Breaking News: Arbitration Award on Your Salary Increases and ATB Salary Implementation

Dear Colleagues,

This morning, Arbitrator Gedalof issued an award resolving all outstanding disputes between UTFA and the University of Toronto Administration with respect to the Across-the-Board (ATB) salary adjustment for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. He also resolved all outstanding disputes with respect to the retroactive salary increases previously awarded for July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.

Arbitrator Gedalof has once more reinforced that our members should be awarded increases that keep salaries at the highest levels in the country. According to Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pension and Workload and Co-Lead Negotiator, Jun Nogami, "We are disappointed that while Arbitrator Gedalof acknowledged the need for full inflationary catch-up as per arguments advanced by UTFA, he declined to close the gap between our wage increases and the long-term effects of inflation. It should also be kept in mind that the benefits improvements he awarded in July 2025 were wholly inadequate since they should have represented improvements that were cumulative over the entire three-year period. While UTFA persuaded the Arbitrator to uphold the rights of former employees to be retroactively compensated for salary increases during their period of employment, he declined to extend the same protection to recent hires, who are often among our lowest-paid and most precarious members. The work continues as we re-enter bargaining later this month.”

Details of the 2025-2026 Salary Award
Arbitrator Gedalof awarded a 2.5% salary adjustment effective July 1, 2025.

The Arbitrator confirmed that ATB increases would apply to base salaries, salary floors, overload stipends, PTR increments, and breakpoints. He declined jurisdiction to consider UTFA’s proposals to increase the salary floors of Librarian I and II positions in this award.

The Arbitrator acknowledged that UTFA members are entitled to full inflationary wage catch-up but declined to fully close the remaining gap.

In UTFA’s view, Arbitrator Gedalof’s refusal to catch wages up with inflation is inconsistent with previously awarded outcomes, which support wage increases at or above inflation in the prior year. UTFA proposed a 4.0% wage increase structured as 3.0% ATB and 1.0% as a fixed dollar increase to base salary to be distributed equally among members, prorated to the percentage of appointment. In contrast, the Administration proposed an increase of only 1.5%, which would have left members woefully short of inflation and below top of market in the sector.

UTFA advanced analysis that its proposed 4.0% ATB increase would have caught members up with the cumulative effects of inflation; salary increases for faculty and librarians under the prior award left members’ salaries a compounded 1.4% lower than inflation. Despite the Administration failing to advance any argument or evidence that it would be unable to pay for such an increase, Arbitrator Gedalof still declined to “close the gap” on inflation in this round. He accepted the logic of UTFA’s arguments but did not seize the opportunity to act on their principles. By awarding only 2.5% ATB, Arbitrator Gedalof failed to protect members’ wages against the compounding consequences of inflation.

2023-2026 Eligibility for Salary Increases
Arbitrator Gedalof clarified the implementation of ATB increases resulting from his July 3, 2025 award on Salary, Benefits, and Workload for the period of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025. His determination on eligibility also applies to the 2.5% salary increase awarded effective July 1, 2025.

Former Employees
UTFA secured a win for members who worked during the term of the ATB increases but who left the University prior to the July 3, 2025 award of Arbitrator Gedalof. Whether these members left their employment by way of resignation, termination, or because they passed away during the relevant period, they (or their estates) are entitled to retroactive compensation for any increase awarded for the period of time they worked.

The Administration has been excluding these members from ATB increases without lawful justification. UTFA will continue to advocate for transparent implementation of today’s award and reach out to former members to ensure all those owed compensation are paid appropriately.

Recent Hires
Despite a petition signed by 748 UTFA members (and counting), the Administration refused to back down from its position that recent hires should be excluded from ATB increases awarded in their year of hire based on language in their Letter of Offer. Regrettably, Arbitrator Gedalof accepted the Administration’s position on this issue.

Despite UTFA’s arguments in support of recent hires receiving ATB increases, Arbitrator Gedalof determined that the Administration has the right to negotiate starting salaries directly with new hires so long as the resulting salary is above the minimum salary floors negotiated by UTFA and the Administration. He states that ATB increases should be implemented consistent with the terms of the hiring letters issued by the Administration, meaning retroactive increases made effective during the first year of employment will not be applied to starting salaries.

UTFA maintains that the Administration should never be authorized to negotiate terms with individual members that would deprive them of a benefit negotiated by the Association. UTFA is dissatisfied with Arbitrator Gedalof’s endorsement of a hiring practice that excludes recent hires from negotiated and awarded salary increases that should apply to all members.

You can read the briefs submitted to Arbitrator Gedalof on the salary issues here:

Your UTFA Negotiating Team will continue to fight for the rights of all our members and to fully close the inflationary wage gap. On January 23, 2026, we will begin bargaining with the Administration for salary, benefits, and workload improvements for the period July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. We will update you on our progress.

Sincerely,

Terezia Zorić
UTFA President and Co-chief Negotiator

Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload and Co-chief Negotiator