June Bulletin

Table of Contents

1. Respecting the Association of McGill Professors of Law Picket Line (AMPL)
2. APUO 2024 Bargaining Book
3. Call for Members: Disability Justice Working Group
4. APUO Solidarity Statement on Deferral Fees
5. Save the Date! CAUT Aboriginal Academic Staff Conference
6. CCAA Changes to Protect Public Post-Secondary Education
7. Association of Professors Retired from the University of Ottawa

1) Respecting the Association of McGill Professors of Law Picket Line (AMPL)

In November 2022, the Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) became the first faculty association certified at McGill.

The Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences is taking place at McGill University from June 12 to 21 despite the fact that AMPL has been on strike since April 24, when negotiations for their first-ever collective agreement broke down. On June 8, McGill’s Senior Administration walked away from their first and only scheduled meeting since late April.

If you are planning to participate in the Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences in Montreal, the AMPL asks that you not attend events at McGill University. Participating in on-campus events means you are crossing their picket line. You are encouraged to read the AMPL’s FAQ for Congress participants and invited to join their picket line. 

The APUO stands in solidarity with the AMPL and has donated to AMPL’s strike fund.

2) APUO 2024 Bargaining Book

The APUO held a Special General Meeting on March 28^th to present our 2024 Bargaining Book. Some 300 Members participated in-person and online, providing invaluable feedback in finalizing our bargaining priorities. Our meeting extended beyond the scheduled end-time and, so, we apologize to those who had to leave before the discussions wrapped-up. The updated final version of the Bargaining Book provides a summary of the main priorities you identified for collective bargaining. 

On April 29, we served our Notice to Bargain to the Employer. Negotiations for a new Collective Agreement begin on June 12^th, 2024.

3) Call for members: Disability Justice Working Group

Launched in September 2021, the APUO’s Disability Justice Working Group (DJWG) is tasked with:

1. identifying priority areas for collective advocacy; and
2. making recommendations to improve the APUO’s internal policies and practices relating to accessibility for all disabilities, visible and invisible, as well as individuals who identify as neurodivergent and members of Deaf and hard of hearing communities.

The DJWG extends an open invitation to APUO members who wish to participate in this work.¹ If you are interested in joining the DJWG, please contact Nicole Desnoyers (nicole@apuo.ca). 

4) APUO Solidarity Statement on Deferral Fees

In 2023, the University of Ottawa Senate amended Academic Regulation A-8 to allow students to declare, without documentation, one absence on medical grounds or for exceptional personal circumstances to one evaluation per course per semester. This amendment came into effect on September 18, 2023.

Responding to the notable increase in deferral requests resulting from the implementation of this amendment, the Central Administration subsequently opted to implement a mandatory administrative fee to be paid by students requesting deferrals.

Prior to the implementation of this new fee, the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU), and its 19 Recognized Student Governments (student faculty/department associations), published a statement outlining their concerns about the fee and its negative impact on the student community. In its statement, UOSU highlighted both the additional financial burden created for students and the University’s failure to adequately prepare for the impacts of its amendment.

In response to the UOSU statement, the Central Administration agreed to address this matter through the holding of regular meetings with the students’ union. However, at the April 23^rd meeting of the uOttawa Board of Governors, and in total disregard of the Central Administration’s stated commitment to address the matter through dialogue, the Board voted to impose a new administrative fee of $60 to students requesting deferrals for course evaluations. This fee will be implemented as of September 2024 and applied regardless of whether the deferral request is approved or denied. In its follow-up statement to this decision, UOSU notes that, “[t]his isn’t just about a fee; it’s about the erosion of trust between the University administration and the student body.”

UOSU is demanding the fee to be eliminated, that the central administration meet with its representatives, and for a written response providing:

• An explanation of the failure of the University to prepare for the impact of a policy it put in place.
• A justification as to why this option was selected among all those considered.
• An explanation of how the University calculated the seemingly arbitrary $60 fee, including whether it will generate a profit from it.
• A clarification regarding whether a similar fee structure will be applied to program changes and/or other administrative decisions.

We stand in solidarity with UOSU and its recognized student governments in condemning the Central Administration’s decision to impose this fee. The events surrounding the implementation of this initiative serve as yet another brazen example of the unwillingness of uOttawa’s leadership to work through, and with, the campus community’s representative bodies. More than ever, the University of Ottawa needs a collegial and democratic governance.

5) Save the Date! CAUT Aboriginal Academic Staff Conference

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is hosting its Aboriginal Academic Staff Conference which will run on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 9:00am to 5:00pm (CENTRAL TIME) at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, SK. This conference will be conducted in English and in French using simultaneous interpretation. CAUT will share the preliminary agenda and registration details soon.

The APUO will cover the participation costs for up to four (4) First Nations, Métis and Inuit Members who wish to participate. If you are interested in attending, please write to the APUO at apuo@apuo.ca. 

6) CCAA Changes to Protect Public Post-Secondary Education

As you no doubt recall, in April 2021 Laurentian University became the first publicly funded institution to seek creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The decision by Laurentian’s Central Administration to pursue this course of action bypassed campus collective agreements and resulted in some 60 programs, almost half of which were French language offerings, being cut along with the positions of more than 100 faculty and staff members. Since then, workers and advocates in the public post-secondary sector, including you, have fought for changes to the CCAA to protect other institutions from a similar fate. These efforts came to fruition on May 28^th when the House of Commons passed Bill C-59. This bill will now move on to the Senate where it is expected to be passed into law.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has published a statement celebrating this important step.

7) Association of Professors Retired from the University of Ottawa

To those retiring from uOttawa in coming weeks or months, we remind you that the Association of Professors Retired from the University of Ottawa (APRUO) is the official representative of retired professors, librarians, counsellors at uOttawa. It offers retiring and retired APUO Members valuable support regarding pension- and benefits-related questions, as well as other useful resources. Do not hesitate to get in touch with the APRUO.

The APRUO also maintains a close relationship with the APUO. As we head into collective bargaining, the ARPUO and the APUO have been working together to ensure the voices and interests of retired members are included in our demands. 

1. In order to respect confidentiality, the Working Group’s membership is not made public.