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UWOFA wins annual wage increases despite Ontario government’s attempt to impose wage freeze ‘policy’

The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) has become the first academic staff union in Ontario to negotiate a new collective agreement with salary increases in each year of the agreement since the Ontario government tried to impose a wage freeze policy on unionized public sector workers.

UWOFA won scale increases in a four year agreement of 1.5% for each year for regular staff, and up to 1.9% for each year for contract academic staff. Additional money has also been set aside for full-time members to be awarded through the application of career and salary comparison data.

The union also fought off the employer’s attempts to interfere in the academic life of its members through changes to language on academic responsibilities, conflict of interest, discrimination and harassment and discipline.

The 1600 unionized full and part-time faculty members at Western had been without a contract since June 30, 2010.

The deal, reached at the strike deadline, was ratified by 86% of voting members, and then approved by the university’s board of governors on November 16.

“This was an extremely tough round of bargaining,” said James Compton, UWOFA President. “And I’m pleased to see that the membership endorsed the deal, and the hard work of our Negotiating Team.”

Elsewhere in Ontario, CUPE 3906 members ratified a new agreement last week for sessional contract academic staff at McMaster University without increases in the first two years, but with a 3% across-the-board increase in the third year of a three year deal. That increase rises to 4% when combined with a doubling of their benefit fund in the third year. They also won language limiting the employer’s ability to split single courses between multiple sessional faculty in order to avoid the accrual of seniority credits.

The general staff bargaining unit in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Faculty and General Staff Association (NOMSFSA) reached its first collective agreement after a twelve-week strike. The settlement included a 3.25% across-the-board scale increase in the first year of a three year deal. Members also received a $2,000 lump sum payment and protection against contracting out and scheduling abuses.