RAAS Report
Friday, January 28, 2022
Ann Dennis, Editor
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who attended our membership meeting yesterday. We are very appreciative of the information and guidance provided by OCUFA.
Please review my President’s Report, distributed with the agenda materials, for an overview of recent activities. As a reminder, we encourage all members to submit the amendment form with their Annual Activity Report that was distributed by the VPAD. These are now due February 15th, 2022. It is very important that the administration hear about the impact of the pandemic on the work of employees. Also, a reminder that January 31st is the deadline for the teaching reduction of one course for tenured and tenure-stream folks. If we do not use these provisions, we run the risk of losing them in the next round of bargaining. You are entitled to a course release next year if you have a robust research agenda. The same applies for the research in lieu of service for continuing lecturers that now have a deadline of February 28th.
This week, RAAS joined our FAUW colleagues in calling for a safer return to campus. We appreciate those faculty members who reached out to RAAS on this issue. We sent the following letter to President Fletcher on January 25th.
At a Town Hall on Thursday, January 20th, President Fletcher confirmed a return to campus starting February 7th in alignment with the University of Waterloo
RAAS recognizes the valuable and difficult work of the Joint Health and Safety Committee on a return to campus. We are appreciative that we have a RAAS appointed member, Julia Williams, collaborating on that committee in accordance with the Collective Agreement. We are thankful that this committee has developed a legally-required return to work plan, ensured that the minimum provisions as set out by local public health have been implemented, and have conducted earlier surveys to solicit feedback/questions from employees. We respect that this committee has worked within the bounds of the broader campus decisions and with differing opinions from employees about a return to campus.
COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving virus that requires safeguards that follow a precautionary principle so that we protect the most vulnerable employees and their families. We know that minimum standards are often set by governments for economic and political reasons. University administrators can make safer decisions. As such, we join our FAUW colleagues in asking that the administration go further to ensure a safer return and that the administration engage in collegial governance process as part of their decision-making.
RAAS, in alignment with FAUW, requests the following conditions be met across campus:
1. That an adequate supply of N95 or KN95 respirators be provided for our members and for all members of the Renison community.
2. That the administration encourages all members of the Renison community to isolate for 10 days when they have COVID symptoms.
3. That Rapid Antigen Tests be provided as soon as they are available.
4. That the COVID-19 booster shots should be mandatory to qualify for fully-vaccinated status.
5. That Renison provide publicly available updates about safety upgrades to campus infrastructure, including air exchange rates and carbon dioxide levels in offices, classrooms, and other spaces that have taken place in the last year.
6. That faculty have the autonomy to consult with their students and to decide whether their courses should continue online, or in-person given this peak in the pandemic.
7. That faculty are broadly consulted, including explicitly with the RAAS Executive and Academic Council, on all decisions related to a safe return to campus, including our pedagogical and service responsibilities
RAAS members want to return to campus, but they want to return under the safest conditions possible.
Thank you,
The RAAS Executive
We received a response from President Fletcher that she will be working with UW and AFIW to address these requests. You will have received late yesterday an email from Renison offering to purchase a branded cloth mask or an N95 mask. We are unclear if this is a one time offer or if Renison plans to provide N95 masks to all employees on a continuous basis. We would encourage all RAAS members to order an N95 mask through the online form provided to help demonstrate the need for Renison to provide such safety measures.
While we await a response to our full requests, the RAAS Executive has purchased 100 N95 masks from Home Depot. These masks are NIOSH certified, but they are not fit-tested N95 masks. Health Canada has acknowledged that COVID is airborne and that N95 and K95 masks provide superior protection to cloth masks. The masks are intended for faculty and staff who do not have continuous access to N95 or K95 masks or have damaged their mask while at work. We cannot supply masks daily and we encourage members to follow medical guidance on how long to wear each N95 or K95 mask. The masks will be available from Rob Case in his office REN 1604 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays this term. Feel free to reach out to Rob should you need to arrange a time to pick up a mask. We recognize that staff may be at higher risk than faculty given their time in the building, so please reach out to staff to let them know these masks are available for them. These masks are also available to sessional lecturers, so we ask that you spread the word to them. If there is a high demand, we will try to purchase more masks until such time that the administration provides N95 or K95 masks on a continuous basis.
Kristina Llewellyn
RAAS President
BRASS TACKS AND RAAS FAQs
Under Article 14.2, a grievance is a claim, dispute or complaint involving the interpretation, application, administration, or alleged violation of the Collective Agreement. When RAAS files a grievance, our focus is on what the Administration has done or failed to do. A grievance is NOT about who a Member is or what they may have done or failed to do.
In many ways, the duty of fair representation of a Grievance Officer is like that of a defence attorney. The defence attorney's obligation is to vigorously protect their client's interests while maintaining professional and respectful relationships with everyone involved in the process. The defence attorney does not need to like their client or to believe in their innocence. For the defence attorney, as with all lawyers, the integrity of the justice system is paramount. If there was an improper search, reliance on tainted evidence, a due process violation or procedural irregularity, the defence attorney will appeal their client's conviction, regardless of who the client is or the merits of the case against them. Maintaining the integrity of the justice system means that guilty clients sometimes avoid criminal sanctions if the state is found to have committed a constitutional rights violation or procedural irregularity.
In like manner, RAAS has a duty of fair representation. This is a duty to protect the integrity of the Collective Agreement and the interests of any Member adversely affected by Administrative action. If the Administration does not follow the Collective Agreement, due process, or other principles of natural justice when engaging in disciplinary action, for example, the Grievance Officer has a duty to vigorously defend both the CA and the legitimate interests of all members of the bargaining unit through the grievance process.
Jason Blokhuis
Grievance Committee Member
BOARD UPDATE
The Members of the Corporation held a special meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 to approve the new bylaws for Academic Council and SACE Council. Both bylaws were approved by the Members. At the ensuing Board of Governors Meeting:
Dr. Christine Logel presented her important and exciting work on promoting student engagement and increasing equity in academic outcomes. For additional information and resources, click here.
Jill Pauls reported that Renison continues to hold the line on expenses but will be reporting deficits for the next two years.
Dr. Kristiina Montero was welcomed as our new Vice President Academic and Dean.
Wendy reported that Renison is a signatory to the Scarborough Charter:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/principal/signatories-scarborough-charter
Wendy reported that she and Karen Spencer, Shelby Bolitsky, Edwin Ng, and Ryan Connell had met earlier in the day with Indigenous elders and Anne Germond, the Metropolitan of Ontario and Bishop of Moosonee, for conversations on the Renison name.
At the ensuing Town Hall (on Friday, January 21), Wendy offered further details on these and other matters from the Board meeting:
Conversations involving a working group of stakeholders on the Renison name, reconciliation, and Anglican identity will continue
Jill Pauls has accepted an appointment as CFO;
The Board authorized the mission-critical purchase of a software package for non-credit student billing, recruitment, and records;
The Board approved a proposal to proceed with a three-year strategic plan with an EDI focus;
Though we will post a deficit budget this year, we are on track with the next phase of our recovery, which includes the implementation of an accountability-based budgeting;
Conversations with UW have given “all confidence” that the University values our work and will support us in the short term (while we negotiate our community partnerships) and in the longer term.
Edwin Ng and Jason Blokhuis
Faculty Board Representatives
RAAS LECTURERS COMMITTEE UPDATE
November 2021-January 2022
1. Committee meetings
RAAS LC held a meeting at the end of Nov. 2021. During the meeting, the attendees agreed that the committee meetings be open to all RUC lecturers and that LC be co-chaired by Aga Wolczuk and Cindy Zhuang. The methods of communications and information sharing were also established.
The attending lecturers selected the main general goals of the committee:
creating a community to support its members and have its own forum to share views and concerns;
advocating for RUC lecturers; &
sharing and exchanging information between the FAUW LC & RAAS LC.
The main objective of the next meeting was determined to be preparing for the next round of Collective Agreement (CA) negotiations. Our guest for the meeting will be Robert Case, the Chief Negotiator of the RAAS Negotiating Team. The committee is looking forward to this meeting!
2021 RAAS Lecturers’ Survey
At the end of 2020, the FAUW Lecturers Committee (LC) developed a set of questions to survey its faculty members at the rank of lecturer. The questions focused on the contractual obligations, working conditions, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on this group of faculty. Lecturers at Renison were invited to participate in a parallel survey, whose questions were adjusted to reflect the unique circumstances of lecturers at this institution.
The survey at Renison was administered anonymously in winter 2021 and had a very high response rate of 81.8%. The results of the survey were processed and summarized in spring 2021, and then shared with the Renison lecturers and RAAS Executive in fall 2021. Now, they are available in the attached report. As can be seen in the attachment, the lecturers at this institution are a diverse faculty group actively engaged in their teaching and service assignments as well as different forms of scholarship to continuously enhance their pedagogical approaches and disciplinary expertise.
If you have any questions related to either FAUW or RAAS LC, contact me at awolczuk@uwaterloo.ca. Questions about the RAAS LC can also be directed to Cindy Zhuang, its co-chair.
FAUW LECTURERS COMMITTEE UPDATE
November 2021-January 2022
1. Updates on Policies 76-77 revision process re. teaching stream faculty
a) A meeting with UW lecturers
In Nov. 2021, LC held a meeting with lecturers who are not on this committee. The meeting was called due to an increased number of questions from lecturers not sitting on LC about the revisions of Policy 76/P76 (Faculty Appointments) and Policy 77/P77 (Tenure and Promotion of Faculty Members). The LC Chair presented an overview of the revision process including
the work of the Policy 76-77 Development Committee (76-77 PDC) in the first half of 2021 – as much as permitted by its confidentiality clauses;
the LC September 2021 Town Hall; &
the related negotiations on the Faculty Relations Committee (FRC).
b) A meeting with the FAUW Executive
In Dec. 2021, LC invited all the members of the FAUW Executive to join an LC meeting. The meeting enabled
increasing awareness of these two FAUW units of each other and working towards enhanced communication;
presenting the Executive’s vision of lecturers and their role at UW; &
discussing lecturers’ representation in the next stages of P76-77 revisions.
Overall, the Executive noted the positive impact of the teaching stream faculty on their departments and the need for clear and equitable career paths as well for elimination of barriers between this stream of faculty and the comprehensive one. The Executive also expressed their willingness to work towards improving the work conditions of the teaching stream faculty.
LC was grateful for this support, but expressed two concerns:
the need for more frequent and bi-directional communications between LC and FAUW Board as well as between LC and FRC; &
the importance of more proportional representation of lecturers on FRC.
c) A follow-up joint statement from UW VPAP and FAUW President
At the end of 2021, the FAUW and UW administration representatives on the Faculty Relations Committee (FRC) had a few follow-up meetings on the revisions of P76 and P77 regarding teaching stream faculty. Subsequently, James Rush, VPAP, and Lori Curtis, President, FAUW, disseminated the summary of the main results of those meetings in the joint statement, on Dec. 23, 2021. That statement (available in Policy 76/77 progress-update from FRC) contained some more information than the one from Nov. 15, 2021. However, it is still unknown whether the policy re-drafting will be completed by the 2021 Policy Drafting Committee (PDC) or a newly formed PDC.
Warmly,
Aga Wolczuk
Renison Representative on FAUW Lecturers Committee
RAAS Lecturers Committee Co-chair
SATIRE
Local Dad Shovelling Snow for hours clearly avoiding family
https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/01/local-dad-shovelling-snow-for-hours-clearly-avoiding-family/
Dave Barclay, The Beaverton (January 17, 2022)
Local dad Tom Wolverton has been outside shovelling snow for an unnaturally long time, and experts suggest it may be that he is avoiding his family.
NOT SATIRE
Mental Health in academia: The challenges faculty face predate the pandemic and require systemic solutions
Mental health in academic: The challenges faculty face predate the pandemic and require systemic solutions
Ivy Bourgeault (University of Ottawa), Janet Mantler (Carleton University), Nicole Power (Memorial University), Academic Matters, January 21, 2022
The pandemic has intensified many stress points for faculty and academic librarians while highlighting existing issues with how academic work is structured.
CAUT NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), a nation-wide association of our peers.
Call for Nominations
Please note the call for nominations for the following committees and their noted deadlines:
CAUT Executive Committees: Deadline: March 1, 2022
https://www.caut.ca/about-us/executive-committee/call-for-nominations-to-caut-executive-positions
CAUT standing committees: Deadline: February 1, 2022
https://www.caut.ca/content/caut-standing-committee-vacancies
CAUT Legal Update- Recent COVID-19 Labour Decisions
In the above attachment at the top of this RAAS Report, you will find a summary of recent labour decisions regarding COVID-19 provisions by employers in various sectors. This summary prepared by CAUT is designed to inform you of the legal obligations of your union and your employer for health and safety-related to COVID-19. Please see the above attachment.
OCUFA NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), a province-wide association of our peers.
UW to pay employees to help out on COVID front lines
The Record.com, Catherine Thompson, January 26, 2022
The University of Waterloo will pay employees who work up to five weeks in long-term care homes, shelters, and other facilities where staffing has been stretched during this wave of the pandemic.
Faculty and librarian voices ignored as universities rush to return to in-person learning
OCUFA, January 25, 2022
The voices of Ontario university faculty and academic librarians continue to be ignored by university administrations as postsecondary institutions rush back to in-person learning—even as COVID-19 cases across the province remain high.
Indigenous leaders in Canada's universities lead way in 'marathon' of change
Windspeaker.com, Shari Narine, January 24, 2022
A new association that brings together Indigenous senior leaders from universities across the country will be one more means to ensure scholars don't fraudulently claim Indigenous identity.
Nunavut investigating student aid program after late payments leave post-secondary learners in the lurch
CBC News, Matisse Harvey, January 21, 2022
Nunavut's education minister says her department will now be investigating a vital funding program for post-secondary students after delayed payments forced some students to go hungry and jeopardized other students' studies.
How unions defend their members from psychological hazards
Academic Matters, Miria Edelson, January 21, 2022
As poor mental health has become a greater concern in workplaces, unions have been evolving how they support their members and advance new and better mental health protections in collective agreements.
Ontario Tech full-time faculty could strike starting January 31
Durham Radio News, January 19, 2022
A released statement from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) says a request for a “no-board” report has been accepted and should an agreement not be reached, a potential strike could begin January 31.
OPSEU urges college faculty to reject offer, force talks continue
Blackburn News, Adelle Loiselle, January 19, 2022
The union that represents faculty at Ontario's 24 colleges urges its membership to reject the latest offer from the College Employer Council.
Conciliator declares impasse in negotiations between Acadia and faculty union
Cape Breton News, Ian Fairclough, January 18, 2022
Little progress has been made in contract talks between Acadia University and its faculty union.
CUEFA historic strike yields a big victory for Alberta union movement
CAUT, January 18, 2022
Concordia University Edmonton Faculty Association (CUEFA) members have ratified an agreement that will improve working conditions and increase salaries of CUEFA members.
FAUW NEWS
RAAS has a service agreement with the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW), a campus-wide association of our peers
Please note the following announcements:
Policy 76/77 Progress Update
Policy 76/77 progress update from FRC (December 23)
Faculty Recognition
Faculty deserve recognition of the ongoing effects of the pandemic on research and workload (December 21)
Faculty Workload
Faculty need more support to meet increasing teaching workload and expectations (December 21)
Tenure Clock Extension
The one-year COVID-19 tenure clock extension is available to all probationary faculty who started before July 1, 2021. You can still claim it up until
you're due to go up for tenure. On a related note: we will be announcing the date of our annual tenure workshop soon, so keep an eye on your inbox!
**Please note not all of these provisions apply at Renison.**
Thank You, Jason!!!
We salute Jason as he steps down from his role as Grievance Officer, and as a member of the RAAS Executive. Jason played a pivotal role in advancing the work for RAAS through his handling of grievance issues and processes, attending CAUT conferences, creating the monthly RAAS Report, establishing the Collective Agreement, and creating our own website. He helped establish ties with partners outside of Renison that shaped key collaborations to enhance the work of RAAS. His drive for advocacy will continue to shine through his continued membership in RAAS.
We thank you, Jason.
Photo Taken March 4, 2020, at the Ontario Labour Relations Board offices in Toronto, moments after submitting the application for certification as a union.