Faculty Bargaining Bulletin – Vol. 8, No. 4

Negotiating teams from UWOFA and the Employer have agreed on meeting dates for the Indigenous faculty side table and for collective bargaining. We are looking forward to having constructive conversations.

Meeting dates

• June 29 – Initial meeting scheduled for the Indigenous faculty side table. This side table will continue its work in parallel with collective bargaining, focusing on, among other questions, improvements to the terms of the Letter of Understanding (LOU)* Indigenous Faculty Members signed in 2020 following a process formalized in the 2018 collective agreement.

*This LOU contains provisions to ensure appropriate recognition of the teaching, service, research, and scholarly and creative activity that is done by Indigenous Scholars. UWOFA acknowledges the hard work that Janice Forsyth and Brent Debassige have done in the development of the LOU. UWOFA’s team for the side table (Brent Debassige, Spy Denommé-Welch, and Jeff Tennant) will continue to engage with Indigenous faculty as this work proceeds. For more information on the LOU you can read an interview with Brent Debassige in the October 2020 issue of Faculty Times.

• July 14, 15 – Collective bargaining meetings scheduled between UWOFA and the administration
• August 23, 25, and 31 – Collective bargaining meetings scheduled
• September 2 – Collective bargaining meeting scheduled

Your Negotiating Committee is working hard to achieve an agreement that supports the key areas of our goals:

• Fair workloads & improved job security;
• Equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization;
• Support & recognition for faculty effort

Take Action 

While these are important first steps in talks between UWOFA and the Employer, we have a long way to go. We encourage you to continue to support the bargaining efforts by voicing concerns on social media or emailing President Shepard and Provost Strzelczyk (please CC UWOFA) about issues that matter to you, to keep the conversation going.

Social media:

• Twitter: @westernu @westernuProvost @uwofa1; Facebook: @UWOFA, @Western University; Instagram: @uwofaco, @westernuniversity

Email addresses:

• uwofa@uwo.ca
• alan.shepard@uwo.ca
• provostvpa@uwo.ca

June is Indigenous History Month. Check out the Biindigen’s Indigenous History Month Challenge 2022 site to learn something new and join in the #WesternUBiindigen 30-day Challenge!