Meeting of the OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee February 8, 2019

1. Table of Contents Page 1 2. Meeting Agenda Page 2 3. Registration List Page 3-4 4. SWEC Mandate Page 5-6 5. SWEC Ground Rules Page 7 6. September 2018 Meeting Minutes Page 8-11 7. Chair’s Report Page 12-13 8. OCUFA President Report Page 14-24 9. Workshop Materials Page 25-36 a. Backgrounder on government announcements related to the PSE sector b. OCUFA letters and statements

Agenda

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

Please note that there will be a hot buffet breakfast served at 8am in the meeting room. This is a great opportunity for folks to connect with each other about what is happening on your campuses.

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions 9:15 a.m. Land Acknowledgment

9:25 a.m. Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes Business arising from the minutes

9:35 a.m. Report of OCUFA Executive and Board

9:50 a.m. Report of SWEC Chair

10:25 a.m. Report of the SWEC vice Chair

10:30 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. Member reports 11:45 a.m. Wrap up Other Business 12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Workshop – Responding to Ford’s anti-equity agenda 2:15 p.m. Break 2:30 p.m. Workshop - continued 4:30 p.m. Adjourn

OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee Meeting Friday February 8, 2019 Pier 4/5 Room Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto

List of Participants

Algoma Anthony Fabiano

Brescia Helene Cummins

Brock Debra Harwood

Huron Donna Kotsopoulos

Interpreter Angela Core

Interpreter Sean Power

King’s Cathy Chovaz

Lakehead Karen Poole

Laurentian Reuben Roth

Nipissing Sal Renshaw

Nipissing Lanyan Chen

OCUFA Staff Cheryl Athersych

OCUFA Staff Abe Nasirzadeh

OCUFA Staff Mina Rajabi Paak

OCUFA President Gyllian Phillips

Ottawa Kathryn Trevenen

Queen’s Leslie Jermyn

Ryerson Rachel Berman

Toronto Azita Taleghani

Trent Michele McIntosh

UOIT Elita Partosoedarso

Waterloo Weizhen Dong

Wilfrid Laurier Rebecca Godderis

Windsor Brandi Lucier

York Ellie Perkins

Status of Women and Equity Committee Mandate (Section 22 of the OCUFA Bylaws) a. There shall be an OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee which shall be a standing committee of the OCUFA Board of Directors that reports to the Board and carries out its activities subject to the approval of the Board. b. The Committee shall build upon the work of OCUFA's previous Status of Women Committee and act as a centre and source of information regarding issues of concern to women and other equity-seeking academic staff members at Ontario universities, such as those related to gender, ethnicity, race, indigeneity, disability, sexuality, religion, or age. The Committee shall:

i. serve as a resource for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding issues of concern to women and other equity-seeking academic staff members encountered at Ontario universities;

ii. in coordination with the OCUFA Executive Director and staff, provide committee members with information and advice about provincial legislation and government policies that have implications for terms and conditions of employment for women and other equity-seeking academic staff members;

iii. at committee meetings, serve as a forum where faculty association status of women and/or equity representatives or their designates can exchange information on issues and trends that have significance for women and other equity-seeking academic staff members;

iv. through its meetings, presentations by invited guests, workshops and other means assist members with issues relevant to their role as faculty association status of women and/or equity representatives;

v. act as an advisory committee to local faculty association status of women and/or equity representatives seeking information and/or advice on issues relevant to their role within their association;

vi. initiate and, with the assistance of OCUFA professional staff, carry out such research studies as may from time to time seem desirable, on subjects directly related to issues of concern to women and other equity-seeking academic staff members;

vii. make recommendations to the OCUFA Board of Directors on policy matters relating to issues of particular concern to women and other equity-seeking academic staff members;

viii. submit a report to the Board of OCUFA prior to each Board meeting, on the activities of the Committee: this report may include recommendations regarding the composition and terms of reference of the Committee. c. The Committee shall consist of one representative from each Member in OCUFA.

The representative shall normally be the Chair of the association's status of women and/or equity committee, OR member of the association's Executive responsible for status of women and/or equity concerns, OR otherwise elected officer of the association responsible for status of women and/or equity issues. d. The Committee shall elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair annually, at the last meeting of the fiscal year, from among its members. Those elected will serve in that capacity at the next meeting of the Committee. The maximum number of consecutive terms that a Chair or Vice-Chair may serve in any one position is three consecutive one-year terms. The Chair of the Committee, or designate of the Chair, shall report to the Board at its regular meetings. e. The Chair of the Committee, or designate of the Chair, shall have voice but not vote at Board. The Chair, or designate of the Chair, shall be entitled to move and/or second motions. f. The budget of the Status of Women and Equity Committee shall be established annually by the Board of Directors. g. An OCUFA staff member shall act as Secretary to the Committee

SWEC Ground Rules/Rules of engagement

Preamble

This document reflects the ground rules that were developed by SWEC members who attended the September 29, 2017 meeting. As such, it represents a living document that will change and evolve as the committee grows and changes in order to accommodate the needs of all members. This document will be included in each meeting package to encourage common understanding between all members, and it will be revisited at the first meeting of each year. With this practice, SWEC strives to build a safer working space.  Scheduled breaks and lunch times will be respected  Name plates will be provided, along with the institution, to facilitate discussion and community-building  Confidentiality: o No attribution or sharing of member reports without express permission from the member o No sharing of other members’ personal experiences o Make explicit when information being shared during meetings must remain confidential o If we wish to use confidential information for leverage at our own institution, ask first  Use of language: be mindful of potentially violent and/or offensive terms, expressions. Language is political and evolving. The committee will build common language through an organic process  Be open to feedback, open to learn (constructive criticism).  Conversely, be open to questions and offer feedback, acknowledging that other members may have a different level of expertise or experience with an issue (invite people into the conversation rather than “calling them out”)  Assume that everyone comes from positive intentions. This can be both a caring and rigorous space  Be open to raising an issue for someone else; i.e. do not rely on the same people to voice the same concerns, as it can be exhausting to be that person all of the time.

Meeting of the OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee- Minutes September 21, 2018

Present:

Anthony Fabiano – Algoma University Faculty Association Debra Harwood – Brock University Faculty Association Donna Kotsopoulos – Huron University College Faculty Association Karen Poole – Lakehead University Faculty Association Reuben Roth – Laurentian University Faculty Association Kathy Mantas – Nipissing University Faculty Association Lanyan Chen – Nipissing University Faculty Association Rebecca Godderis, Chair – Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association Cathy Chovaz, Vice-chair –King’s Faculty Association Diane Beauchemin – Queen’s University Faculty Association Azita Taleghani – University of Toronto Faculty Association Marina Morgenshtern – Trent University Faculty Association Weizhen Dong – Waterloo University Faculty Association Brandi Lucier – Windsor University Faculty Association Ellie Perkins – York University Faculty Association Frances Latchford – York University Faculty Association Helene Cummins—Brescia Faculty Association Kathryn Trevenen—University of Ottawa Faculty Association (APUO) Mark Rosenfeld, Executive Director – OCUFA staff Gyllian Phillips—OCUFA President Cheryl Athersych – OCUFA staff Mina Rajabi Park – OCUFA staff Abe Nasirzadeh—OCUFA Staff Angela Core – Interpreter Sean Power - Interpreter

1. Call to order The chair called the meeting to order at 9:05. 2. Land Acknowledgment The chair provided a land acknowledgment. 3. TRC Workshop

The chair introduced the workshop facilitators, Lori Campbell the Director, Shatitsirotha’ (pronounced sa-di-gee-ROW-da) at Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre at St. Paul’s University College; Shannon Dea, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Vice-President of the Faculty Association at the University of Waterloo, and Laura McDonald, Community Relations Coordinator with the Faculty Association.

The facilitators encouraged attendees to ‘get uncomfortable’ in order to make steps to respond to the TRC calls to action. The workshop allowed participants to talk about the actions on their 8 campuses and then the facilitators outlined what (and why) WLUFA has been doing and how those actions might be translated to other faculty associations. Everyone was invited to think about what they personally wanted to do as a next step and were given additional resources for learning outside of the workshop.

12:30 pm: Lunch break 4. Review of Guiding Principles for SWEC

The chair called the meeting back to order at 1:31pm.

She reminded the room that everyone should use microphones when speaking to accommodate those who are hard of hearing. She also reminded the room that that the committee had previously committed to reviewing the ground rules at the beginning of each year and asked everyone to read the rules and communicate any changes or additions they see necessary. She noted that the goal of the document is to encourage common understanding among the members and added that based on the conversations that took place in the previous year a ground rule concerning consensus based decision-making was added to the committee’s list of guiding principles.

The chair also reminded the room of the expectation of confidentiality regarding the stories and reports shared at the meeting.

There were no comments or suggestions from the committee regarding the ground rules and guiding principles.

4. Approval of Agenda Diane/Kathy: THAT the agenda be approved. CARRIED

5. Approval of Minutes Lanyan/Marina: THAT the minutes be approved. CARRIED

6. Business arising from the minutes No business arising from the minutes was recorded. The chair reviewed some of the logistics of the structure and practices of the committee for new and returning members and reminded the room of the meeting dates for the year. She also noted that during the forward agenda conversation at the meeting, the committee would be determining the future initiatives and plans of SWEC.

7. Report of OCUFA Executive and Board Gyllian Phillips, OCUFA president provided a report from the OCUFA Executive and Board. She then responded to inquiries from the committee. The questions concerned issues such as the

9 new free speech policy and the role of HEQCO in the auditing process for universities, the Ernst and Young line-by-line audit report and its possible implications for the postsecondary sector, and the fate of the anti-racism directorate in Ontario.

8. Report of the SWEC Chair The chair reviewed some of the highlights of her report and noted that her full written report is included in the package. She reminded all that the resource bank is up and running and that all SWEC members should have access to it. There was also a reminder for folks to submit nominations for the new SWEC award. The chair also highlighted the importance of the recent Kaplan arbitration award at RFA and the upcoming SQCT report by OCUFA and encouraged all to get their faculty associations to read and consider these reports on the role and impact of student questionnaires as they hire, think about tenure and promotion, and bargain. The chair also noted that the Ministry of Labour is holding consultations in the fall about 1. The Safe at Work Ontario strategy and 2. Ontario’s next five-year strategy for occupational health and safety. She noted that anyone doing work or research in these areas is encouraged to consider attending the consultation sessions. Cathy Chovaz, the new SWEC vice-chair also introduced herself to the committee and offered her introductory remarks.

9. Member reports The chair thanked members who sent their reports in advance of the meeting and noted that there were not many written reports received in advance for this meeting. She then opened the floor to questions and reports from the members.

A reminder that the members’ discussion portion of the meeting is confidential and not minuted.

10. Forward agenda

The chair noted that last year’s committee wanted to ensure that the committee members in the room were involved in deciding the priorities for the committee for the year. To that end, they decided on the first workshop of the year, and committed to making decisions about the rest of the year at this meeting. The chair then asked the members to break into small groups and answer the following questions:

1. What do we want the structure of the meetings to look like? Do we want to continue with the workshop and meeting model or move away from workshops and towards the possibility of SWEC taking on projects? 2. What topics should we be considering for our future meetings in either case?

Upon concluding their discussions, the groups reported their suggestions to the room.

The committee emphasized SWEC’s dual mandate of training equity officers, which is why it’s important to continue holding workshops, and advising OCUFA on equity-related issues, positions and statements.

Following a discussion on different suggestions and ideas put forward by the groups, the committee decided on the following structure and topics for its next two meetings of the year:

- The February meeting will not include a workshop. Instead the non-business portion of the meeting will be dedicated to drawing on the SWEC members’ expertise to have a detailed discussion on the provincial government’s anti-equity agenda and the strategies for responding to it.

- The May meeting will entail a workshop portion on the topic of faculty mental health, accommodation and accessibility. An external facilitator (and possibly other experts) will be invited to run the workshop.

The committee also raised concerns around the fact that OCUFA’s current priorities do not include equity and that specially in the current political climate more emphasis should be placed on equity considerations. OCUFA president responded that it was a conscious decision by OCUFA leadership to not have equity as a separate priority area, but rather to have equity as an ongoing priority and part and parcel of all the work OCUFA does.

A few committee members emphasized that while OCUFA leadership’s approach is understandable, it is still important that equity be front and centre as a priority of OCUFA this year. To that end the following motion was presented:

BIRT a recommendation be made to the OCUFA Executive to have OCUFA’s commitment to equity as a cross-cutting theme in the organization’s work and the adoption of an equity lens vis-à-vis the organizations’ annual priorities be clearly noted on the OCUFA website.

BIFRT that a request be made to the OCUFA executive to appoint a SWEC representative to the OCUFA executive subcommittee on constitution revisions.

MOVED by Ellie SECONDED by Lanyan CARRIED Unanimously.

11. Other Business

There was no other business reported.

12. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4:29pm.

OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee Report of the Committee Chair and Vice-chair

OCUFA updates

As directed by the committee, we brought the SWEC motions passed at the September 2018 meeting to the attention of the OCUFA Executive at their October meeting. In response to the first motion which asked for OCUFA’s commitment to equity to be clearly featured on the organization’s website, the Executives noted that OCUFA’s equity mandate is going to be included in a mission statement that the organization is working on. Once the mission statement is finalized and ratified by the OCUFA Board at their February meeting, adjustments to the website content will be made.

To address the request in the second motion passed at the September SWEC meeting, the OCUFA Executive agreed to appoint Rebecca Godderis, the SWEC chair, to the Executive subcommittee on bylaw revisions to ensure that an equity perspective is adopted in any proposed bylaw changes.

We attended the OCUFA Committee Chairs’ phone call in the fall where we heard about the priorities for other committees and discussed opportunities for collaboration. There was an appetite from the other Chairs to engage in meaningful ways with SWEC and we continue to explore ways to do this, including having concurrent committee meetings at the hotel so that members from various committees can meet socially or participate in workshop portions of the meetings.

We also participated in a fall Contract Faculty/Faculty Complement committee call. We looked for opportunities to engage both committees in our respective work and will discuss the possibilities for putting various committee members in touch on campuses at our upcoming meeting.

Free speech on campus

In August 2018, the Ontario government mandated all colleges and universities in the province to develop standalone free speech policies. All institutions were required to have their policies in place by January 1, 2019 and follow the Chicago Principles on free speech as the guiding document. In addition, the PCs announced that they would tie government funding for universities to free speech on campus and that Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario’s mandate will be expanded to include a complaint and investigations process for perceived violations on campus.

OCUFA developed a resource document for faculty associations concerning the directive (included in the package) and dedicated the fall Academic Matters to this topic. Status of Women and Equity Award of Distinction In November 2018, we sent out a call to the committee for members interested to serve on the SWEAD selection committee. Many thanks to Kathy Mantas and Marina Morgenshtern for volunteering to serve on the selection committee this year. After examining the received award applications, the committee recommended to the executive that two people be given the award this year. So we are pleased to announce that tomorrow Dr. Lianne Leddy from Wilfred Laurier and Dr. Susan Hillock from Trent University will be given these awards. The recipients will be recognized at the OCUFA Board luncheon. The work they are doing to improve equity on their campuses and beyond is truly inspirational. In September, we will be asking for volunteers to sit on the selection committee for the 2019 award committee. SWEC elections

We would like to remind the committee that as per the committee mandate, there is to be an election held at the last meeting of each academic year to elect a committee chair and vice chair: The committee shall elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair annually, at the last meeting of the fiscal year, from among its members. Those elected will serve in that capacity at the next meeting of the Committee. The maximum number of consecutive terms that a Chair or Vice-Chair may serve in any one position is three consecutive one-year terms. The Chair of the Committee, or designate of the Chair, shall report to the Board at its regular meetings.

We will hold elections at our next and last meeting of the year on May 3rd.

Next meeting

As part of the forward agenda set at our September meeting, the committee decided to have the workshop portion of the May meeting of SWEC dedicated to the issue of mental health, accommodation and accessibility for faculty. This decision was in response to the high volume of questions and concerns raised regarding faculty mental health and accommodations and the need for better support and resources for faculty in dealing with difficult accommodation cases. We’re looking forward to a wholesome conversation at our February meeting regarding the committee members’ expectation and goals for the workshop. Any feedback and suggestions from you would be of immense help to us in the coming months as we work on planning and developing the May workshop.

OCUFA President’s Report February 2018

Political context

Six months of Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives’ government has delivered what we all feared: concerted attacks on workers’ rights, university autonomy and public services including post-secondary education, needless cuts to student financial assistance and other programs aimed at low-income Ontarians, all without consultation with sector stakeholders or the public before making these significant decisions. The government’s refusal to consult with sector stakeholders, including OCUFA, its recent announcement to cut tuition fees by 10 per cent without an increase to core funding, earlier decisions to cancel funding for expansion campuses and the French language university, and enforce “free speech” policies on campuses along with disciplinary measures tied to possible cuts to university and college funding all suggest that more challenges are yet to come. OCUFA continues to demand that the government consult with sector stakeholders. We are working with our partners in the sector to collectively stand against the government’s attacks on public services, workers’ rights and postsecondary education. We are also working to build capacity amongst our member associations so they can work at the local level to organize against the Ford agenda.

OCUFA priorities

At the October OCUFA Board meeting, directors set the following priorities for 2018-19: good jobs, university funding and capacity building.

Good jobs Fairness for Contract Faculty Advocating for good jobs – one of OCUFA’s long-term goals – has taken on particular urgency under the current government and with the dramatic changes in the nature of academic work. OCUFA partnered with CAUT again this year to support Ontario faculty associations’ participation in Fair Employment Week from October 22 to 26, 2018. Faculty associations were involved in outreach activities or events, such as tabling, solidarity breakfasts and luncheons, with 14 events taking place in Ontario. The events were well attended and provided a great opportunity for faculty to have conversations with the wider campus community about precarity trends in the postsecondary sector. A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concluded that Canadian universities’ heavy reliance on contract faculty is a structural issue, not a temporary approach to hiring.

Precarious work, including that of contract faculty, has been described by the Changing Workplaces Review as “an urgent and serious threat to the well-being, not only of a significant number of workers in Ontario, but also to their families and Ontario society.” Delivering fairness for contract faculty and committing to faculty renewal will create more good jobs on our campuses and ensure that students have access to the quality learning experience they deserve. As part of OCUFA’s commitment to fairness for contract academic staff we foreground the concerns of contract faculty as part of our bargaining strategy.

Continued engagement with allies across sectors through the Fight for $15 & Fairness will also bolster OCUFA’s ongoing work. OCUFA will continue to participate in the $15 & Fairness campaign through monthly Provincial Mobilization Network conference calls and the fourth annual provincial strategy meeting on February 23 and 24 in Toronto. All OCUFA members are encouraged to participate in the provincial strategy meeting and engage in the conversations regarding the fight for decent work in the postsecondary sector.

Faculty renewal

For over a decade, full-time faculty hiring at Ontario’s universities has not kept pace with student enrolment. Ontario university student enrolment has grown seven times faster than full-time faculty hiring, leading to larger classes and less one-on-one student-faculty engagement.

OCUFA’s goal is to increase the overall size of the full-time tenure stream faculty complement and reduce universities’ reliance on contract faculty by hiring more full-time, tenure stream faculty members at universities across Ontario and providing opportunities for contract faculty members to move into full-time permanent positions. The Ontario government, as expected, has not shown interest in faculty renewal or fairness for contract faculty. OCUFA continues to advance this vision and to work with the opposition parties to keep the need for faculty renewal on their agenda.

Strengthening alliances The challenging political climate in our province is opportunity to strengthen relationships within our sector and in the broader labour movement to collectively push back against government cuts and attacks on public services, including postsecondary education. OCUFA continues to be an active member of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC). Members of the OUCC include the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, CUPE Ontario University Sector, Ontario Federation of Labour, OPSEU College Faculty, OPSEU College Support Staff, OPSEU University Sector 9, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, PSAC Ontario, United Steelworkers–District 6 and OCUFA.

OCUFA coordinated a collective OUCC response to the government’s directive on “free speech” policies, calling on the government to withdraw their prescribed disciplinary measures including funding cuts. OCUFA also played a central role in formally requesting a meeting with Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for the OUCC leadership. OUCC’s request, along with multiple requests from OCUFA and other sector groups to meet with the Minister have gone unanswered to date. In addition, OCUFA held a number of strategy meetings with members of the OUCC in response to the government’s recent announcement of a 10 per cent tuition fee cut and attack on students’ unions. A follow-up meeting for the OUCC has been scheduled in February to discuss next steps.

Pensions and benefits Pensions and benefits have been a key issue for faculty associations in bargaining for decades, since OCUFA’s inception. OCUFA continues to pursue initiatives that support good pension plans and benefits that respond to the interests and concerns of faculty associations. OCUFA is available to assist associations in developing member engagement and communications strategies to gain more understanding of members’ pensions and benefits needs, as well as support better outcomes in bargaining. It is worth noting that the fiscal update delivered in the fall by Finance Minister Vic Fedali specifically mentioned the government’s commitment to the UPP. There are currently no signs the government plans to force any associations into the plan but we constantly monitor government communications on pensions and will mobilize quickly should there be any kind of a change in policy by the government. At the University of Guelph, University of Toronto, and Queen’s University, the administrations, faculty associations and some local unions have finalized the UPP milestones document and organized town halls in advance of the consent votes on those campuses. We look forward to an update following these votes. OCUFA remains committed to supporting all member associations with their pension needs.

University funding

Student assistance and tuition

On January 17, the government announced its decision to cut tuition fees by 10 per cent in 2019- 20 and freeze tuition fees in 2020-21. While this is a welcome step, it must be matched with an increase in core funding to ensure university budgets are not reduced. Without corresponding public funding, the tuition fee reduction is no more than a political gimmick designed to distract

Ontarians from damaging cuts to the province’s already under-funded postsecondary education system. OCUFA has long argued that tuition fees are a barrier to access that prevent students from pursuing a postsecondary education and supports the call from Ontario’s students’ unions that tuition fees should be reduced and replaced with increased public funding for the province’s universities. OCUFA is deeply concerned about the impact of this cut to university revenue, especially in an already underfunded and overstretched university system. Based on MTCU estimates, the tuition fee cut will reduce university budgets by 2-4 per cent. If this cut is not matched with an equivalent level of provincial funding, it will have a direct effect on the quality of education and research in our universities. It will incentivize universities to enforce additional austerity and cost-saving measures, which could include increasing class sizes and maintaining precarious work conditions for most instructors. The government also announced its decision to revert back to 2016-17 OSAP funding levels, which will decrease the percentage of student financial assistance provided in grants from 92 per cent to 67 per cent, and increase the percentage of financial assistance provided through loans from 8 per cent to a staggering 33 per cent. International students, who pay the highest tuition fees in Ontario ($34,961 per year on average for undergraduates), are ineligible for this 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees and risk facing even steeper tuition increases in the absence of regulation on international tuition fees. The resulting increase in student debt coupled with the elimination of the six-month grace period following graduation – during which loan interest will now accumulate – will leave students from low and middle income families with higher levels of debt, forcing them to pay more for their education. The Ontario government’s announced cuts and changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) largely negate any benefits from the 10 per cent tuition fee cut for Ontario’s low and middle income students. These changes are, by definition, regressive because those most adversely affected are those already forced to borrow for their education. While we are reassured that the Minister has signaled the government’s commitment to not cut core operating grants for postsecondary institutions, the announced changes mean that universities and colleges will struggle with less funding and students will be burdened with less financial assistance, more expensive loans, and higher debt. These changes to student assistance will make postsecondary education less accessible for students in Ontario, and negatively impact diversity and innovation at our universities as they limit access for low and middle income students.

Funding model changes One of OCUFA’s central concerns with the previous government’s work towards the implementation of the new funding formula is that Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA) 17 negotiations did not include adequate consultation with the university community, particularly faculty, staff, and students. The third round of SMA consultations was expected to begin in early 2019. The previous government had struck two technical tables with representatives from the Ministry and COU (along with a few “expert” individuals) to guide the process of metrics development. The previous Ministry had also indicated that new SMAs will include a higher percentage of “at risk” funding, i.e. funding that would be tied to outcomes. The technical tables were temporarily put on hold during the election period in May 2018. Since then, OCUFA has consistently followed up with the SMA team at the Ministry to request information about the metrics development process and the timelines for SMA3 negotiations. The Ministry noted that the technical tables have not been reactivated and that there are no new developments to be shared on the status of metrics development or the SMA negotiations. Whether the current government will opt for an overhaul of the funding formula (or a significant increase in at risk funding) remains uncertain. However, the new government has indicated a strong interest in expanding outcomes-based funding and both the Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry and the Ernst and Young reports commissioned by the government heavily signaled the need for increased use of performance metrics in the public sector. It is worth noting that we maintain regular contact with HECQO and at a meeting in November, HEQCO Research Director Martin Hicks indicated that they are in regular contact with the government on the issue of the ‘fiscal sustainability’ of Ontario’s universities. OCUFA remains concerned about HECQO’s influence over any future SMA negotiations. OCUFA will continue to work towards expanding its engagement with members and other stakeholders in the sector to push back against metrics and outcome-based funding. At our recent Advocacy Day held in November, we provided briefings on performance funding and discussed the pitfalls of tying funding to outcomes with MPPs from all parties as well as the Director of Policy and Parliamentary Assistant at the Ministry. OCUFA also included recommendations on the university funding model in its recent pre-budget submission and presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. As more information about the next round of SMAs becomes available, we will also offer support to faculty associations to ensure proper, meaningful consultations take place at the institutional level that include faculty voices.

Capacity building Building capacity is the means to reaching an over-arching goal: a faculty labour movement strong enough to address our biggest problems, including precarious employment, the faculty shortage, and chronic underfunding. It is not enough to be right; we must also be effective. Ultimately, our power to affect change comes from our capacity to mobilize faculty members, and build relationships with allies. We must build new structures, new relationships, and adopt

18 new tactics to solve our biggest problems. Strengthening relationships with our allies is of increased urgency under the current conservative government. Developing the Countdown to Strong program is the primary means OCUFA has been using to build local capacity. The goal of the program is to ensure local bargaining units reach peak strength on the day the team first meets the employer across the bargaining table. OCUFA’s bargaining staff have created a set of tools that form the foundation of the Countdown to Strong program, which are designed to keep faculty associations on track to implement campaigns for bargaining after they have completed the training. Training local executives, bargaining teams, contract committees, and special action committees is also an important part of capacity building efforts. The goal is to get executive members, chief negotiators, and other members to start building capacity at the local level with the support of OCUFA staff. This can be through the Countdown to Strong bargaining program or other strategies. The key is setting achievable goals and building structures that are able to remain active and effective. Countdown to Strong has been particularly effective in assisting small and under resourced associations, however the program is close to five years old and in the coming months we will be working on modifying the program and integrating it with our government relations and strategic bargaining advice. The Contract Faculty and Faculty Complement committee also aims to support capacity building within faculty associations. On many campuses, the committee has members who are leaders working to build networks to support work around fairness for contract faculty. Those campuses that have contract faculty committees are often the most active and effective on this issue. To create more capacity and involve more members, OCUFA will continue to support building committees and networks within faculty associations that bring together contract faculty and sessional members who are directly impacted by precarious work, and build solidarity between contract and full-time faculty members.

Committing to equity At the Executive meeting in July 2017, it was decided that OCUFA’s work and structures should be better informed by equity concerns and the objective of promoting greater equity. As a step in the process of committing to equity, the OCUFA Executive had an equity workshop during their summer planning meeting led by Rebecca Godderis, Chair of OCUFA's Status of Women and Equity Committee. This provided an important opportunity to identify OCUFA’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to equity, and represented a strong starting point for our continued work advancing equity. The Executive has more work to do to identify areas for follow-up, beginning with facilitating connections between our various committees and evaluating participation of faculty from equity-seeking groups in OCUFA initiatives and governance structures. Advocacy Responding to repeal of fair labour laws

Faculty across Ontario were deeply disappointed that Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government cancelled fair labour laws, including the $15 minimum wage, paid sick days, equal pay for equal work, enhanced bargaining unit consolidation provisions, and fairer rules for joining a union. Workers on university campuses and in communities across the province had been counting on these modest but important labour law improvements to support themselves and their families.

Cuts to decent work laws are of particular concern to Ontario contract faculty. At universities across the province, over half of faculty are now employed through precarious contracts without job security, and often paid less than their full-time colleagues for the same work. Many are forced to juggle work at multiple institutions just to make ends meet.

Faculty across Ontario joined the emergency actions coordinated by the campaign for $15 and Fairness across the province on October 24. On November 2, faculty, students and campus workers in Ottawa rallied at the constituency office of Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities to protest Bill 47. And on November 5, OCUFA sent a letter to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs urging them to withdraw all elements of Bill 47 that reverse recent improvements to Ontario’s labour laws. The letter was shared with faculty associations and members were encouraged to submit similar letters to the committee. OCUFA also met with the Ministry of Labour and shared the concerns of faculty regarding the changes brought forward in Bill 47.

OCUFA worked with the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) to coordinate a press conference on the repeal of fair labour laws. Kimberly Ellis-Hale the chair of OCUFA’s Contract Faculty and Faculty Complement committee spoke at the press briefing alongside representatives from student, faculty and staff groups from the university and college sectors.

Advocacy day On November 13, faculty from across the province gathered at Queen’s Park for a day advocating for stronger public funding for postsecondary education, fairness for contract faculty, and good jobs.

The day started with a breakfast reception attended by numerous MPPs and their staff. The reception featured remarks from David Piccini, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Chris Glover, the NDP critic for colleges and universities, and Mike Schreiner, the Leader of the Green Party.

During the day, faculty met with more than 35 MPPs representing all political parties, many of whom have universities in, or adjacent to, their ridings. With a new government in place and many new faces at Queen’s Park, this fall’s advocacy day provided an important opportunity for MPPs to learn about faculty priorities, including:

- protecting and expanding public funding for postsecondary education in Ontario to promote quality and accessibility;

- delivering fairness for contract faculty and committing to supporting good jobs on university campuses; and

- moving away from punitive university funding models based on performance metrics and urging greater consultation with faculty about university funding frameworks.

As in previous years, faculty gathered in advance to strategize and prepare for their meetings. OCUFA representatives also had a strong social media presence throughout the day, reporting on their meetings with MPPs and the issues they discussed.

Advocacy Day facilitated many important conversations. We hope that these conversations with MPPs will continue, not just at Queen’s Park, but also in the ridings where faculty live and work.

Responding to the Auditor General’s Report

In December 2018, OCUFA wrote an open letter to the Auditor General of Ontario criticizing her recent report on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and pointing to the fact that the report’s analysis misrepresents the value OSAP provides to students and families and draws premature and inaccurate conclusions based on incomplete data. The report dramatically oversteps the expectations of the Auditor General, whose mandate is to conduct audits and value-for-dollar analyses of government programs and not to provide policy analysis. The analysis in the report and paved the way for government cuts to student assistance for low-income families.

OCUFA’s letter detailed the reasons why the report on OSAP was both inaccurate and irresponsible. We outlined that we saw a pattern of the Auditor General exceeding her jurisdiction in name of controversy and media headlines.

Upon receipt of the letter, the Auditor General requested a meeting with OCUFA. The meeting took place on January 31, where the OCUFA president and staff reiterated their concerns and criticism of the report and pointed to the fact that, as was suspected, her report and the irresponsible framing of the press release that accompanied it provided the provincial government with the perfect justification to make drastic cuts to OSAP as evidenced in the Ministry’s January 17 announcement. We pressed the fact that the Auditor General had neither the competence nor policy background to make the pronouncement she did in her news release. We cautioned the Auditor General that she should be responsible and rigorous about her pronouncements on public policy issues outside of her expertise and jurisdiction. In this case, her irresponsible musings on the OSAP had serious consequences for low-income students. She was

21 not responsive to or welcoming of OCUFA’s critique and insisted that both her report and media releases were factual and accurately framed. Throughout the meeting she was rude, defensive, and dismissive of our concerns.

Ontario budget 2019

OCUFA’s 2019-20 pre-budget recommendations aim to enhance the accessibility and quality of postsecondary education in Ontario through stable, consistent, and adequate funding and improved working conditions for university faculty. OCUFA is recommending that the Government of Ontario: 1. Increase per-student public investment in Ontario’s universities to improve Ontario’s rank among other provinces in per-student funding by 2020-21. Cost in 2019-20: $510 million 2. Offset the cost associated with reducing tuition fees through an increase to university operating grants. This will mean an increase of $490 million in 2019-20 and $610 million in 2020-21. Cost in 2019-20: $490 million. 3. Ensure that the university funding model does not link performance metrics to funding. Instead, available data should be leveraged to improve university education quality and research outputs. Cost in 2019-20: No additional cost. 4. Make meaningful consultation with faculty a requirement in the third round of Strategic Mandate Agreement negotiations. Cost in 2019-20: No additional cost. 5. Launch a faculty renewal strategy for Ontario universities that achieves the dual goals of supporting new full-time tenure-stream hiring and creating pathways for contract faculty to more secure positions. Cost in 2019-20: $100 million to support universities across the province hiring approximately 845 additional full-time faculty. OCUFA’s full written submission is available on our website. Once the budget is introduced, OCUFA will publish a post budget analysis of this year’s budget measures.

Upcoming events

Social media day of action

On February 11, OCUFA will host our fourth annual social media day of action for fairness for contract faculty. We will work with CAUT, CUPE, OPSEU and other allies to foster wide participation. The goal is to build solidarity and draw attention to the need to address precarious academic work. We encourage your faculty association to participate and help spread the word. This term, members of the Contract Faculty and Faculty Complement Committee plan to host events on their campus in the lead up to the provincial election that focus on addressing precarious work. OCUFA is available to help any association that is interested in hosting an event and will be providing resources and support.

Please be in touch if your association wants to get started on planning an action.

Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education

The Worldviews 2019 conference, “Reflecting on the future of education and media in a post- truth world” will take place at the University of Toronto from June 12 to 14, 2019. Worldviews 2019 will focus on democracy and the changing power relations of higher education and the media in the global north and south – specifically examining the concept of expertise in a post- truth world and the types of voices amplified by emerging technologies. It will draw together a diverse, international audience, including academics, students, leaders in higher education, communications professionals, journalists, editors, bloggers, and others pioneering new ways of connecting in a digital world without borders. The conference will provide a forum for attendees to engage thoughtfully with the challenges and opportunities presented by the democratization of higher education and the media, facilitate a lively exchange of ideas, and explore innovative possibilities for partnerships. OCUFA will be hosting our annual Worldviews lecture in partnership with OISE, University World News, Insider Higher Ed, and the Ryerson School of Journalism on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 from 7-9p.m. at the Catalyst at Ryerson. The talk will be entitled: Truth and Reconciliation in Higher Education and the Media: What are the responsibilities? What is needed for these institutions to overcome the legacy of colonialism?” Tanya Talaga, author of Seven Fallen Feathers and All Our Relations and 2018 Massey lecturer, will start the evening with an engaging talk followed with a lively discussion by a panel of two media professionals and two academics. There will be time for audience questions and discussion. The event will be live streamed and recorded for those who cannot attend in person. Event registration information will be shared soon on the OCUFA website.

OCUFA initiatives

Student Questionnaires on Courses and Teaching (SQCT)

OCUFA’s working group on Student Questionnaires on Courses and Teaching (SQCTs) released its full report and executive summary. The report recommends that SQCTs be used only for formative, not summative purposes. The report follows a recent arbitration award at Ryerson that supports the argument that student questionnaires are problematic evaluation instruments. The ruling accepted expert evidence that SQCTs cannot be used to assess teaching effectiveness, and are skewed by a long list of factors, including personal characteristics such as race, gender, accent, age, and physical attractiveness and course characteristics including class size, subject matter, and use of traditional teaching vs innovative pedagogy. OCUFA provided financial support for the expert testimony offered by

Philip Stark and Richard Freishtat in this precedent-setting case. The award and pivotal expert reports are available on the OCUFA website.

Staying in touch

As OCUFA President, I look forward to participating with the Executive Director in a number of your associations’ membership meetings this year. We welcome the opportunity to visit your campus and speak with your members about OCUFA initiatives and concerns, and to hear about each local campus’ priority issues and concerns. Please let us know if there is an opportunity to attend one of your general meetings.

Backgrounder on government announcements related to the PSE sector

On June 7, the Ontario voters elected a Progressive Conservative majority government led by Doug Ford. This election outcome has a number of important implications for professors and academic librarians in the province and will pose several challenges and opportunities for the university sector over the next four years. During the election, the Ontario PC’s were silent on most postsecondary issues, and did not outline a plan for PSE in the province. They did, however, state that Ontario has a ‘spending problem’, which they have continued to reiterate in the months following the election. This framing is of great concern in terms of what it has meant and could mean for the state of funding for public services.

This document outlines some of the introduced legislation and announcements from the Ontario government since the June 7th election, notes how these changes could have equity implications, and outlines what OCUFA has done in response to date.

Back-to-Work Legislation on July 25th, the Ontario government tabled and passed back-to-work legislation aimed at the then striking members of CUPE 3903 at York University. This was not the first time that back-to-work legislation was used in Ontario – in fact, it was used to end the strike in the fall of 2017 at Ontario’s colleges as well. This sort of legislation works to undermine the collective bargaining process and lets employers know that they can avoid meaningful negotiations and eventually the government will bail them out. OCUFA published a statement expressing its concerns with the increasing precarity of postsecondary education workers which has occurred in part in reaction to reduced funding to the sector and that has resulted in labour unrest. To intervene in the collective bargaining process and to threaten to discipline those people involved in strike actions works to silence the voices of those who are opposed to increased precarity and who are interested in protecting the rights and working conditions of those workers.

Cancellation of the provincial Roundtable on Violence Against Women

In October 2018, Ontario’s permanent Roundtable on Violence Against Women, which was struck in 2016 to provide advice to government on gender-based violence issues and initiatives, was discontinued. The roundtable, which was co-chaired by Sly Castaldi and Farrah Khan, two well-known Violence Against Women advocates, and had representatives from 22 provincial umbrella organizations in the violence against women sector (including CFS and the OFL), had

25 played an important role in providing direction and resources for addressing sexual violence on campus and strengthening campus policies.

Bill 47

In October 2018, the PC government announced they were cancelling the fair labour laws brought under Bill 148 including the $15 minimum wage, paid sick days, equal pay for equal work, enhanced bargaining provisions, and fairer rules for joining a union. OCUFA President Gyllie Phillips was vocal in her opposition to this decision and OCUFA and its members were involved in protests and public education about these changes with our allies. The cuts to decent work laws are particularly troubling for Ontario contract faculty, which in turn would have profound implications for Ontario universities, as over half of faculty are now employed through precarious contracts. These contracts mean contract faculty do not have job security and are paid less than their full time colleagues. The cut to the equal pay legislation disproportionately impacts already marginalized workers – those who are racialized, female, and gender non-conforming contract faculty are already more likely to be in low-income households than their white male peers. In advance of the passing of Bill 47 (which repealed the gains in Bill 148), OCUFA submitted a letter to the standing committee outlining our displeasure.

Cuts to campus expansion

In October, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced they would no longer be funding three new university and college campuses (expansion campuses being built by York University and Seneca College in Markham, Ryerson University and Sheridan College in Brampton, and Wilfred Laurier University and Conestoga College in Milton). These satellite campuses were all in development – with land committed, buildings designed and $300 million in funding promised by the previous government. These cuts are indicative of this government’s modus operandi to make big decisions without consulting stakeholder groups. Colleges, universities and the affected communities were not consulted and the decision evidences a lack of interest in hearing stakeholders’ voices prior to making decisions with long-term decisions. This announcement also represented a major funding cut for the post-secondary sector.

Cancellation of the French-language university

In the fall economic statement, the provincial government announced that they would no longer be funding or moving forward with the French-language University that was set to be built in Toronto. There was no discussion or consultation with stakeholders (faculty, students or the

Francophone community) which points again to a general disinterest by this government to take into account the needs of communities affected by their cuts. The cancellation came as a surprise, partly because Doug Ford promised during his election campaign that the project would go ahead. Changes such as this one foreshadows that a promise made does not equal a promise kept with this government, which makes it difficult to predict what might be coming in the months ahead.

Free speech on campus

During the election, Ford outlined his commitment to free speech on campus. The PCs announced in August that universities could face funding cuts if they did not comply with a set of regulations, including a requirement for all universities and colleges to develop standalone free speech policies by January 1, 2019. The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) has been assigned to monitor each postsecondary institution’s progress in upholding free speech on campus. Each institution will also be required to prepare an annual report on its progress in complying with its free speech policy, publish it online and submit it to HEQCO. A college or university that does not introduce, report on, or comply with its free speech policy may be subject to a reduction in operating grant funding. Students who contravene free speech policy are subject to existing campus disciplinary measures. OCUFA has noted their concern about these unnecessary interventions and has teamed with allies to condemn this move (see the OUCC’s statement about free speech on campuses, attached). OCUFA is troubled that this sort of policy will have profound implications for universities, their faculty and students and that it will have the counterproductive effect of chilling speech on campuses, particularly if members of the university community face fears of reprisal. In an effort to prepare faculty associations for these discussions on campuses, we developed a toolkit about free speech.

Tuition cuts and changes to ancillary fees

In January 2019, Minister Fullerton announced a 10% tuition fee reduction for all Ontario college and university students in the fall of 2019. There will not be any increase to public funding for post secondary education accompanying this reduction in university revenues, so each institution will be responsible for identifying ‘creative solutions’ to address the resulting funding shortfalls. This could result in increased reliance on contract faculty to teach courses, increased class sizes and the closure of academic programs that are not thriving.

OCUFA believes these tuition reductions are an ill-conceived political gimmick that may distract Ontarians from damaging cuts to the province’s already under-funded system. OCUFA supports tuition reductions but only with increased core funding and sound student financial aid policy.

At the same time the tuition reduction was announced, Minister Fullerton noted that OSAP would revert to the 2016 rules. This will reduce the amount of grant money available to students from lower income families and eliminates the 6-month grace period to start paying the loan portion back after graduation. These changes disproportionately affect students from lower income families and introduce unnecessary barriers to accessing postsecondary educations for some Ontarians.

Alongside the cuts to OSAP funding, the government made sweeping and undemocratic changes to the ancillary fees students pay starting in September 2019. Ancillary fees for all fees deemed nonessential will become voluntary which undermines students’ rights on campuses whilst increasing administrative costs to manage opt-out systems. The fees that are being identified as non-essential are those that were introduced by students through democratic votes such as student union fees, radio station fees, non-for-profit organizations founded by and for students such as the PIRGs. This will work to attack students’ ability to represent and support their members and silences dissenting voices on campus.

OCUFA staff and leadership have been attending rallies in solidarity with students and actively supporting the student groups to protest these changes and will continue to do so.

OCUFA letters and statements

OCUFA Strongly Condemns Government Attempt at Tabling Back-to-Work Legislation

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association (OCUFA) strongly condemns the government’s tabling of the back-to-work legislation aimed at striking academic workers represented by CUPE 3903 and defends academic workers’ right to a fair negotiation process. This legislation breaches the constitutionally protected right of CUPE 3903 members to freely negotiate their agreement and undermines the collective bargaining process. The move subverts the process as it allows employers to avoid meaningful engagement in collective bargaining, and depend on government intervention as an alternative.

OCUFA welcomes William Kaplan’s recommendation in the Ontario government commissioned Industrial Inquiry report for the creation of a government task force on precarity in postsecondary education employment. The increasing number of precarious positions on our university and college campuses is a critical concern that needs to be addressed. However, it is important to note that growing precarity in our educational system will not be resolved by undermining the collective bargaining process.

Strikes and bargaining difficulties in the sector are products of underfunding and problematic hiring practices in the post-secondary system. Contrary to Mr. Kaplan’s suggestion, an investigation into alternative “methods of dispute resolution” simply ignores the underlying issue and is a solution in search of a problem. In fact, almost all negotiations in the post-secondary sector are concluded successfully without a need for job action and in the rare instances job action have taken place, they have been short. An inquiry or a commission with a mandate to explore means of dispute resolution fully misses the mark. What we need instead is a thorough review of the impact of the systematic underfunding of our post-secondary system and the role of government and sector employers in creating and reinforcing precarity.

OCUFA Letter to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs regarding Bill 47

Dear Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) represents over 17,000 professors and academic librarians at 29 faculty associations at every university in Ontario. OCUFA represents full-time tenure-stream faculty, and at many universities also represents contract faculty members who work either on a limited-term contract or on a per-course basis. Faculty across the province are deeply disappointed that recent improvements to labour laws could be cancelled if Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act is passed. University professors and academic librarians have been strong advocates for improving labour laws to address precarious work and promote decent work. Faculty welcomed the modest and reasonable changes to labour law in Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act that brought more fairness to workplaces. Dismantling this legislation will have major implications for faculty and our campus communities.

Equal pay

Under existing labour laws, employers are required to offer the same rate of pay to contract, part- time, casual, temporary and seasonal employees, who are doing substantially the same work in the same workplaces as their full-time or permanent counterparts. As long as the work requires substantially the same skills, effort and responsibility and is performed under similar working conditions, the equal pay provisions apply. There are exceptions in cases of seniority and merit, as well as for “any other factor”. But the criteria must be transparent and accessible to all workers. This provision has been in effect for seven months, and represents an important step towards fair pay in postsecondary education and throughout the labour market. It has created a welcome new minimum standard of fairness for contract, part-time, and temporary workers. At Ontario colleges, this legislation has resulted in substantive pay increases for thousands of contract faculty. Unfortunately, broad exceptions and loopholes in this equal pay measure have allowed many employers to continue to avoid paying workers fairly, including contract faculty at Ontario universities. Repealing this provision, as set out in Bill 47, would be a step back for contract workers, at a time when major progress is needed to deliver fairness for contract faculty and address precarious work on our campuses. Over half of university professors in Ontario now work on contract without job security, and too many are doing the same work as their full-time colleagues for lower pay. Repealing equal pay measures will be felt most acutely by already marginalized workers – racialized, female, and gender non-conforming contract faculty often work more hours and are more likely to be in low-income households than their white male peers. OCUFA recommends that the repeal of equal pay based on employment status be withdrawn. Existing equal pay provisions should remain in place and be improved to remove loopholes that limit effective application for all contract, part-time, casual, temporary and seasonal employees.

Consolidation of bargaining units

Bill 148 brought in two separate measures governing the consolidation of bargaining units. Under the first provision, faculty associations can request that the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) merge a newly certified bargaining unit with one or more existing units. The second measure allows for a review of the structure of existing units in the same union, but requires agreement from the union and employer to be initiated. Both are appropriate options for promoting effective and efficient collective bargaining. A number of faculty associations in Ontario have multiple bargaining units as a result of different groups of workers being organized at different times. Consolidation results in less time devoted to bargaining for the union and the employer, and makes collective agreements easier to manage. More efficient bargaining is better for everyone. In addition, having a legal route available to request mergers curbs future fragmentation. If Bill 47 is passed, these options will be repealed and replaced with a new set of legal parameters for reviewing the structure of bargaining units. Under Bill 47, parties bringing the application forward must prove that the bargaining units are “no longer appropriate for collective bargaining”, which seems to require failure rather than an emphasis on improvement. The legislation also grants expanded powers to the OLRB that undermine a worker’s right to choose their own union representation. It also threatens to destabilize labour relations, especially in instances where more than one union is involved by opening the door to unnecessary workplace conflict. OCUFA recommends that the new provision for reviewing the structure of bargaining units be withdrawn. Existing options for consolidation of bargaining units should remain in place.

Fairer rules for joining a union

Recent changes to labour law brought modest reforms to make it easier to join a union in Ontario. Workers in home care, building services, and temporary help agencies now have access to card-based certification; unions have access to employee lists in an organizing drive after 20 per cent of the workers show interest in joining a union; access to remedial certification and return-to-work rights after a strike or lockout were improved; and access to first contract arbitration was expanded. The repeal of these rules under Bill 47 represents a major step backwards in ensuring workers have access to collective representation to make improvements to their working conditions. Unions play an important role in reducing income inequality and improving workplace fairness. At Ontario’s universities, faculty have recognized the value of collective representation for decades. In recent years, as precarious jobs on university campuses are reaching unprecedented numbers, effective unions will be essential for achieving more security, fair pay, and access to benefits. This is not just the case at universities, but also in other sectors of the economy. OCUFA recommends that all aspects of Bill 47 that make it more difficult for workers to exercise their right to join a union be withdrawn.

Basic rights

Faculty have also been strong advocates for broader fairness measures that the government is attempting to roll back in Bill 47, including the $15 minimum wage, paid sick days, and fair scheduling. Freezing the minimum wage at $14 an hour until October 1, 2020 will hurt low-wage workers who are struggling to pay for basic necessities. This includes our students, many of whom are working part-time jobs at minimum wage to pay high tuition fees. Eliminating two paid sick days and making personal emergency leave provisions more restrictive will mean more workers going to work sick, which is bad for public health. Retracting fair scheduling measures means even less predictability for workers trying to balance childcare, school or other needs with their work life. Addressing precarious work at Ontario universities is also crucial for ensuring high-quality education for students. Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions. Contract faculty are excellent teachers, but without job security, fair pay or dedicated office space, they cannot always be available to provide the mentorship vital for student success. The same is true for other campus workers who provide services and support to students. The government can support quality education by setting a standard of good jobs at Ontario universities. Rolling back recent gains works against this goal. OCUFA urges the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to withdraw all elements of Bill 47 that reverse recent improvements to Ontario’s labour law. Workers on university campuses and in communities across the province are counting on these modest but important labour law improvements to support themselves and their families. Sincerely, Gyllian Phillips, OCUFA President

Faculty concerned with abrupt cancellation of French-language university

The Ontario Government’s recent fall economic statement revealed that the Progressive Conservatives would no longer be funding or moving forward with the French-language university set to be built in Toronto. In what has become a disturbing trend for this government, the announcement was made without any discussion with sector stakeholders, including faculty and students, and, more distressingly, without any consultation with Ontario’s Francophone community.

Conceived as an autonomous institution that would be created by and for Francophones, the French-language University Planning Board and previous provincial government had spent several years consulting with Ontarians, and developing a vision for the new university. The “Université de l’Ontario français” was meant to serve central and southwestern Ontario, home to the fastest growing population of Francophones in the province.

The cancellation of the planned French-language university was a surprise, in part, because Doug Ford himself had promised during his election campaign that the project would go ahead. Following the cancellation of funding for three extension campuses and a directive threatening to cut funding from universities that fail to discipline dissenting campus voices, Ford’s Progressive Conservative government has called into question its support for Ontario’s vibrant public universities, free speech, and the province’s Francophone population of more than 600,000.

It is deeply concerning that this government would cancel the promised French-language university without first consulting Francophone students, parents, and faculty. The decision marks a distinct lack of respect for Ontario’s minority French-speaking population, and Francophones are justified in their frustration.

In response to Ford’s announcement, delegates attending the 85th Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Council meeting this past weekend unanimously adopted a motion condemning the Ontario Conservative government for canceling plans for the Université de l’Ontario français without consulting Franco-Ontarians. The CAUT has written a letter to the Ontario Premier expressing these concerns.

Faculty across Ontario are alarmed that the government continues to make decisions of this magnitude behind closed doors in secret. The cancelled French-language university is further evidence that the Doug Ford government is not interested in listening to Ontarians, but is instead committed to pursuing an uninformed and unaccountable ideological agenda.

Reckless government announcement threatens education quality and students’ rights Without increased public funding for Ontario’s universities and colleges, the Progressive Conservative Government’s announced tuition fee reduction is nothing more than an ill- conceived political gimmick designed to distract Ontarians from damaging cuts to the province’s already under-funded postsecondary education system. OCUFA has long advocated for tuition fee reductions but not in the absence of increased core funding and sound student financial aid policy. OCUFA is concerned that the fee reduction, OSAP cuts, and changes to ancillary fees were announced without consulting any stakeholders at the province’s universities or colleges. This demonstrates a government pursuing a political agenda, not one interested in good public policy or helping students. The announced OSAP cuts and changes to eligibility criteria mean it will be harder for many students to access postsecondary education. While faculty are reassured that the Minister’s remarks signaled the government’s commitment to not cutting core operating grants for postsecondary institutions, the announced changes mean that universities and colleges will struggle with less funding and students will be burdened with less financial assistance, more expensive loans, and higher debt. “These reckless changes will shrink university budgets, increase class sizes, encourage further tuition fee hikes for international students, and threaten both the accessibility and quality of postsecondary education in Ontario,” said Gyllian Phillips, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “We should be accelerating investment in postsecondary education in Ontario. Instead, this government has slammed on the brakes and put the car in reverse.” In addition to cutting OSAP funding, the government’s unnecessary and anti-democratic decision to make many ancillary fees voluntary undermines students’ rights on campus and increases administrative costs and red tape for universities. Many of the fees the government has identified as non-essential were introduced by students through democratic votes. Students’ unions in particular are democratically elected, not-for-profit organizations founded by and for students. This is an attack on the ability of students’ unions to represent and support their members. “Students’ unions provide numerous crucial services and support for students on campus, and, through their advocacy work, they play an important role holding universities and governments accountable for decisions about issues including tuition fees and student financial assistance.” said Phillips. “It is no coincidence that this government is cutting support for students’ unions at the same time they are cutting OSAP. Ironically, this appears to be another attempt to stifle political debate, dissent, and speech on campus.” Ontario’s universities are vital institutions that produce amazing graduates and research. But maintaining this level of excellence will require that the government actually sit down and talk to students, faculty, staff, and administrators, instead of continuing to make uninformed decisions in secret, behind closed doors.

Auditor General’s claims about OSAP inaccurate and irresponsible

The recent Ontario Auditor General’s Report on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) should concern Ontarians. In its analysis, it misrepresents the value OSAP provides to students and families and draws premature and inaccurate conclusions based on incomplete data. Most alarmingly, it dramatically oversteps the expectations of the Auditor General’s office by making recommendations seemingly intended to pave the way for government cuts to student assistance for low-income families. In response, Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations President Gyllian Phillips wrote a letter to the Auditor General detailing why the report on OSAP is both inaccurate and irresponsible.

The grants that OSAP provides help tens of thousands of Ontario students attend university and college without taking on unreasonable student debt that will weigh them down for decades. Programs like OSAP operate as both financial assistance and as long-term policy levers to shift the perceptions and expectations of low-income families. The fear of taking on more debt is a well-documented barrier for those considering a postsecondary education and any analysis based on only a single year of data (as is the case with the Auditor General’s Report) could not possibly measure the effectiveness of the program. Contrary to the Auditor General’s flawed claims, there is ample evidence to suggest that, in the long term, increasing the amount and availability of non-repayable grants are the best means to remove the financial barriers faced by students wishing to pursue a postsecondary education. Further, the Auditor General glosses over one of the defining equity policy goals of the program: to reduce the debt of those students forced to borrow money to afford a postsecondary education. As the previous government came to understand, the high levels of student debt being taken on by low-income students is an equity issue government must address. The criticism that only two per cent more students are attending university or college because of the new grants programs is also misleading. If the stated goal of OSAP is to increase access for low-income students, properly measuring the effectiveness of this initiative would require dis- aggregated data that demonstrates if the proportion of low-income students has increased. The Auditor General does not have the data to make that case. In fact, the higher than anticipated uptake for the program signals the opposite. If one were auditing the program based on whether it was achieving its stated policy goals, surely increased uptake would be a positive outcome. Since the program is income tested, it should be inferred that the 25 per cent increase in uptake is, in fact, from families who would otherwise be incurring high levels of debt. The new grants program was specifically designed to address the fact that Ontario has been a national laggard when it comes to non-repayable student financial assistance. A significant portion of the funding for these new grants was reallocated from existing ineffective financial assistance programs and tax credits. In effect, less money is being wasted on red tape, and more money is being invested in making university and college a reality for thousands of students.

That the demand for the program has exceeded expectations demonstrates the real financial struggles Ontarians face paying for a postsecondary education. Tuition fees in Ontario are the highest in Canada and continue to increase year after year. Each time the provincial government allows tuition fees to rise, they increase the financial burden of pursuing a postsecondary education and create more demand for student financial assistance through OSAP. The recommendations made in the report on OSAP extend beyond the jurisdiction of the Auditor General’s office, the mandate of which is to conduct audits and value-for-dollar analyses of government programs. As a result, this report veers heavily into policy analysis and encroaches on a public policy debate best left to elected representatives, academic and policy experts, and the communities impacted. Given the flawed data and inappropriate recommendations, this report represents an ill-informed political pronouncement rather than an expert opinion rooted in the principles of value-for-dollar auditing. Due to its historic independence and vigilant accounting, the office of the Auditor General has garnered a great deal of respect, influence, and trust. This latest example of the Auditor General blurring the lines and expanding her mandate into areas outside her jurisdiction undermines this trust and distorts an important policy discussion.