RAAS Report
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Ann Dennis, Editor
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
Between teaching, the President Search Committee (which I served on as a faculty representative), and some RAAS meetings with administration in relation Member issues and some interpretation of the new Collective Agreement, this has been a busy month.
I am grateful to Edwin Ng for taking a weekend away from his partner and two children to attend CAUT’s Collective Bargaining and Organizing Forum last weekend. It is important that we are represented at these events, and there is valuable information and important relationships that come out of them. Topics of discussion included collective bargaining on AI-related issues, advancing equity through collective bargaining, and building member support and engagement around bargaining issues.
Besides my ongoing role as Chair of OCUFA’s Collective Bargaining Committee, my major external activity this month was participation in OCUFA’s annual Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park. Each year in early March (before the provincial budget is set) faculty association representatives from all over the province gather at Queen’s Park to meet with MPPs and cabinet ministers to advocate on specific issues affecting the university sector. Taking advantage of the recent Blue Ribbon Panel report and the visibility surrounding the federal announcement of caps on student visas, this year’s focus was on university funding.
Along with representatives from WLU’s faculty association and FAUW, I met with Waterloo MPP and Finance Critic Catherine Fife (NDP), Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy (Green), Guelph MPP and Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner (Green), Scarborough Centre MPP David Smith (PC), and the staff of Brampton South MPP and Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria (PC).
The response was as would be expected: dismissive politeness from PC members and enthusiastic support and expressions of solidarity from MPPs from all other parties. Opposition and independent MPPs seem to understand the problem of under-funding of universities in Ontario but point out how easily this issue gets buried in relation to the housing crisis, the opioid epidemic, healthcare funding, and other higher-profile issues. MPPs told us that faculty associations will need to help them to make university funding a higher priority in Ontario by sharing information with colleagues, students, teachers, and anyone else we can reach.
OCUFA plans to campaign on this issue from now through to the next Provincial election and will be reaching out faculty associations to help spread the word. In the meantime, for basic facts and speaking points on university funding in Ontario, see the President’s Report in the February issue of RAAS Report and/or the summary of OCUFA’s “Blueprint for Revitalizing Ontario’s Public Universities.”
Stay well, as we wind down the Winter 2024 semester and head into spring. See you at the RAAS AGM on April 24 (via Zoom). Details below.
Rob Case
RAAS President
GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
No grievances were filed this past month although the Grievance Officer continued to provide informal support to member(s) experiencing conflicts with the administration.
As the Grievance Officer I want to thank RAAS members for their continuing support this past year as my role is coming to an end of this academic year. Please reach out if you are interested in learning more about this important faculty role and I am happy to sit down and chat with you.
Colleen McMillan
Grievance Committee Representative
BOARD UPDATE
The Board of Governors met on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. The meeting was held virtually, and highlights include:
General Meeting: Asma Alwahsh was elected to the board for another three-year term.
Staff Caucus Presentation: Guests Michele Parrott and Keri Raif, representing the staff caucus, discussed their roles in disseminating information and bringing staff concerns to administration. They shared addressing questions about employee wages, Bill 124, a four-day work week, annual policy review, and the international student cap.
President’s Report: President Fletcher highlighted that the term was nearing its end, which brought about a mix of tiredness and good energy among staff and students due to upcoming changes and transitions. President Fletcher also touched upon the broader university environment, especially concerning financial challenges faced by higher education institutions, including the University of Waterloo and, by extension, Renison University College.
Financial Overview: Jill Pauls, the Director of Finance, provided a financial overview focusing on cash flow, forecast, and the income statement for the third quarter. The cash flow analysis indicated fluctuations with an ending balance of $8.9 million in January, expected to decrease in the following months due to seasonal variations and significant expenditures, including a repayment for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The financial position relative to the University of Waterloo was discussed, highlighting anticipated challenges due to decreased funding and the impact of inflation on operational costs. Despite these challenges, Renison aims to maintain a stable financial position without using surplus funds or cash reserves.
Sabbatical. A motion was approved for a one-year sabbatical for Dr. Meg Gibson, starting September 1, 2024.
Our next board meeting will take place in-person on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 6:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Edwin Ng and Jeff Wilson
Faculty Board Representatives
SERVICE TO RAAS
Nominations for President and Vice-President of RAAS close this Friday (March 29). President and Vice President terms begin July 1 for two years. Our current President (Rob) and Vice President (Trish) will each have completed one two-year term by the end of June 2024. Both are both eligible for nomination and re-election for an additional two-year term, but both positions are open to whoever the RAAS Membership wishes to nominate and elect. The position of Secretary-Treasurer is currently held by Amir, who has completed one year of an initial two-year term.
Please send nominations for these positions to our Past President, Kristina Llewellyn (kristina.llewellyn@uwaterloo.ca), using the attached nomination form.
An electronic vote for nominated candidates will be held over a 24-hour period from April 4 to April 5. The results will be announced at our AGM on April 24th.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting is your chance to review RAAS activities and finances over the past year, set plans and priorities for the coming year, affirm elected officers, and deal with any business you think we should deal with.
Wed. April 24, 2024: 12:00-1:30 p.m.
https://uwaterloo.zoom.us/j/96838940729?pwd=b2xqenE5TGRidWFPaTEydytEWE5wZz09
SATIRE
New Wrapped feature shows users the top five places Spotify sells your data
November 30, 2023, Leo Morgenstern, The Beaverton
Music fans just can’t get enough of Spotify’s Wrapped, which shows their top five songs, top five artists, and – new this year – the top five places Spotify is selling their personal information.
NOT SATIRE
Ontario budget gets failing grade from university professors
March 26, 2024, OCUFA
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations said the 2024 Ontario Budget gets a failing grade for not supporting the province’s public universities.
CAUT NEWS
CAUT is offering the following on-line training opportunity:
Collective Bargaining Training, April 2 – 5, 2024
If you are interested in attending any of these training sessions, please let Rob know.
The CAUT Dedicated Service Award was established to recognize individuals for exceptional service to their faculty associations. Recipients can be nominated by a local, provincial, or federated association and the award is presented at a membership meeting.
Recipients of the award will:
a) Receive a certificate of recognition from CAUT, which will be provided to the association for presentation to the recipient; and
b) Have their name listed in the CAUT Bulletin, put on the CAUT website and announced at the next CAUT Council meeting.
Nominations can be made at any time using this form. There is no deadline. Awards can be prepared throughout the year.
If you have any questions or concerns about the nomination process, please email CAUTawards-prixACPPU@caut.ca.
You can find a copy of the latest CAUT Bulletin here.
OCUFA NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Ontario Confederation of University CAUT Associations (OCUFA), a province-wide association of our peers.
Justice committee to study antisemitism, Islamophobia on and off university campuses
March 21, 2024, Peter Zimonjic, CBC News
A parliamentary committee has voted to conduct studies of antisemitism and Islamophobia on and off university campuses and propose ways to tackle the problem.
Navigating the world of Canadian scholarships
March 21, 2024, Alyanna Denise Chua, University Affairs
No central database for Canadian scholarships leads to confusion, misunderstanding and barriers amongst students.
Laurentian University still restoring services following Feb. 18th ‘cyber incident’
March 13, 2024, Johnathan Migneault, CBC Sudbury
Laurentian University says it has restored a lot of services that were shut down due to a cyber incident on Feb. 18. But some students say there are still services that remain offline, or are unreliable.
Mark Your Calendars!!
| Item | Key Date |
|---|---|
| Closing date for RAAS President and Vice-President nominations | Friday, March 29, 2024 |
| Vote for RAAS President and Vice-President positions | Thursday, April 4, 2024, to Friday, April 5, 2024 |
| Collective Bargaining Training (CAUT) | April 2, 2024, to April 5, 2024 |
| RAAS AGM | Wednesday, April 24, 2024 12:00PM to 1:30PM Via ZOOM |
| CAUT Dedicated Service Award Nominations | Nominations are ongoing throughout the year using this form. |
CA HIGHLIGHTS
Article 33 Compensation
Our compensation model remains unchanged from our previous Collective Agreement and unchanged from our historical pattern of following University of Waterloo on salary floors and ceilings, scale increases, and an annual Promotion Through the Ranks (PTR) increase that is tied to UW’s Selective Increase Unit (“SIU”). As stated in Article 33.1 of the Collective Agreement,
“It is agreed that the desired goal for faculty salaries is that Members will be paid at levels related to those of faculty members of similar rank and experience at the University of Waterloo in the Faculty of Arts.”
To this end, as outlined in the letter that some of you have received from Wendy, we will all be receiving retroactive pay, on this month’s pay cheque, that mirrors the retroactive compensation that FAUW negotiated as a “Bill 124 re-opener.”
Those of us who were already employed at Renison on May 1, 2021, will receive a 2% salary increase, retroactive to April 30, 2023. Those of us who were hired after May 1, 2021, will receive a 1% salary increase, retroactive to April 30, 2023. In addition to these salary increases, we will also receive a one-time lump sum payment (which does not go to base salary) of $2,500 for those employed on May 1, 2021, and $1,250 for those hired after May 1, 2021.
In addition to these amounts, beginning with this month’s pay cheque we will also be receiving a 3% salary scale increase + PTR increases of $4,172, retroactive to May 1, 2023.
Once these adjustments are made, in the March 2024 pay period, your new gross annual salary should be equivalent to your previous gross annual salary + 2% (or 1%) + 3% + $4,172 (PTR). (For information on gross salary, go to Workday/Benefits and Pay/My Compensation History).
Your March 2024 pay cheque should therefore include your new gross monthly salary + back pay covering scale and PTR increases for May 1, 2023-March 2024 (11 months) + the one-time lump sum of either $2,500 or $1,250.
The next scale increase (3%) and PTR increase ($4,297) will be applied to our salaries on May 1, 2024.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
As we marked the 6th anniversary of our faculty union back in February, this photo of Rob Case and Jason Blokhuis has resurfaced to commemorate a special moment in the March edition of RAAS Report. This memory was captured on March 4, 2020, at the Ontario Labour Relations Board in Toronto, moments after submitting the application for certification as a union. This milestone adds to our rich history of solidarity and achievement and reminds us of the progress we have made since then.