The 2023-2027 Collective Agreement contains provisions affirming the commitment to reconciliation and decolonization. It also contains provisions that take action on these important principles.
Advocate support will be available to candidates in critical collegial processes – searches, renewal of probation, tenure, promotion, and appeals. This is possibly one of the most significant new provisions in the Agreement. Indigenous candidates or candidates who engage in Indigenous research, scholarly, or artistic work, teaching, or practice of professional skills, can choose to be supported in collegial processes by an advocate who will advise the applicable committee in a meeting in person, or by a written or recorded submission prior to deliberations about the candidate.
Candidates are responsible for identifying the advocate in advance. This provision is available now for eligible employees who have submitted a case for renewal of probation, tenure, or promotion.
Other important action-oriented provisions include defining Indigenous research, scholarly, and artistic work to align with definitions adopted by the Federal Tri-agencies. This definition applies to the collegial processes of faculty appointments, renewal of probation, promotion, and tenure. It will also aid in the implementation of another new provision requiring action on reconciliation and decolonization. That provision is the need for academic units to include Indigenous research, scholarly, or artistic work or practice of professional skills, or teaching, where applicable, in tenure and promotion standards. In addition, a new category for awarding special increases for excellence in Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation has been added.
There is now a requirement for all faculty members to complete training in anti-racism and unconscious bias in order to participate in the following committees: Appointments, Renewal of Probationary Appointments, Tenure, Promotion, and Salary Review Procedures. While this provision is deemed to take effect immediately, the Association and the Employer are working on implementation details and agree that processes currently underway will not be delayed because committee members have not yet taken this training. Implementation details will be shared once they are finalized.
Among the new provisions act on the principles of reconciliation and decolonization are a new paid holiday, a new paid leave, and a tuition waiver (3 CU per term) for Indigenous language courses or courses identified as having significant components addressing racism, oppression, unconscious bias, and/or cultural awareness. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been added as an additional paid holiday, embedding it as a right for Association members. The new paid leave available to employees allows for up to seven working days annually to be granted to participate in traditional Indigenous ceremonies.
The new Agreement recognizes the challenge faced by some Association members when it comes to teaching courses on Indigenization, decolonization or reconciliation when their training and expertise do not cover these areas. In these circumstances, the development and/or teaching of such courses may now be considered as an extraordinary teaching assignment under the Agreement, which includes extra compensation.