Tentative MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement

At its Feb. 14 meeting, your Executive Committee accepted a recommendation from the MUNFA Negotiating Committee that all of the Articles negotiated between MUNFA and the administration since August 2021 form the basis for a new Collective Agreement (CA). The MUNFA membership must now vote on the ratification of this CA.

The progress made in this tentative agreement is a result of members’ involvement, from the pre-bargaining consultations to the historic strike vote on Jan. 18 and, finally, the two weeks that members were off the job and pressuring the administration to make a fair deal. Your Executive and Negotiating committees would like to acknowledge the contribution of every member who supported these efforts to negotiate a deal.

The primary purpose of this Information Bulletin is to highlight for each Academic Staff Member (ASM) the most important changes to the CA. This new CA, viewable by clicking here, will become official if ratified by both MUNFA members and the Board of Regents, and will be in effect from the date of signing through to August 31, 2026.

In advance of a ratification vote, an Information Meeting to discuss the new tentative agreement is scheduled for Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 12:30pm on Zoom (click here to register). Members of your Negotiating Committee will be present at the meeting to answer questions about the tentative agreement from members. MUNFA’s Nominating & Balloting Committee has scheduled the ratification vote for Fri., Feb. 24, from 8 am to 4 pm online via Simply Voting.

Your Executive wishes to draw attention to important gains made in the areas that MUNFA members identified as priorities prior to the start of bargaining:

NO CONCESSIONS

MUNFA fought off demands for concessions on post-tenure review, a Newfoundland and Labrador residency requirement, and post-retirement benefit changes that would have created a two-tiered system with new ASMs paying more and working longer to be entitled to the benefits we currently have.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND ANTI-RACISM

• Expanded access to equity information from the University to allow future and better analysis of workplace inequities – Clause 1.26(l)
• Process to initiate appointments of Faculty Members and Librarians provides the option to designate a position as equity-deserving – Clause 6.03 (Faculty Members), Clause 12.03 (Librarians)
• Requirement for the University to allow ASMs to rearrange duties and responsibilities to observe a religious holiday not included in Clause 21.09 – Clause 21.12
• Supplemental Parental Leave increased from 15 weeks to 35 weeks – Clause 21.61
• Increased entitlement of Leave in Special Circumstances – Clause 21.42
• Makes explcit the University’s accommodation requirements under Human Rights Act – Clause 26.01
• Requires the University to consider universal design principles in the design and construction of new buildings, and the renovation of existing spaces – Clause 26.13
• Language throughout Employment Equity Article updated to better reflect MUNFA’s and the University’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism – Article 29

INDIGENIZATION

• Introduces the option for Faculty Members to request Indigenous Elders and/or Traditional Knowledge Carriers/Keepers to serve as exteral referees for the purposes of Promotion & Tenure – Clause 10.11, 10.14, 10.15
• Expanded definition of scholarship to explicitly include Indigenous knowledges, and that such knowledges shall be assessed as commensurate with academic knowledge – Articles 10, 11, 16 & 17.

IMPROVEMENTS FOR CONTRACT ACADEMIC STAFF

• Length of Teaching Term Appointment contracts increased by one month, with normal start dates defined as August 1, December 1, and April 1 to ensure recognition and compensation for teaching preparation – Clause 22.05
• Conversion language expanded to all term appointments, with the option to convert to either a Regular Term appointment or tenure-track appointment – Clause 22.19
• A Letter Of Understanding to strike a Joint Committee to investigate a permanent teaching stream and to make recommendations to the Parties for future consideration – Appendix K

COLLEGIAL GOVERNANCE

• A Letter Of Understanding to form a committee consisting of representatives from the Board of Regents, Senate, ASMs, and students to carry out a review of collegial governance at the University. This review shall include broad consultation and will result in a public report within 24 months of signing the CA – Appendix L

PROMOTION & TENURE

• Removal of the requirement to include all student course evaluations over a three year period in a Faculty Member’s assessment file – Clause 8.01
• For Faculty Members appointed at the rank of Associate Professor, tenure can be considered in either the third or fourth year of appointment – Clause 10.08
• Early tenure applications for Faculty Members will be considered on their merits without the expectation of “superior performance” – Clause 10.23

MISCELLANEOUS

• Ensures all application files can be viewed at one time by a Search Committee, meaning there is no longer a need for an initial review of only those applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents – Clause 6.21 (Faculty Members), Clause 12.24 (Librarians)
• Definition of Distance Eduaction expanded to include any teaching where the instructor is not in the physical presence of students, and instructors can request training to assist with Distance Education at the the University’s expense – Clause 1.03(n), Clause 26.18
• Parking fee increases limited to 5% over the length of the CA – Clause 26.25
• Letter of Understanding requiring the University to review the feasibility of installing electric charging car stations on campus – Appendix J

REMUNERATION

• A 12% salary increase over the life of the CA, including 6% retroactive to September 1, 2022
• Professional development funds increase for all ASMs, including term appointments, to $1800 per year, up to $5400 maximum in three years
• Stipend for overload teaching has increased to $6500, with salary increases applied accordingly (i.e. the stipend will be $6890 as of September 1, 2022, $7028 as of September 1, 2023, etc.)
• For term appointments, two additional steps added to the top of the Lecturer scale
• $2000 signing bonus for all term appointments employed in the Academic Years 2021-22 and 2022-23

(Please note that in the tentative agreement, what was previously Article 6 has been deleted, and subsequent articles have been renumbered accordingly.)

The Executive Committee would also like to remind ASMs that signing a new CA opens the possibility to alter course equivalenies in Academic Units as outlined in Clause 3.17. Further details on this process will be provided following the ratification vote.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the MUNFA Office at ext. 8642 or e-mail: munfa@mun.ca.