UTFA is the only independent advocate for faculty and librarians at the University of Toronto
Purpose
UTFA is here to help you and to represent you on matters related to your academic appointment.
One of our most important responsibilities is bargaining on your behalf with the U of T Administration over the core provisions of your compensation package. They include: minimum salaries; annual across-the-board (ATB) salary increases; annual increases called “progress-through-the-ranks” (PTR); the health benefit plan; a professional expense reimbursement allowance (PERA), and our defined benefit pension plan.
Our collective bargaining process now also covers workload, an issue that was added by means of a 2010 revision to the scope of UTFA’s bargaining rights after a long reform campaign.
All of these provisions are set out in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that governs the relationship between UTFA and the Governing Council of the University. The MoA includes new provisions added in 2016 that expand UTFA’s capacity to bargain on your behalf. This expanded capacity is the result of a significant joint initiative with the Administration called the Special Joint Advisory Committee (SJAC). The goals of the SJAC negotiations were to review and update the MoA, to re-imagine the appointments policy for the teaching stream, and to revise aspects of the tenure review. Details about the SJAC process and its achievements can be found on our Past Negotiations page.
UTFA routinely provides one-on-one advice on appointment-related matters, and runs workshops on the interim review, the continuing status review, and the tenure review. The grievance procedure, outlined in Article 7 of the MoA, is available as a means of resolving disputes on matters related to the academic appointment.
Organization
The affairs of UTFA are managed by a Council of about 60 people, who are elected by the membership on a constituency basis for three-year-terms, approximately one-third being elected to take office on July 1st of each year. Detailed policy development is undertaken by standing committees and an Executive Committee and submitted to Council through the Executive Committee. The Association has a small staff responsible for the implementation of policy and the day-to-day operations of the Association.