A Message from Chris Leithead, TA/RA Representative for OCADFA
Hi I’m Chris Leithead, the TA/RA Representative on the OCADFA Board. As a Teaching or Research Assistant at OCAD University, you’re also a member of the OCAD Faculty Association. As your representative, I want to hear directly from you on how OCADFA can push for improved working conditions for all our Teaching and/or Research Assistant members.
I’m inviting you to drop-in and meet with me and OCADFA’s Executive Director (Graeme Reniers), so we can hear directly from you about the most pressing issues that need to be addressed in OCADFA’s ongoing negotiations with the OCAD Administration to renew our Memorandum of Agreement.
A number of OCADFA’s bargaining proposing specifically address TA/RA working conditions. We’re proposing to #RaiseTheBar! for TAs and RAs at OCADU by:
- Increasing hours and establishing a minimum to ensure Tutorial Leaders have time to prepare for tutorials, grading, and to communicate with students;
- Recognizing the extra work TAs do to accommodate students;
- Acknowledging the original contributions Research Assistants make to research;
- Expanding access to extended health benefits to cover all TAs and RAs;
- And finally, we’re also proposing significantly increased pay, including the significant gap between Undergraduate and Graduate Research Assistants
These proposals reflect the issues identified by Teaching and Research Assistants in previous OCADFA surveys and membership meetings. For a full list of issues and to stay current on negotiations by visiting https://ocadfa.ca/bargaining/
We need to hear from you on how these issues are impacting your working conditions at OCAD, and what other issues OCADFA needs to address with the University’s Administration.
We also need a Teaching/Research Assistant representative on the OCADFA Negotiations Teams. The position comes with a $500/semester honouraria, and is an exciting opportunity to be directly involved in improving your working conditions, and those of your peers. No bargaining or union experience is necessary, but this is a great way to get some. If you’re interested in this, or want to learn more about what it entails, please contact OCADFA’s Executive Director at graemereniers@ocadfa.ca
In Solidarity,
Chris Leithead
Drop-in details:
- When: February 15th, 2024 from 3:00 – 4:30 P.M.
- Where: The Grad Lounge (205 Richmond, room 701) and Hybrid vs MS Teams
- Why: Have your say in TA/RA bargaining priorities