May Bulletin

Table of Contents

1. Tuition Exemption Benefit Deadline
2. Save the Date: May 27 Board of Governors Budget Meeting
3. Motions Adopted at the APUO Annual General Meeting
4. 2024-2026 Collective Agreement Now Online

1) Tuition Exemption Benefit Deadline

As per Article 40.6.2 of the Collective Agreement, any Member’s spouse, child or dependent registered in a government-funded regular program of study¹ at the University of Ottawa is entitled to an exemption from tuition fees. The conditions for this benefit are outlined in article 40.6.2.2 to article 40.6.2.5.

Members wishing to apply for this benefit must do so by the end of the first month of each session, that is at the latest: 

• May 31 for the spring session
• July 31 for the summer session
• September 30 for the fall session
• January 31 for the winter session

If you are planning to apply for the spring or summer sessions for your spouse, child or dependant, please be aware that the respective deadlines are fast approaching. Do not hesitate to reach out to apuo@apuo.ca should you have any questions.

2) Save the Date: May 27 Board of Governors Budget Meeting

You may recall that in April, the APUO invited Members to attend the April 29 Board of Governors (BoG) meeting to see first-hand how one of the highest governing bodies on campus makes decisions and how our university is governed.

During the April 29 meeting, observing Members were shocked that, during his President’s Report, President Frémont informed campus community members in attendance that they “can stay home for the next meeting and observe it from the Youtube Livestream instead”. It is worth noting that these livestreams are audio-only.

To remind the Board of Governors and President Frémont that BoG meetings are public and the business of the entire campus community, we invite you to join members of the APUO Executive Committee to observe their next meeting, happening Tuesday, May 27 at 4:00 p.m. The BoG is scheduled to discuss the 2025-2026 university budget making this meeting even more relevant to the campus community. You are then invited to head to Café Nostalgica for an APUO social.

The location of the meeting has not been publicized. We invite you to register here and you will receive an email with the meeting room ahead of May 27. 

3) Motions Adopted at the APUO Annual General Meeting

The APUO held its Annual General Meeting on April 30. The agenda included three motions: 

• Motion from the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, in accordance with article 3.4.1 of the APUO Constitution and By-Laws: Mil Rate (Dues)
• Motion from the Executive Committee, in accordance with article 3.4.1: Guaranteeing a Home for the Bernadette Child Care Centre
• Motion from Members, in accordance with article 3.4.2: Institutional Obligations relating to Violations of International Legal Standards in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Each motion was presented, debated and ultimately approved. These motions will be implemented over the upcoming months. As such, please note that as a result of the approval of the Mil Rate (Dues) Motion, APUO membership dues will be increasing as of July 1. 

As was explained during the General Meeting, the APUO Executive and Board of Directors recommended raising membership dues for the operational fund and for the strike and lockout fund.

The increase to operational fund dues will raise these contributions from 0.92% to 0.97% and will result in a projected (budget) operating surplus of approximately $22,000 in 2025-26, versus a projected deficit of $93,000 under current conditions.² This will also allow the APUO to join the National Union of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (NUCAUT), which represents the

certified unions that are also members of CAUT who wish to join with the broader labour movement. The cost to join is about $10 per year per member.

The increase to the strike fund will raise these contributions from 0.08% to 0.13% and will result in a strike fund balance of over $4 million by 2030, which could allow the APUO to support a strike or lockout of approximately 6 weeks before having to reduce strike pay.

4) 2024-2026 Collective Agreement Now Online

The 2024-2026 Collective Agreement is now available on the APUO’s website. Members can find the Table of Contents (with links to each respective article) here.

During collective bargaining, the union and the Employer also signed eight Letters of Understanding (LOU), which can be found online as well. Do not hesitate to reach out to apuo@apuo.ca with any questions.

1. This excludes certain professional programs, e.g. the Executive MBA offered by the Telfer School of Management.

2. This projected deficit was partly due to structural increases in salaries and benefits due to more permanent staff, more temporary staff and higher benefits costs.