OCADFA - Ontario College of Art & Design Faculty Association

Bargaining Updates

Updates – Bargaining Bulletins

Bulletin #17 – November 21, 2024 Bargaining update: The parties have completed three days of mediation (on November 7, 8 and 19). While we were unable to reach a final deal with the Employer, we have continued to make progress towards an agreement. The parties have therefore agreed to reconvene on January 8 for what we expect will be a final day of mediation/arbitration. This means that if no agreement is reached on January 8th, Arbitrator Kaplan will issue an arbitration award shortly thereafter. As the parties remain in formal mediation, we are not in a position to share details at this time. We look forward to provided a comprehensive update to the membership in January. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
November 21, 2024
Bulletin #16 – October 22, 2024 OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Admin’s team for the 16th time yesterday, for our last bargaining session before mediation. We resumed working towards an agreement on graduate supervision, but were unable to reach an agreement. We did, nonetheless, reach an agreement on three other issues. Overall, we have reached an agreement on 16 items. Many important issues for OCADFA members remain to be resolved. We have three mediation dates scheduled throughout November, beginning on the 7th. If we’re going to reach a voluntary agreement before the end of the calendar year, we need see some substantial movement. Our members have been waiting long enough for a new contract. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
October 22, 2024

Bulletin #15 – October 1, 2024 We returned to the table for another afternoon mini-session yesterday, to continue working towards addressing the issue of graduate supervision. Some progress was made on that end, but no agreement was reached. We’ll resume that conversation on October 22nd. We did, however, reach an agreement to simplify and streamline the Right of Reappointment application process. Job security was a top issue for OCADFA’s Sessional members, so we are encouraged by the progress, but more needs to be done. Our next bargaining session is scheduled for October 22nd, which is also our last Session scheduled session before mediation. With 24 OCADFA proposals still on the table, we call on the administration to come to the table on the 22nd fully prepared to make significant movement. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
October 1, 2024
Bulletin #14 – September 20, 2024 We returned to the table last Friday for the first time since the start of the school year, and for the 15th time in total. OCADFA tabled three amended proposals addressing the definition of course load, ensuring adequate and scheduled access to sabbaticals, and recognition of academic staff research and creative practice. We also addressed the TA appointment process for this term, which was lacking in timeliness, transparency, alignment of opportunities with graduate students and their expertise, and faculty consultation. Most of the meeting focused on recognizing and equitably distributing the workload of supervising graduate students and some progress was made, but further work needs to be done to acknowledge that work, while recognizing there are also other ways faculty members contribute to the teaching mission of the university. We look forward to making more progress when we return to the table on October 1. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
September 20, 2024
August 1, 2024
We met with the employer for the 12th time yesterday and were able to reach agreements on replacing faculty committee elections with a consultative and transparent process, on recognizing internal candidates in the hiring process, and made further progress towards streamlining the Right of Reappoint process. We also made progress on prioritizing current graduate students for TA/RA positions, and recognizing the crucial role played by Program Chairs and Graduate Program Directors. That brings the overall proposal scoreboard to the following: Agreed-to: 12 Some Progress: 10 No Progress: 4 Rejected: 8 Withdrawn: 3 Monetary (reserved) 17 Our next bargaining session is scheduled for July 3rd. We hope to continue the momentum towards a renewed MOA over the summer.
June 27, 2024
We resumed negotiations yesterday, in a meeting that was mostly a follow-up to our May 15th bargaining session. Some further progress was made on a few proposals, including agreement on two. That brings the overall proposal scorecard to the following: Agreed-to: 9 Some Progress: 13 No Progress: 4 Rejected: 8 Withdrawn: 3 Monetary (reserved) 17 Initial steps have been taken on the proposals labelled monetary, as we have seen the admin’s costings on our proposal. We’ll take the time to scrutinize the costing, as well as the university’s overall financial picture. We have four more bargaining sessions scheduled from late June to early August. We hope today marks the beginning of some momentum towards a renewed MOA.
May 29, 2024

Bulletin #10 – May 15, 2024 Our full Negotiations Committee met with the Employer’s full team for the first time since we finished presenting all non-monetary proposals in March. We did meet between meetings to appraise the status of every bargaining proposal: so far, we can report 7 proposals have been agreed upon, 3 withdrawn, 17 reserved as monetary, and 27 non-monetary proposals remain on the table. Today we made some progress concerning on a wide variety of issues: onboarding; prioritizing current grad students; prioritizing internal candidates for open positions; eliminating Teaching Stream rank limitations; eliminating the election process for faculty committee representation; streamlining ROR; Sessional stipends; student evaluations; course load; and finally, job stabilization and recognition of professional practice/research for Technicians. We look forward to providing an update at our upcoming Membership Meeting (on May 27th) ahead of our next bargaining date (May 28th).
May 15, 2024
This is a graphic with the background showing a large red exclamation mark. At the bottom of the graphic the text reads: Bargaining Bulletin, the OCADFA logo is to the left. The text in the graphic reads: We met with the Administration’s bargaining team for the 9th time on Wednesday, March 20. At this meeting we discussed a wide range of proposals, including the need to: increase TA availability to support faculty and students. Protect stable jobs for Technicians by eliminating never-ending chains of precarious contracts. Value the contributions made to the University by OCADFA members when they apply for other – or permanent – positions at OCAD. Recognize the long-term service Continuing faculty have provided to the University by ending their precarity. Recognize research performed by Academic Staff. End the unjustifiable limitation on Teaching Stream reaching higher ranks and pay. Fall in line with other universities and materially recognize the service provided by elected officers of the Faculty Association. Acknowledge the importance of protecting academic freedom, including extramural expression. Every proposal under our first five pillars have now been discussed at length with the Administration at the bargaining table. We expect fulsome responses from the Administration on these proposals at our next Bargaining meeting, before moving on to our monetary proposals to improve benefits and compensation.
March 20, 2024
This is a graphic with the background showing a large red exclamation mark to the right and two OCADFA buttons below. The title reads: Bargaining Bulletin. The text in the graphic reads: We met with the Administration’s bargaining team for the 8th time on Friday, March 8 to discuss our remaining proposals under our Fostering an Equitable and Fair Workplace pillar, and our Advancing Professional Development Pillar. Specifically, we discussed our proposed Indigenization Letter of Understanding and how to better recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We also discussed the critical need for a significantly improved onboarding process for new faculty. For Professional Development, we pushed for the need for a general increase, for extending some level of funding to be available for all OCADFA members, and to eliminate the need to compete with each other for the necessary sabbatical leaves for faculty to perform research and practice. We meet again on March 20, and look forward to making more tangible progress towards a renewed Memorandum of Agreement. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
March 8, 2024
This is a graphic titled Bulletin #7 - February 22, 2024. The background graphics show a large red exclamation point to the right and OCADFA buttons at the lower right. The text reads: "OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Administration for the seventh time on February 22nd. Our focus this time was on workload issues. Specifically, we discussed course and total student load, graduate supervision, recognition of the unique burden carried by faculty members from equity seeking groups, and the equitable distribution of service. Addressing workload has been identified by the membership as a top priority, with 77% reporting an intensification of work in the last three years. Indeed, since 2017 the student population at OCAD has increased by 13% but the number of non-Sessional faculty has actually dropped from 201 to 166. Something has to give. Our next bargaining meeting is scheduled for March 8th. We look forward to making more progress for our members. #RaiseTheBarOCADU. Bargaining Bulletin
February 22, 2024
This is a Bargaining Bulletin graphic. The background has two OCADFA buttons, a large red exclamation point and the title below in white on a red border which reads: BARGAINING BULLETIN. The text in the graphic reads: Bulletin #6 – December 15, 2023. We met with the Administrations negotiations team for the sixth time today. Our team pressed for, among other things, the need for large class premiums and improved job security for Sessionals; recognition of Chairs and Graduate program directors in the MoA; stronger faculty complement language to ensure a sustainable number of Tenure/Tenure-track appointments; an improved Graduate Admission and process for identifying supervisors; and a title change for Technicians to better recognize their role in the University. The conversation today was productive and we look forward to continuing that momentum in the new year, with more frequent meetings. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
December 15, 2023
Bulletin 5 – November 16, 2023 OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Administration for the fifth time today. Since we last met, four proposals have been agreed to, and three have been withdrawn from the Employer. Today’s discussions focused on proposals that primarily address Sessional working conditions, specifically, the role of student evaluations, hiring practices and the Right of Reappointment, stipends for non-course work, and compensation in the event of course cancellation. We didn’t reach agreement on any of these issues today, but the conversations were productive. We’re looking forward to a full day of bargaining on December 15. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
November 16, 2023
OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Administration’s team today for the first time in three months to exchange initial responses to each other’s proposals. Some progress was made today in that a number of items were agreed-to in principle. That said, we are still waiting on responses to the majority of our proposals to improve the working conditions for our members. We are hoping the Administration comes prepared to respond clearly and concretely to our full package of proposals, so that further progress can be made. #RaiseTheBarOCADU
October 17, 2023
Bulletin 3 – July 7, 2023 RAISING THE BAR AT OCADU OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Administration’s team today to review, ask clarification questions, and elaborate on the intentions of each other’s initial proposals. The aim of today was not to respond with positions or counters on each proposal, but build a better understanding of the proposals on the table and the issues they are intended to address. It was productive in that sense, and we look forward to making progress towards a renewed Memorandum of Agreement.
July 7, 2023
OCADFA’s Negotiations Committee met with the Admin on Friday (May 26) to exchange initial proposals to renew the MOA, which expires on June 30. Our proposals are based on the seven pillars of our bargaining mandate, as approved by the membership at the Nov 2022 AGM. Our focus is on Raising the Bar at OCADU, and our proposals will improve faculty and academic staff working conditions, which are student learning conditions. You can find more information on our proposals on the new Bargaining Section of our website.
May 29, 2023
March 15, 2023