms its commitment to fight injustice, and to work tirelessly to ensure a safe, collegial environment for all members of the university community.
On this March 21 day of remembrance, we specifically acknowledge the ongoing labour of Black, Indigenous, and other racialized and allied faculty who have, for some time now, been speaking out against racism in its myriad forms across all three campuses of the University of Toronto. In solidarity with these colleagues, UTFA resolutely recommits to strengthening its efforts to speak out against racial discrimination and to advance equality and social justice in university life.
UTFA Presidential Candidates Forums
Thursday, March 17, 2022 [Updated: March 21, 2022]
Dear Colleagues,
Two UTFA Presidential Candidates Forums will be held next week at which presidential candidates Renan Levine and Terezia Zorić will have an opportunity to outline their platforms. The Forums will be moderated by Hamish Russell, the speaker of UTFA Council. In anticipation of the Forums, the candidates have provided platform statements. You can access them directly here: Terezia Zorić’s platform statement Renan Levine’s platform statement
At each forum, candidates will make opening comments, respond to questions, and make closing comments. Questions may be sent in advance to chiefreturningofficer@utfa.org or be raised, time permitting, at each Forum. We encourage questions that are applicable to both candidates.
When:
Tuesday, March 22, 5 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23, 10 to 11 a.m.
Forums will begin on the hour.
Where: Via Zoom webinar
RSVP: Please click on the appropriate date to register for the Forum you wish to attend:
Tuesday, March 22 https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I6z5buWnTLivZMUjXP0N5A
Wednesday, March 23 https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SXw5uL1CQIqalS2fvZmHCQ
If you have questions about registration, please write to faculty@utfa.org.
If you have questions about the election, please write to me at chiefreturningofficer@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
UTFA Election Announcement
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
The period for nominating candidates for the position of the President of UTFA has now ended. There are two nominees: Renan Levine and Terezia Zorić. As a result, there will be an election.
The President of UTFA is directly elected by the members of the Association. We will be using an online voting system, as we have for past elections. You will be receiving an email early next week with detailed voting instructions. Please note that the voting period will begin on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, and will end on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Note also that online ballots often roll out rather than appear in all members’ inboxes at the same moment. Reminders will be sent at intervals of three to five days to those who have not yet voted.
The candidates' statements appear on the Presidential Election web page, for which there is a link from the UTFA home page.
If you have questions about the election, please write to me at chiefreturningofficer@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
Nomination received for UTFA President
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
We have received a nomination for UTFA President, for Terezia Zorić. Additional information will be available on her candidate page after the nomination period closes.
Further nominations may be submitted until Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about the nomination or election process, please write to me at chiefreturningofficer@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
Nomination received for UTFA President
Monday, March 14, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
We have received a nomination for UTFA President, for Renan Levine. Additional information will be available on his candidate page after the nomination period closes.
Further nominations may be submitted until Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about the nomination or election process, please write to me at chiefreturningofficer@utfa.org.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Connor
UTFA Chief Returning Officer
Statement on Ukraine
Monday, March 14, 2022
The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) decries Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and stands with the Ukrainian people and our colleagues in higher education in Ukraine. We endorse the principles of the United Nations Charter and its Declaration on the Principles of International Law, which recalls “the duty of States to refrain in their international relations from military, political, economic or any other form of coercion aimed against the political independence or territorial integrity of any State.” We declare our solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their resistance to this unprovoked and egregious act of war.
Our thoughts are with those who have connections to the region, including our students, faculty, and staff, who are concerned for their family members, friends, and colleagues there. We further acknowledge the courageous efforts of all who have risen to oppose the actions of the Russian state, including those dissenting in Russia itself.
Recent reports of the difficulties that some international students are facing in evacuating Ukraine are also of concern. We urge higher education institutions in Ukraine and leaders in higher education around the world to immediately institute programs backed by the needed financial resources to enable all scholars-at-risk to find safe haven.
In the coming weeks UTFA will be reaching out to student groups; U of T faculty, librarians, staff, and the Administration; OCUFA and CAUT to see how we can support solidarity actions already in progress.
UPP Member Survey Part Two: Responsible Investment now live
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
LAUNCH SURVEY
The survey is an anonymous way to share your opinions and perspectives with UPP about the role of responsible investing in your pension. Your answers are not linked to any personal identifiers and will be kept completely confidential. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and will remain open until April 30, 2022.
Stay Connected! Visit MyUPP.ca to subscribe for updates and share with UPP anytime.
Nominations for UTFA President now open
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
The nomination period for the 2022 UTFA Presidential election opens today, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
The UTFA President serves for two years, from July 1 immediately following the date of election. A President may serve up to three two-year terms consecutively.
The duties and terms of reference for the President are set out in the UTFA Constitution and Bylaws. The President of UTFA is directly elected by the members of the Association.
Any UTFA member in good standing may be nominated for the position of President. Candidates must be nominated by either two (2) members of Council or ten (10) members of UTFA. Nomination forms are available on the UTFA Presidential Election page along with Guidelines for the Presidential election.
Read more
COVID LOU Extension—New Town Hall; Health & Safety Update
Monday, February 28, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
We write to provide you with three important updates:
A. You are invited to a new Town Hall;
B. The COVID LOU has been extended in some significant areas, including PTR; and,
C. The Administration has recently indicated that it intends to continue to require certain key health and safety measures for at least the remainder of this term.
Read more
Nominations for UTFA President open on Tuesday, March 1
Friday, February 18, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
2022 is a Presidential election year for the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA). I have been appointed by UTFA Council as the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) for this election.
The UTFA President serves for two years, from July 1 immediately following the date of election. A President may serve up to three two-year terms consecutively. The duties and terms of reference for the President are set out in the UTFA Constitution and Bylaws. The President of UTFA is directly elected by the members of the Association.
The Presidential nomination period opens on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
Read more
Invitation to UTFA Town Halls on the 2020–2023 SBPW Agreement
Monday, February 7, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
As we previously wrote, on January 25, 2022, the UTFA Negotiating Team for Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload (SBPW) and the University Administration reached an agreement regarding the three-year period July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.
Please join us for an UTFA Town Hall to learn about the agreement and what it means for you. There will be an opportunity to have your questions answered. We encourage you to attend the session that corresponds to your campus; however, you are welcome to attend any session that fits your schedule.
UTFA Town Halls on the 2020–2023 SBPW Agreement
UTFA UTM Town Hall
Thursday, February 10, 2022
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
UTFA UTSC Town Hall
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
UTFA UTSG Town Hall
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Via Zoom
RSVP: Please register for the session you wish to attend by email to Chris Penn at faculty@utfa.org. Questions may be sent in advance to faculty@utfa.org or be raised, time permitting, at each Town Hall.
We hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić and Jun Nogami
UTFA Co-Lead Negotiators, SBPW Bargaining
You're Invited: UTFA Town Hall for Retirees on the Three-Year Agreement
Friday, February 4, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
On January 25, 2022, the UTFA Negotiating Team for Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload (SBPW) and the University Administration reached an agreement regarding the three-year period July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.
Please join us for a Town Hall to learn about the agreement, what it means for Retirees, and to have your questions answered.
What: UTFA Town Hall for Retirees on the 2020 – 2023 Agreement
Date: Monday, February 7, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Via zoom
RSVP: by email to Chris Penn at Faculty@utfa.org.
Questions may be sent in advance to Faculty@utfa.org or be raised, time permitting, at the town hall.
Retirees are also welcome to join the Town Halls which are being organized for each of the three campuses. Further details will be communicated early next week.
We hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Jun and Terezia
Co-Lead Negotiators, SBPW
UTFA Reaches Three-Year Agreement with Administration
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
On January 25, 2022, the UTFA Negotiating Team for Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload (SBPW) and the University Administration reached an agreement regarding the three-year period July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. This agreement has now been ratified by UTFA Council and the U of T Administration.
Under the terms of the deal, salary and benefits improvements for the first two years, ending June 30, 2022, have been settled. Terms for the third year, ending June 30, 2023, are subject to arbitration.
Bargaining in this round was constrained by Bill 124 (the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019) which restricts salary increases to 1% per year during the three-year period covered by this agreement. Furthermore, the legislation puts a limit of 1% per year on increases to total compensation which also limits benefits improvements.
Highlights of the settlement are listed below.
Salary
- July 1, 2020: 1.0% across-the-board salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2020.
- July 1, 2021: 1.0% across-the-board salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2021.
- PTR paid on July 1, 2021 will be augmented with an additional payment to reflect a 1% increase in breakpoints and increments.
- PTR for the 2021-2022 assessment period will be paid on July 1, 2022, and breakpoints and increments will increase by 1%. Pursuant to the COVID Letter of Understanding (LOU), the process to be followed will be subject to a discussion between UTFA and the University Administration regarding whether there should be any modification to the process for determining PTR scores and awards for the 2021-2022.
- Minimum Per Course Stipend and Overload Rate will increase from $17,895 to $18,255, effective on date of ratification.
Benefits
Year 1 benefits improvements:
An additional $180 will be deposited into each active member’s Health Care Spending Account (HCSA), with an effective deposit date of July 1, 2020. This is a one-time only adjustment that reflects the fact that benefits improvements for 2020-2021 cannot be utilized.
Year 2 benefits improvements:
An additional $50 will be deposited into each active member’s HCSA, with an effective deposit date of July 1, 2021. This is a one-time-only adjustment that reflects the fact that benefits improvements for 2021-2022 will be available for only part of the year.
The following benefits improvements will become effective as expeditiously as is practicable (UTFA is in discussions with the Administration about when that will be):
Year 3 – All remaining issues are subject to arbitration
In arbitration for Year 3, UTFA will continue to pursue the salary, benefits, and workload proposals for Year 3 that have been tabled as part of these negotiations.
Notably, UTFA is seeking important policy changes related to workload and an increase to the number of librarian research days.
With respect to benefits, UTFA has tabled benefits improvements for Year 3 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023) and will continue to resist all proposals by the University Administration that have the impact of reducing health benefits for retirees as compared to those for active members.
Within the context of Bill 124 and other factors that made this a difficult round of bargaining, including the need to negotiate the COVID LOU, UTFA made progress on the goals UTFA Council mandated us to pursue. That mandate included:
- PTR for 2020-2021 and future years;
- Fair and equitable workloads, including increased supports for remote academic work during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Mental health benefits improvements and stream-lined accommodation processes;
- Fair compensation and benefits for actives and retirees; and,
- Health and safety protections.
At the same time, there is still much work to be done via arbitration and in future rounds of UTFA SBPW bargaining on your behalf.
In closing, we would like to express our gratitude for the continuing work of the other members of the UTFA SBPW negotiating team: Roy Gillis, UTFA VP, University & External Affairs; Mary Alice Gutman, Professor Emeritus; David Roberts, Geography Associate Professor, Teaching Stream; Arjumand Siddiqi, Public Health Professor; and, Harriet Sonne de Torrens, Chair, UTFA Librarians Committee.
We also express our thanks for the support of our legal staff at UTFA: Reni Chang, Counsel, and Crystal Doyle, Legal Assistant, as well as our Executive Director, Kathy Johnson. Further, we thank Emma Phillips and Mary-Elizabeth Dill of Goldblatt Partners and Hugh Mackenzie of Mackenzie and Associates for their expertise and assistance.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić, UTFA President
Jun Nogami, UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload
Updates on Bargaining, the COVID LOU, and Health and Safety
Friday, January 28, 2022
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
Below are three brief updates: on salaries, benefits, and workload bargaining; the COVID LOU; and Health and Safety. Several important meetings on each of these items are scheduled in the coming days and we will write you more detailed communiqués by the end of next week.
Read full updates
Statement by the University of Toronto Faculty Association on the United Nations International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
Thursday, January 27, 2022
The University of Toronto Faculty Association recognizes the critical importance of acknowledging today, January 27, 2022, as the United Nations International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Moreover, UTFA calls for actions across all levels of Canadian society to eliminate antisemitism in all its forms and manifestations whether that be through acts of religious intolerance, vandalism, harassment, incitement to violence or acts of violence against persons or communities and condemns any attempts to deny or minimize the catastrophic impact of the Holocaust. UTFA also recognizes that acts of antisemitism and Holocaust denial have occurred within the University of Toronto community and condemns these actions and events unequivocally. UTFA supports the efforts of the University of Toronto administration to address antisemitism within the University of Toronto community and supports the recommendations contained within the Report of the University of Toronto Anti-Semitism Working Group.
As former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stated in January 2008, “We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history. We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today’s world. And we must do our utmost so that all peoples may enjoy the protection and rights for which the United Nations stands.”
Update/End of Year Best Wishes
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
When we wrote to you last week we shared a series of health and safety questions and concerns we had been raising with the University Administration in light of the significant threat posed by Omicron. This email provides a brief update, including some positive developments, based on the Administration’s responses to us in the last several days.
At an emergency meeting UTFA requested this Monday, we commended the Acting Provost and other senior Administrators for their December 15 announcement that halted in-person tests and exams and delayed in-person teaching and learning until January 31, 2022. We noted with appreciation their proactive approach to the surging variant of concern; the implicit recognition that a short notice requirement to ‘pivot’ to online exams would be untenable; and the clear acknowledgement that Omicron’s threat to public health now requires serious new measures to reduce the risks to U of T and our broader community.
Read full message
COVID/Omicron Variant: Questions for the Administration
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
Considering the rapidly rising COVID case numbers in Ontario—including Toronto and Peel—and the very serious threat posed by the Omicron variant, last week UTFA wrote to the University’s senior Administration. We pressed, once again, for greater transparency and the sharing of key health and safety information with UTFA, the public health scientists with whom we are working closely, and the broader University community.
Read full message
Annual Retiree Reception: Engaging with Indigenous Perspectives at U of T
Monday, December 6, 2021
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Update: Professor Dale Turner was guest speaker at this event. Drawing on his research and teaching activities, he proposed a range of answers to the key question How do we listen to Indigenous peoples in and on their own terms?
Professor Turner’s remarks were very well received. Listen to them here.
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Retirement offers many new opportunities. As a retiree, you continue to be an important member of the University of Toronto Faculty/Librarians community. In your first year of retirement you are welcomed, without fees, as a retired member of the University of Toronto Faculty Association. Following this there is an annual $50 fee for all UTFA retired members.
The UTFA Retired Members Committee identifies and addresses concerns that are particularly relevant to retirees, such as retiree health and other benefits, special events, and developments around the new UPP (University Pension Plan).
Read the full announcement
University Pension Plan (UPP) Member Engagement Announcement
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Today, University Pension Plan (UPP) kicks off a two-part member dialogue on Member Experience and Responsible Investing. These conversations - beginning this November - provide an avenue for members to share their perspectives and preferences on two important topics.
Fall 2021
On November 9th, UPP will launch Part One of a Member Survey focused on Member Experience, followed by accompanying virtual Townhalls on November 23rd (Morning Session) and November 25th (Afternoon Session). Townhall attendees are invited to submit questions in advance via the event registration page or on MyUPP.ca.
Read full announcement
Statement of Solidarity with Teachers, Librarians, and Archivists in Afghanistan from UTFA Members
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
We, members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA), stand in solidarity with colleagues working in schools, academia, cultural organizations, archives, and the libraries in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned about the threats to the safety and security of our colleagues, with particular concern for girls, women, and ethnic, religious, and sectarian minorities.
Teachers/instructors/professors, cultural workers, artists, librarians, and archivists in Afghanistan are leaders and role models who facilitate knowledge building and mobilization and engaged citizenship—both locally and globally, and who are integral to the wellbeing of society.
We call on Canadian and world leaders to collaborate globally to promote the professional and human rights of teachers/instructors/professors, cultural workers, artists, librarians, and archivists in Afghanistan. They offer trusted expertise and knowledge and preserve the history and culture of a people. Access to knowledge and information should be a fundamental human right.
Course credit / CERF / COVID LOU survey
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We are writing to make sure you are accessing 2 of the key entitlements UTFA negotiated on your behalf in the COVID Letter of Understanding (the “COVID LOU”).
Read the full message
Statement of Apology
Thursday, October 28, 2021
I apologize for using a phrase that evoked a negative trope at the What the hell happened at the University of Toronto Law School? event. I now better recognize how such tropes can tap into and reinforce harmful stereotypes about the Jewish community. Although it was not my intention, I acknowledge that the words I used caused pain and distress to many of my colleagues, who experienced them as insults. For that as well I am truly sorry.
As someone who has devoted decades of her life to the work of challenging discrimination in its many forms, I am humbled. I am reminded of my responsibility to foster more listening, more respectful dialogue, and a greater willingness to learn from each other so that we may pursue our shared goals as an Association.
Terezia Zorić, UTFA President
UTFA Statement – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Thursday, September 30, 2021
September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, one of 94 calls to action identified in Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. It asked that the federal government collaborate with Aboriginal peoples to establish a day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” UTFA stands with Indigenous members of the University of Toronto community in recognizing the particular role and responsibility that we in the post-secondary sector have to reflect on and learn Indigenous histories, cultures, and rights, as well as our own roles in the historic process of colonization. We join with the Canadian labour movement in calling for “all levels of government to make concrete commitments and take action on reconciliation by...
Read full statement
Petition Calling for a Safe University of Toronto Re-opening
Friday, September 24, 2021
We are asking for your help in addressing serious problems with the University of Toronto Administration’s approach to campus reopening.
According to a recent expert panel titled Is it safe to return to campus? featuring Canada’s leading public health scientists, U of T’s reopening plan fails in important ways to keep students, staff, faculty, and librarians on campus safe enough.
Every day we hear from UTFA members, staff, colleagues, and students who are deeply troubled by serious flaws in the U of T plan, but these concerns remain unacknowledged and unaddressed by U of T’s president and senior leadership. That must change.
Please read, sign, and share widely the following Petition Calling for a Safe University of Toronto Re-opening
Read full statement
Video: 'Is it safe enough to return to campus? What do public health scientists say?'
Thursday, September 16, 2021
On September 9th UTFA co-sponsored an expert panel titled “Is it safe enough to return to campus? What do public health scientists say?”
Panelists answered representative questions received from attendees ahead of time and via Zoom Q&A. This expert panel was organized by the Toronto Inter-University Coalition, which is comprised of faculty associations and unions from Toronto’s four universities and with the technical assistance of OCUFA.
To view the video of the event: https://youtu.be/hsx_UZCweDY
Expert Panel: 'Is it safe enough to return to campus? What do public health scientists say?' Thurs. Sept. 9, 7-9 PM
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
You are invited to join us for an interactive panel discussion with leading health and safety experts in epidemiology, indoor air quality, bioaerosols, bioethics, population health equity, and more.
Following brief presentations by the panelists, there will be an extended Q & A. Click here to register.
Read full invitation
Open Letter to President Gertler on COU Lobbying on Occupancy Limits
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Dear President Gertler:
The Council of Ontario Universities (COU), at which you represent the University of Toronto, is lobbying the Ford government to exempt universities from the indoor occupancy limits that protect against overcrowding and mitigate the risk of COVID. There is no good scientific rationale for this political move.
Read full statement
UTFA All Members’ Meeting on the COVID Letter of Understanding (LOU) & Health and Safety
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Please join us to learn more about how the recently-negotiated COVID LOU between UTFA and the Administration affects you, including:
- Your right not to be required to teach hybrid or dual-delivery courses;
- How the special PTR process works;
- Workload relief provisions;
- Your right to choose not to use Student Course Evaluations in some circumstances;
- Which of your expenses qualify under the special COVID Expense Reimbursement Fund (the “CERF”); and,
- Detailed accommodation guidelines, including whom to contact, for those facing medical circumstances, childcare responsibilities, or eldercare responsibilities.
UTFA’s members of the U of T Central Health and Safety Committee will also provide updates on, answer your questions about, and assess the sufficiency of the University Administration’s fall reopening plans.
Read full invitation
UTFA Council Ratifies COVID LOU (Agreement Reached with Administration)
Wednesday, August 11
On Monday, UTFA Council unanimously ratified a special COVID Letter of Understanding (the “COVID LOU”) the UTFA bargaining team had negotiated with the Administration.
As we explained in our last bargaining update, UTFA had been seeking to reach agreement on the most pressing COVID issues with the U of T Administration since the spring of 2020 and we had been negotiating the LOU since January 2021. Issues that are not COVID-specific, and that are part of regular salary, benefits, and workload negotiations—including annual across-the-board salary increases, benefit enhancements, and Workload Policy (WLPP) improvements—remain unresolved (See Appendix B of the LOU). Our last Memorandum of Settlement expired on June 30, 2020, and is subject to ongoing negotiations.
Read full statement
Health and Safety Checklist for University Re-opening
Friday, July 16
If the University Administration wishes to schedule significant in-person activities while COVID-19 remains a public health concern, a number of conditions must be met before staff and students can have confidence that their campus is safe enough for in-person teaching, learning, and other work. The following is a non-exhaustive list of steps that a University Administration must take, at a minimum, to reduce the risks associated with university re-openings.
Read full statement
Joint Statement to University Administration re: Faculty of Music
Monday, June 30
Dear Provost Regehr, Vice-Provost Boon, Professor Hannah-Moffat,
Open Letter Regarding the University of Toronto Faculty of Music
Read the letter
UTFA Statement on National Indigenous Peoples Day
Monday, June 21
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day on Turtle Island, a day of celebration, recognition, and respect for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures. This year’s National Indigenous Peoples Day is especially poignant in light of the recent discoveries of the remains of children at former residential schools across Canada.
Read the full statement
Open Letter to President Gertler re: CAUT Censure
Thursday, June 10
Re: Town Hall on the CAUT Censure of the University of Toronto Administration
In the wake of the CAUT censure, UTFA has hosted two all-member events. Our first information session, on May 6, answered our members’ questions about the CAUT censure process and what the censure entails.
Read the letter
UTFA Bargaining Update and Move to Mediation
Wednesday, June 9
We are writing to update you on our efforts to negotiate salary, benefits, pensions, and workload (SBPW) improvements on your behalf. As we previously reported, UTFA entered into the current round of SBPW negotiations with the U of T Administration in the Fall of 2019. Our proposals arose from a series of surveys and constituency-based consultations with faculty and librarians
Read the full update
UTFA statement on hate crime in London, Ontario
Wednesday, June 9
UTFA denounces the hate crime that led to the murder of four Muslim family members in London, Ontario this weekend.
Read the full statement
UTFA mourns the loss of Indigenous children in mass grave at residential school site
Thursday, June 3
UTFA grieves the loss of 215 Indigenous children following the discovery of remains found at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. We mourn the deaths of these children in solidarity with their families and Indigenous communities.
Read the full statement
Op-ed: OCADU’s decision to terminate four librarians reflects a troubling trend in the post-secondary sector
Monday, May 31
On June 1, 2021, OCADU Administration will officially eliminate six library positions. This will result in the loss of four senior librarians who have over seven decades of service and experience. Please read this op-ed by Min Sook Lee (OCADU Faculty Association President), Harriet Sonne de Torrens (UTFA Librarians Committee Chair) & Terezia Zorić (UTFA President) on the loss of the library positions and how it reflects a troubling trend in the post-secondary sector.
Read the full op-ed
CAUT Censure: Frequently Asked Questions
Wednesday, May 26
The purpose of this FAQ document is to provide responses to questions that our members raised during a special information session on the CAUT censure (held on May 6, 2021) and via email before and after the event. We hope to continue updating this page as new questions emerge.
Read the full statement
Second Membership Meeting on CAUT censure
Friday, May 21
We are inviting you to a second UTFA special meeting about the CAUT censure of the U of T Administration. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 27 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
Read the full statement
Update on CAUT censure
Friday, May 14
As you know, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) recently issued a rare censure against UofT’s Administration in response to the hiring controversy at the Faculty of Law. Following that decision, UTFA organized an information session on May 6, 2021 with CAUT’s Executive Director, David Robinson, to explain the censure process.
UTFA is a member of CAUT. CAUT is a highly valued, democratic organization that speaks as a respected national voice for faculty, librarians, and other academic staff across Canada’s post-secondary sector. It is clear that CAUT Council came to its censure decision by way of an informed process.
Read the full update
OPEN LETTER to the President of OCADU on the decision to eliminate six librarian positions
Thursday, May 13
On behalf of the members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) Executive and the UTFA Librarians Committee, we are writing to urge you and senior OCADU Administration to re-consider the decision to eliminate six librarian positions. We call on you to adopt and respect a collegial process that involves librarians, faculty, students, and the broader community.
We have serious concerns about the radical elimination of six professional librarian positions under the guise of a structural re-organization that has occurred without a collegial process of consultation with faculty, students, or the librarians who have lost their jobs. We are disappointed that the University Librarian, Tony White, and the OCADU Administration have decided to terminate the employment of four academic librarians. Combined, the four librarians have more than six decades of expertise and knowledge – a loss that is irreplaceable. Despite years of exceptional service, they were given their layoff notices on May 5, 2021 and will officially lose their jobs as of June 1, 2021. We are also concerned about the decision to eliminate two unfilled librarian positions at OCADU.
Read the full statement
UTFA Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Tuesday, April 27 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
UTFA’s 2021 AGM will feature two interactive panels who will answer questions posed by the membership.
Panel 1: Health & Safety Experts from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Panel 2: Bargaining Update
Register
Read the 2021 AGM Newsletter
Further AGM details
Public Statement from Historians at the University of Toronto, April 21, 2021
As faculty of the University of Toronto’s History Department, we join with hundreds of our colleagues in the fields of health and medicine in condemning the Government of Ontario’s refusal, through 13 months of this devastating pandemic, to even consider funding paid sick leave and paid time off for vaccinations for essential workers in this province. While the April 20th announcement extends the hope that a plan is finally coming, it is critical to remember that this government has repeatedly refused to implement these policies despite multiple calls to do so from the members of its own COVID-19 Science Table, leading public health experts, as well as ER and ICU physicians.
Read the full statement
The Laurentian Crisis and the fight to secure funding
Laurentian University's Administration appears intent to file for court protection and proceed with a financial restructuring plan that overrides the principles of collegial governance, collective bargaining rights, and relies on unethical use of research grants to pay off administrative debts. This plan may also jeopardize Laurentian University's important role in having a tricultural mandate to provide English, French, and Indigenous educational programs.
We strongly encourage all UTFA members and the University of Toronto community to join the broader coalition in showing support for our northern colleagues before the April 30th deadline. Please use the links on this page to learn more about the situation at Laurentian and to learn about the many ways to take action in solidarity with LUFA as well as Laurentian's students, staff and the Sudbury community.
UTFA's Laurentian solidarity page with links for information and action
Background articles
UTFA open letter to the Laurentian University Faculty Association
UTFA statement on Laurentian eliminating more than 60 programs
Working together, we took action and we won
Thank you. Three weeks ago, following protracted negotiations and an unsuccessful arbitration, we found ourselves facing an Administration that continued to withhold our July 1, 2020 PTR increases—despite the extraordinary efforts UTFA members have been making during the pandemic. In response, we launched an online petition and you immediately responded by signing the petition and writing to the Administration.
Thanks to you, within hours of our petition going live the Administration reached out to UTFA to negotiate a settlement to the PTR impasse. After UTFA obtained clarification on a key provision of the proposal, they ultimately provided everything we asked for in the petition.
Read more
Key win on PTR
Good news! Yesterday we wrote to you about the ongoing decision by U of T’s Senior Administration to withhold your July 1, 2020 PTR (Progress Through the Ranks) increase. The response from our membership was immediate and overwhelmingly supportive of UTFA’s position as expressed in our PTR petition.
Read more
Where is your July 1, 2020 PTR?
Please read this update on UTFA’s efforts to challenge the Administration’s withholding of your 2019-2020 PTR (Progress Through the Ranks).
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UTFA year-end update
As this strange and difficult year comes to a close, I’m writing to offer a brief reflection on the work our Association has been doing.
Since March, the pandemic has affected every aspect of our working lives. A series of UTFA member surveys have documented how the rapid shift to remote work has exacerbated the widespread problem of excessive workloads and pre-pandemic systemic inequities. On very short notice and under challenging circumstances, faculty and librarians on all 3 campuses have more than risen to the occasion—routinely sacrificing care for themselves in order to fulfill their commitments to their students, their scholarly and professional communities, and the broader purposes of the University as a whole.
Read the full update
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U of T’s Reopening Plan is NOT Safe Enough. We Need to Take Fall 2020 Online
The University of Toronto’s reopening plan does not guarantee a safe return to in-person work. Until the safety of students and workers can be guaranteed, in-person learning, teaching, librarianship, and other academic work should be paused.
Update on Health and Safety from UTFA President Terezia Zorić
WATCH: Not Safe Enough — Listening to the Science on the Reopening of U of T Panel Discussion
Below you will find articles on some the latest scientific developments affecting in-person teaching, some of the key challenges facing schools, case studies of schools as they attempt to go back, as well as UTFA media coverage around this issue. It will be updated daily so please check back for the latest developments. As well, please sign and share our petition.
