We are again hearing that some faculty members are being contacted by their deans or department heads to discuss their plans for retirement. And again, these meetings have been requested absent any indication or notice from the faculty member that they are even contemplating retirement at this time. Many USFA members are upset by what […]
Read More »A message from the USFA Senior Grievance Officer: Dear colleagues, I am the senior grievance officer with the USFA and I am writing to you to ask for your assistance with our work to improve administrative processes at the U of S. We have had several discussions with senior leaders about the delays, obstacles, and […]
Read More »For the past couple of years, the USFA has been bringing to the attention of senior academic administrators the ways in which administrative decisions are impeding the work of faculty. Chief among these is the decision, made during the early months of the pandemic, to mandate the use of Concur or Direct Travel for booking […]
Read More »There is a continuous misunderstanding at university campuses, amongst some tenured faculty and staff of the university administration but also in the public at large, about the meaning, purpose, and scope of tenure and academic freedom. In our collective agreement they are defined in article 6 Academic Freedom, and article 15.2 Purpose of Tenure. As academics, we […]
Read More »Happy new year! This is a reminder that a Special General Meeting of the Faculty Association will be held virtually on Monday, January 10th at 2:00 pm to consider ratification of the tentative agreement (attached). The meeting will take place via Zoom. Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpdO2vrzwqHtSG8g7_A3zKGpkWF75NfTRJ The USFA office will not reopen today as planned and will be closed until January 24.
Read More »Here we are again. Under the heading “Protect the Pack,” yesterday’s COVID update from the Usask Pandemic Response and Recovery Team (PRT) sent another contradictory “wait-and-see” message to faculty. Usask’s winter term, including face-to-face classes, is scheduled to start as planned on January 4. Shortly after this was delivered, the You|Sask Faculty & Staff Newsletter showed up in our inboxes announcing that […]
Read More »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 […]
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