RAAS Report
RAAS REPORT
A biweekly newsletter from your
Association of Academic Staff
Friday, March 22, 2019
Update from the Lead Negotiator
The RAAS negotiating team met with the Administration team on March 8th. We submitted and discussed a proposal describing a Grievance and Arbitration process, which the Administration team will review and bring back to a future negotiation session. We reached agreement on clauses defining Non-discrimination and Intellectual Property. We received counter-proposals from the Administration team on our proposals on Academic Freedom, Deduction of Fees, and Annual Review, to which we will be responding at out next negotiation session this afternoon (March 22nd). In addition to responding to these counter-proposals, we are developing new proposals on Appointments and Leaves.
Rob Case
Lead Negotiator, RAAS
Update from the President
Members received a ‘Spring Update’ email this past week from Wendy Fletcher, President and Vice-Chancellor, Renison University College, containing the following statement regarding the budget:
• plan for annual salary increases for staff and faculty including scale and merit on average 3.8%
RAAS has sought clarification on what this statement means for faculty compensation.
As you know, our current compensation is the FAUW negotiated standard of living increase (2.15% for May 2019) plus the SIU in the amount of $3,920 for those who have achieved Satisfactory on their APR.
The statement of an average 3.8% increase indicates that the Employer may intend to reduce the anticipated faculty compensation this year.
This issue was raised by the Employer at the negotiating table two weeks prior to their budget draft. RAAS made it clear to the Employer that faculty compensation should proceed as normal, particularly while we are in negotiations.
RAAS has not brought salary proposals to the table, since this is typically one of the last items to be negotiated for a Memorandum of Agreement. RAAS has only received minimal budget specifics from the Employer in the last month, though we did request that information last June. The Employer has agreed to provide us with more detailed information in the coming weeks. We will be reviewing that budget information; reviewing compensation comparables on campus; seeking the expertise from salary negotiators on campus; and assessing the will of our faculty regarding compensation. Only when we have that information will RAAS be ready to take a salary position.
If the Employer follows standard practice, the negotiated Memorandum of Agreement should supersede and retroactively apply to current decisions regarding compensation.
Kristina Llewellyn
President, RAAS
SATIRE
Ford government increases high school class size to reduce learning
Callum Wratten, The Beaverton (March 18, 2019)
CAUT NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), a nation-wide association of our peers. CAUT fees are included in RAAS membership dues each month.
Deal at Mount Royal
The Mount Royal Faculty Association (MRFA) has reached an agreement with the Board of Governors of their institution for a new collective agreement effective until June 30, 2020. “This long and often difficult bargaining process commenced in January 2018, involved over 35 negotiating sessions with the Board's team, and also included 5 days of voluntary mediation.
NSCAD faculty back at work
The 95 full and part-time faculty of the Faculty Union of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (FUNSCAD) are back to work after an 11-day strike. “The union’s bargaining team and the team from the employer’s side have agreed to participate in a mediation/arbitration process,” explained FUNSCAD president Mathew Reichertz. Collective bargaining started last September. In January, members voted 97.5% in favour of a strike.
OCUFA NEWS
[with thanks to Ben Lewis at OCUFA]
RAAS is a member of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), a province-wide association of our peers. OCUFA fees are included in RAAS dues each month.
Canada: federal budget allocates millions to international education
Claudia Civinini, PIE News (March 22, 2019)
A major investment in international education was included in the Canadian federal budget 2019.
University, college students walk out of class to protest Ontario's funding changes
CBC News (March 20, 2019)
Students at colleges and universities across Ontario walked out of class Wednesday to protest the government's changes to post-secondary funding, in what organizers called an escalation of student action against the plan.
Ontario’s university faculty troubled by results of Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey
Ben Lewis, OCUFA (March 20, 2019)
Ontario’s university faculty were troubled to learn the results of the Ontario Government’s Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey released today. It is deeply disturbing that over 63 per cent of university students surveyed disclosed an experience of sexual harassment…
U of Regina faculty strike possible before end of semester, says faculty association
Ashley Mattern, CBC Saskatchewan (March 15, 2019)
The University of Regina and its faculty association have failed to reach an agreement after mediation and the faculty association says it's not ruling out the possibility of job action.
FAUW News
We are grateful to the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) for providing support to RAAS and its members in accordance with our service agreement.
Living Indigenous Law in Canada
There are still some tickets available for the 2019 Hagey Lecture taking place next Monday, March 25th. This year’s lecture features John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria. Get your tickets now.
Dues Collected by FAUW Are Tax Deductible
Here are some instructions for finding your tax slip on Workday.
FEATURE
RAAS Member Profiles
In this issue, we are very pleased to feature Edwin Ng,
Associate Professor, School of Social Work (SSW)
What brought you to Renison?
I was drawn to Renison for several reasons. First, I wanted to join an academic institution where I could integrate my public health training with my social work values. Second, I joined Renison because of its commitment to teaching, which has given me time and room to grow as an in-class and online instructor. In addition to being an ideal environment for me as an early scholar and instructor, Renison and its larger community was simply the right choice for my family. We are surrounded by colleagues and community members who care for and support us in numerous ways.
What do you like about Renison?
Simply put, I am most grateful for the people and students at Renison. Since joining Rension, I’ve had the opportunity to develop key relationships that have facilitated my growth as a scholar, teacher, colleague, and friend. Because of these relationships, I find myself more engaged and productive in my research, more committed to the learning needs of my students, and more mindful of potential opportunities to be better.
What do you like about RAAS?
RAAS is integral to my employment at Renison for reasons that align to my professional and personal values. RAAS is committed to promoting equity, shared governance, and political action inside and outside the workplace.
What are you passionate about in your work?
My work begins and ends with one overarching goal – using quantitative and qualitative methods to advance Rudolf Virchow’s famous argument that “Medicine is a social science, and politics nothing but medicine at a larger scale.”
Could you tell us a 'fun fact' about yourself?
I enjoy reading cookbooks and recipes before bedtime.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, we have a five-year old Whoodle (a Wheaton terrier crossed with a poodle) named John Woo. He is absolutely the best boy!