Following two days of Interest Arbitration, months of mediation, and over a year of bargaining, we are pleased to announce significant gains in our Memorandum of Agreement, especially in the areas of Sessional and Teaching Intensive Stream job security and in equity hiring and retention. This Award adds to the improvements to TA/RA allocation already achieved through mediation, as well improvements to the TA/RA hiring process and Pregnancy, Parental, Adoption, and Supplementary Parental Leave already agreed to in negotiations prior to mediation/arbitration.

Below you will find a quick summary provided by our Negotiations Chair, Eric Steenbergen, of everything we were able achieve in this bargaining round. You can find Arbitrator Kaplan’s Award here, and a summary of all changes here.

The following items have been awarded through the arbitration process

(see details in the Award linked above)

Security TIS – TIS faculty will now have permanence upon their third contract after some form of review.

Security Sessional – This award introduces the concept of a Right of Reappointment to our MOA for Sessional Faculty members. Sessional faculty will now have the right to be reappointed to 1 section of a course per term (if that course is available to be offered to a sessional faculty member) after teaching that course 4 times (counting 1 section per term) within the last 5 years.

Maximum course load for studio sessionals – The current temporary cap of 4 sections per academic year for studio sessionals has been made permanent.

Equity hiring and retention – Both parties expressed deep commitment to equity hiring initiatives the award provides part of OCADFA’s proposal on equity hiring. The Award includes numerous provisions to help make OCADU a more diverse and equitable workplace, including:

  • Adding diversity hiring to the MOA’s “statement of principles”
  • Updating the Employment and Educational Equity Committee (EEEC)
  • The collection of demographic information and ‘exit interviews’ of departing faculty who identify as being part of an equity seeking group
  • Recognition of “the unique burden carried by faculty members from equity seeking groups in both the measurement and assignment of workload,” and provides for “culturally-relevant support and mentorship to faculty, including sessional faculty, on an on-going basis.”
  • An employer commitment to providing administrative and financial resources for recruitment and retention of equity seeking faculty
  • The posting of sessional job vacancies for at least 3 weeks, and a provision for the hiring committee to interview the most diverse candidate pool possible
  • For all faculty and academic staff categories, “the hiring committee shall consider an inclusive range of qualifications, where strength is measured in all possible dimensions relevant to an academic appointment, including equity, diversity and inclusion together with those specific to the assignment.”

Across the board wage increase – Under Bill 124 wage growth is capped at %1 per year for 3 years, referred to as a ‘moderation period’, the award provides the maximum allowable amount.

Outstanding items from the award are:

(While we have a ruling, and the results of that ruling are binding, there are two items that the Arbitrator has directed the parties to discuss and come to agreement. Should we fail to agree the Arbitrator will issue a ruling on these matters.)

Disposition of the 1% remainder. This is the portion of our total compensation that is not salary and not impacted by an increase to salary. There is an amount of money available under the Bill 124 1% limit that we are instructed to come to an agreement about. To date OCADFA has suggested that this money be spent to: 1. Support OCADFA operations through course releases 2. Improve Professional development payments and expand their scope, and 3. Improve the availability of sabbatical.  It should be noted that there is only a small amount of money to be discussed.

TIS permanency criteria and process. The arbitrator has ruled that the parties must agree on the process and criteria for TIS faculty to gain permanence, OCADFA will propose a peer review process similar to a tenure review, scoped appropriately to the TIS role. 

Selected items that were agreed to as part of the mediation process:

(full agreement is linked above)

TA allocation – a TA allocation formula based on course type and enrolment has been appended to the MOA as a letter of understanding.

TA training – annual paid training (5 hours) in pedagogical practice and appointment specific training will not be provided to all TAs.

Merit review – the previous performance review process, which has been temporarily suspended under a letter of understand in favour of a merit review process, has been finalized and incorporated into the MOA.

Selected items that were agreed to in negotiations prior to mediation:

(full agreement is linked above)

Teaching and Research Assistant hiring – a significant overhaul of the process for hiring TAs and RAs was agreed to help prioritize graduate students and make a concerted effort to match those students with their areas of interest and expertise. 

Pregnancy, parental, adoption and supplemental leave – a robust leave program has been agreed with a significant top up, prorated by leave length.

Adding Tenure track faculty to hiring committees – Tenure track faculty have been added to the committees for all categories except tenure track, Tenure track faculty on tenure track committees is agreed on a more limited basis, as a letter of understanding which will expire but may be renewed next round.