Ratification Kit: Funding, Childcare, Strike Protections
Table of Contents
- Old Collective Agreement
- Bargaining Demand
- March 9th Offer
- Ratification Kit: What It Means
- LOA Details
- Funding Provisions & Stipends
- Mental Health & Training Funds
- Childcare Funding
- Housing & Other Provisions
- TF Course Design/Revision & Tuition
- Sick Leave & Leave Provisions
- Discrimination Provisions
- Return-to-Work Protocols
- Conclusion
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Old Collective Agreement
Tab 1
Key takeaways:
- No funding/labour ratio.
- Compensation for TA Preparation granted, but no compensation for TF course design/revision.
- New childcare fund, but no mental health support or training funds.
- No guaranteed working hours or compensation for Back to Work
- Incomplete protections for strike participation.
Below is a further summary of major components of the Ratification Kit for you to consider before you vote.
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Bargaining Demand
Old Collective Agreement, Bargaining Demand, March 9th Offer, Ratification Kit: What does it mean?
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March 9th Offer
LOA #3 Non-Employment Funding not impacted by Hourly Rate increase (for established contracts).
Labour/Funding Ratio to ensure protection for the total amount of promised funding that can come from employment vs non-employment (degree related) funding to meet the minimum stipend requirement.
Not Addressed by the University LOA #3.
Removal of expiry date from this LOA.
LOA XX employment income portion of funding identified and additional employment income (supplementary TA/RA/TFships) will not reduce the non-employment portion of funding.
No labour/funding ratio protection; does not protect new future funding agreements or changes for other non-wage-increase reasons (ex. changing the total funding package, or removing the QGA from Master’s funding as they attempted in 2024).
No clear timeline or timepoint for when funding transparency is given (i.e. Not guaranteed in admissions package).
Wage and stipend rate increase for three subsequent years (3+2.25+3.25), in effect as of the expiry date of the CA - Adjusted on April 2 from the original offer of 3+3+3.
As effective from ratification date to April 30, 2025: 3%+2.25%+2.5% with a 12.86% market adjustment effective as of May 1st, 2025.
The same as the previous offer with the wage increase put in effect as of the ratification date rather than the expiry of the previous collective agreement; contract holders during 2024-2025 period are excluded from payments that would make their salaries whole with the 3% rise introduced for that year.
LOA #11
- 120,000 CAD fund to support mental health, psychological safety and wellbeing of employees.
- 250,000 CAD fund to support mental health, psychological safety and wellbeing of employees.
- 140,000 CAD general support fund.
Withdrawn - employer moved this money to child care and an additional 50 CAD per member lump sum payment for backpay as restitution for Bill 124 (totalling 250 CAD now instead of 200).
Entire loss of support - previous agreement had mental health support fund, bargaining team asked for more overall, University offer removed it entirely.
LOA #12
- 20,000 CAD fund to support training, Combined with mental health fund.
- Part of general support fund including pedagogical training, research skills and academic and professional development activities training support fund, bargaining team asked for more overall, University offer removed it entirely.
A lump sum payment for Bill 124 Remedy of 1,200 CAD (revised amount in April 2 proposal; the original proposal was 1,500 CAD per member).
200 CAD per member; 250 CAD per member with a 50 CAD increase from the previous offer (while also removing funds for mental health support).
N/A 67,500 CAD.
Childcare Funding
Childcare Support:
- No proposal from the University.
- Unnumbered LOA (Page 26).
- 110,000 CAD Childcare Support funding reallocated from other existing funds (mental health and training). Only remaining support fund offered, with usage limited to childcare.
Housing related language providing affordable housing to full-time graduate students in the first proposal replaced by abiding by the Ontario Residential Rent Guidelines in the revised proposal on April 2).
N/A
Housing & Other Provisions
No proposal from the University.
Nothing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
TF Course Design/Revision & Tuition
- Compensation for TF course design (6K) or revision (3K) with an annual increase per GEI.
- No proposal from the University.
- N/A
Sick Leave & Leave Provisions
Sick leave (12 hours of paid sick leave per term).
Sick leave from 12 hours minimum to a 20 hrs of maximum. Won (line added).
Same woo for the bare minimum--being paid for labour.
N/A
Discrimination Provisions
Adding caste based Letter of Agreement that is the same as the previous offer.
Thanks for the bare minimum discrimination to collective agreement, and state that it is an urgent issue that shall be addressed by University’s discrimination and harassment policies and procedures - agreed to University’s counteroffer; caste based discrimination can be addressed through University’s discrimination and harassment policies and procedures after fighting so long and hard against it!! <3
Return-to-Work Protocols
(2) Where the University determines that work remains to be completed: Contracted work duties that have been completed by scab labour or removed from syllabus or changes in examination type significantly diminish opportunities for contracted hours and work to be completed and paid. IF there is work remaining as determined by the University and IF scab labour to finish the term is discontinued.
(10) Where appropriate, the Employment Supervisor shall pay… leaves the compensation for unpaid hours at the Supervisor’s discretion completely, and might create uneven and inequitable duty assignment and remaining work-hour calculation.
(12) …leading up to and during the period of the strike (i.e. from March 9, 2025 up to and including the date on which the tentative agreement…). Participation, actions, and statements BEFORE March 9th are not protected. Strike information sessions and grievances related to potential strike action across campus began in December 2024.
(13) Investigations and proceedings will be discontinued. Does not address what will be done with the information, data, footage, etc collected for these - where is it stored? Unless videographic footage and other data regarding striking members’ actions is quashed, there is no guarantee against such data’s misuse in the future.
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Conclusion
This document outlines the major components of the Ratification Kit, highlighting funding structures, mental health and training funds, childcare funding, back-to-work terms, and protections related to strike activity. It emphasizes the contrasts between the Old Collective Agreement, Bargaining Demands, and the March 9th Offer, and explains what the Ratification Kit means for members moving forward.