The Board and ULFA negotiating teams held their twenty-sixth session toward a new Academic Staff Collective Agreement (ASCA) on May 26, 2025. One ULFA team member was unable to attend due to family considerations, and another left early due to a scheduling conflict. Three ULFA Members attended the session as observers.
Once again, the parties prepared and exchanged written proposals before the meeting to promote the efficient use of the half-day session. The Board team shared four proposals, 56-59, and the ULFA team shared two packages, A and B:
- the Board team’s proposal 56 and rationale addressed Articles 1 and 29;
- the Board team’s proposals 57, 58, and 59 and rationale addressed Articles 5, 32, and Schedule G;
- the ULFA team’s proposal package A addressed Articles 8, 12, and 33; and
- the ULFA team’s proposal package B addressed Articles 4, 10, 18, 20, 38, and Schedule V.
The ULFA team also accepted the Board team’s proposal to retain Schedule T.
The ULFA team opened by briefly summarizing the Package A and Package B proposals sent to the Board team on May 22nd. Within Package A, the ULFA team proposed language that corrects the current Board practice of double reduction of increments for reduced-load and part-time Members, a practice that has been subject to multiple grievances (including a recently agreed MOU). The Board asked if this proposal was intended to be applied to part-time Members as well as reduced load Members. The ULFA team responded that yes, the intent is to harmonize the treatment and that they look forward to exchanging Schedule A (where part-time considerations are located) proposals to discuss the matter more fully). Package B included clarifications regarding ULFA Members serving on the Board of Governors.
The discussion next turned to aspects of the Board team’s proposals 56 through 59. Specific matters discussed included proposed language in Article 32 to clarify when the Wellness Department may require certain kinds of information to support a Member’s medical leave. The Board team also responded to a question on Fine Arts Studio Teachers and how this category of academic staff relates to the new language proposed by the ULFA team in Article 5 (e.g., see May 5, 2025 blog). The Board team noted that this matter is in the process of being resolved, potentially involving the recategorization of Studio Teachers as sessional lecturers on fractional contracts.
The parties discussed the scheduling of future negotiation sessions and whether exchanging written proposals a few days in advance of each session should continue. The teams agreed to share information about their Fall semester availability before or by the next scheduled bargaining session. The Board team questioned the utility of the shorter meeting windows used recently due to scheduling challenges. The ULFA team expressed how effective it has been both to know which articles are slated for discussion and to have time to review written proposals ahead of the meeting times. This has allowed for thoughtful consideration of the proposals, has better respected the time of all parties involved in negotiations, and has enabled more informed discussions at the negotiation table. The next bargaining sessions are scheduled for June 24 (full day) and June 25 (half-day), 2025. A summary of the progress of articles opened in this round of bargaining is available here.
