On December 5, UPEIFA members unanimously approved the proposed 2026 Bargaining Mandate.

We Hear You!

In consultations and in the bargaining survey, you made it clear that workplace pressures are rising to critical levels. This round of collective bargaining is the most effective means for addressing these challenges, securing and improving our working conditions, and defending the future of Canadian post-secondary education in our province and beyond.

Bargaining Mandate Issues At A Glance

Academic Integrity:

Ensuring adequate faculty complements and backfill for course releases and leaves; recognizing and mitigating the chronic downloading of administrative work onto faculty members; ensuring that workloads are properly credited; improving support for research; improving supports for Department Chairs.

Shared Governance:

Establishing shared governance models in non-departmentalized faculties and elsewhere; ensuring better transparency; establishing Joint Advisory Groups on Teaching and Research.

Salary & Benefits:

Ensuring that our salary and benefits reflect the work that we do, and are competitive.

How You Are Needed:

Research and proposal development support & Bargaining table and proposal response support

In this round of bargaining, we are seeking to make the negotiations process as open and democratic as possible – we plan to do this through extensive consultation throughout the preparation and bargaining processes. We don’t know yet exactly what that will look like, as we understand the importance of balancing our need for input with the capacity of individual members to commit to a process over which we have little control.

To that end, we are asking all UPEIFA members to complete a survey to let us know how you are willing and able to engage in the negotiation of your next Collective Agreement. Our goal is to allow as many of you to engage as much as you are able – if you are interested in helping but can’t commit significant time, or are not sure what you can commit to, our goal is to find a way to allow you to participate as much as you are able.

How Else Can You Help?

• Grab your UPEIFA Pin, pens, water bottle, and posters and make sure they are visible! Visit Ashley in Duffy Science Centre room 415 to get yours today, or email us at [email protected] to request them.
• Attend events and participate in surveys.