Grievance
Every UWOFA Member’s employment is governed by the terms set out in the relevant Collective Agreement negotiated between UWOFA and our Employer. If the Employer is believed to have violated the terms of the Collective Agreement, this may give rise to a dispute that may then lead to a series of resolution steps, referred to as the Grievance process.
Not all disputes are grievances.
A Grievance is premised on the belief that there has been a violation of the Collective Agreement.
If you encounter a situation that you think might be a grievance talk to your Faculty Representative (faculty) or your Steward (librarians and archivists) as soon as possible and/or reach out to the UWOFA Member Services Officer.
If you ever receive a Notice of Investigation, UWOFA staff and the Grievance Committee are available to assist you through the process. The earlier the Member Services Officer, the Professional Officer and/or the Grievance Officer get involved, the better. We can provide you with concrete suggestions on how to proceed.
UWOFA has a Grievance Policy, a Grievance Officer and a Grievance Committee.
There are currently about 40 active cases on the Grievance Committee agenda.
UWOFA is here to support and protect Members on all aspects of your work. We field hundreds of inquiries each year:
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465
2020- 2021
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409
2021-2022
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537
2022-2023
You are not alone in the challenges you face at work. We routinely field inquires about important Articles in the Collective Agreement.
Appointments
Compensation and Benefits
Annual Performance Evaluation
Discrimination and Harassment
Workload
Income Security
Promotion, Tenure and Continuing Appointment
Retirement and Resignation
Academic Responsibilities of Members
Sabbatical
Common Themes of Grievances
UWOFA files grievances on behalf of individuals and groups of workers. We also file policy grievances when an interpretation, application of alleged violation of our Collective Agreement(s) has general implications for all Members. Our active individual and group grievance files fall into common themes:
Discrimination and Harassment
- Our concerns are often about frivolous investigations and Members experiencing discrimination and harassment
Academic Responsibilities of Members
- Our concerns are often about protecting Members against accusations that they are not performing their job
Workload
- Our concerns are often about overwork, inequitable workload, the process for making teaching assignments and rights to alternative workloads
Performance Evaluation
- Our concerns are often about the inappropriate use of SQCTs and supporting Members through reviews of their performance evaluation or appeals of their performance assessment
Policy Grievances currently filed
UWOFA currently has a high number of active policy grievances:
Compensation for extra work outside of contract
- This concerns a disagreement between the parties about the interpretation of the recently negotiated language to pay Part-Time Members for work outside their contract dates. UWOFA last met with the Office of Faculty Relations at the end of August, 2023
Child and Family Care
- This concerns the Employer’s obligation under the Collective Agreement to provide priority access to a set number of child care spaces, to conduct an annual review of unsatisfied demand and have an oversight Advisory Committee. UWOFA last met with the Office of Faculty Relations at the end of August, 2023
Weighting of courses in Music Performance
- This concerns how courses are counted for Workload purposes. A Step 2 grievance meeting has been held.
Discrimination and Harassment
- This concerns the launching of an allegedly unwarranted investigation
Health & Safety
- This concerns protecting Members from online abuse. The parties are discussing how processes and mechanisms can be improved or changed