Dear colleagues,
In case you haven’t already heard, we are delighted to report that Tentative Agreements between the Administration and all 5 units of CUPE 3261 and CUPE 3902 were reached just minutes before the midnight deadline last night (Sunday, March 3rd). This means that, at least for now, and subject to member ratification of the deal, the strike has been averted.
We extend our sincere congratulations to CUPE members and their bargaining teams. Many thanks to the 120+ UTFA members who attended the special membership meeting last Friday afternoon to discuss the intertwined issues of academic continuity, academic integrity, academic freedom, and solidarity.
We also take this opportunity to note that this has been a learning opportunity for many of us regarding UTFA members' rights and responsibilities in the context of potential campus strikes, and perhaps especially concerning the Administration’s eagerness to pre-emptively roll out some of the most troubling aspects of the ‘Academic Continuity Policy’. We will follow up shortly with insights gleaned that may be of longer-term use for our membership.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bale, UTFA Vice-President, University & External Affairs
Deb Cowen, UTFA Chair, Membership Committee
Terezia Zorić, UTFA President