Breaking news! We are pleased to announce that Arbitrator Eli Gedalof has issued his arbitration award.
UTFA was successful in achieving a 7% Across-The-Board (ATB) pay increase (the Administration proposed 1.75%). This increase is in addition to the 3% ATB increases already achieved during the three years of the 2020-2023 Agreement with the Administration, resulting in a cumulative total of 10% ATB. The 7% ATB increase is retroactive to July 1, 2022. We have already approached the Administration to advocate for the earliest possible implementation of the award. We will provide an update on this as soon as we hear back from the Administration.
In addition to the ATB pay increase, other elements of the award include:
- Increase to the Per Course Stipend (overload course rate) by 7% in addition to the 1% already received, retroactive to July 1, 2022;
- Workload:
- Amending Article 4.2 of the Workload Policy (WLPP), by recognizing the level and/or hours of technical and/or pedagogical support for teaching as a relevant factor in considering workload.
- Requiring all units to prepare an Annual Workload Document on an annual basis. The Document will provide greater transparency around assigned workloads within the unit with respect to teaching, service, mode of delivery, class size, TA support, and course release (subject to any confidential accommodation agreements). Annual Unit Workload Documents are to be shared with all members of the unit and with UTFA by June 30 of each year.
The award does not grant:
- Any of UTFA’s other proposals addressing untransparent, excessive, and inequitable workloads. Arbitrator Gedalof characterized our proposals as constituting a significant alteration to the status quo, which, within the framework of our MoA, is ill-suited to positive resolution via interest arbitration.
- PTR increment increases for work done in the July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, salary year. Arbitrator Gedalof sided with the University Administration in agreeing that he did not have jurisdiction to award the PTR increase. He explained that the structure of our MoA prevented him from awarding PTR increases beyond the third year of the Agreement.
- Freeze provisions to protect the terms and conditions of employment of our members between negotiated agreements (e.g., so that the Administration cannot unilaterally withhold salary or benefit entitlements from faculty and librarians, as it did with our July 1, 2020 PTR increases). Arbitrator Gedalof emphasized that although freeze provisions are “an integral part” of collective bargaining, they are not available to UTFA under our MoA, which does not provide our members with the protections of the Ontario Labour Relations Act.
We will provide you with a more detailed analysis next week. To continue the conversation, we will also announce dates for all-member Town Hall Meetings to discuss the terms of the award, answer any questions you may have, and hear from you about your priorities for the upcoming round of negotiations.
Sincerely,
Ariel Katz
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President