At the November 2021 Council meeting, the “Inventions and Enterprise Creation Policy – For Council Approval – November 2021” was presented for approval by vote. The Collective Agreement between the University of Saskatchewan and the USFA governs intellectual property (IP) involving faculty under Articles 25 and 26, and an associated Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). Recognizing […]
Read More »Since May 2021, USFA has been engaging in negotiations regarding a retirement incentive proposed by the Employer. We are pleased to let you know these discussions have concluded with a tentative agreement that provides some certainty and stability for an additional year through an extension to the Collective Agreement, enhancements to permanent retirement incentives in […]
Read More »Yesterday, after 35 days on strike, University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) members voted to accept a tentative agreement reached with U of M administration. The agreement prioritizes recruitment and retention of professors, instructors, and librarians at the University of Manitoba, and will improve working conditions for UMFA members, and learning conditions for students. UMFA members stood […]
Read More »Our recent issue of Collectively Speaking garnered a lot of responses from members, especially about how poorly Concur and Direct Travel serve the university. Most responses echoed issues laid out in Collectively Speaking. None of the feedback described positive experiences. A sentiment in the responses was that faculty were “scolded” in response to efforts at getting airfare […]
Read More »Read the November 15 issue of VOX here.
Read More »Faculty at the University of Manitoba are into week three of their strike. Information on the union’s website states: “The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has reached an impasse with the University’s administration after mediation failed to produce an agreement that prioritized faculty recruitment and retention.” UMFA presented a final offer, which was not accepted by […]
Read More »Our administrative workload: Increases and hurdles to our research Increasingly the USFA is dealing with administrative workload related issues. At the heart of issues faced by members are employer unilateral decisions that are taking their toll. This issue of Collectively Speaking is about two services: 1-Concur particularly as it pertains to travel arrangements, and 2- […]
Read More »If, as a condition of employment, you are required to maintain a certification or license in order to perform your academic duties, you may be eligible for reimbursement of some or all of your licensing or certification fees (Article 22.12.2). Claims for reimbursement must be submitted between November 1 and December 1, 2021. Claims submitted late will not […]
Read More »Travel Expense Reimbursements Recently, there have been multiple communications from university administration stating that airfare for approved travel will not be reimbursed unless booked through Concur or Direct Travel, “USask’s preferred travel provider.” In addition to this statement being inconsistent with the University’s Travel Policy and information contained in the U of S Service Catalogue regarding procurement and travel […]
Read More »In this issue of Collectively Speaking there is a message from USFA Chair Patricia Farnese, an article about campus safety and updates on meetings with students and other unions representing U of S employees. Download Collectively Speaking
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