Ontario Tech faculty in Oshawa waiting to ratify tentative contract offer from university
Published February 22, 2022 at 11:33 am
No details have been released by either side but Sunday’s negotiations between the striking members of the Ontario Tech University Faculty Association and the university were clearly something special.
The two sides agreed to have a mediator support the bargaining process this past weekend but initial discussions didn’t go well, with the FA tweeting Saturday that the latest offer was “not a fair deal”: and will “worsen” working conditions.
Two years of pandemic stress. Being #overworked & undersupported. That’s not unique to OTU faculty.
But @ontariotech_u’s offer will worsen working conditions for SEVERAL years…long after the pandemic ends. That’s not a #FairDeal for us or our students #ONstrikeU #NotAboutPay— UOIT Faculty (@UOITFA) February 19, 2022
On Sunday, eleven days after the strike began, the FA and the university announced they had reached a tentative deal.
Negotiations on the weekend were mainly focussed on workload, though no details have been released on what changed in the university’s offer.
It is also unknown as to when the 281 faculty members will vote on the deal or when students will return to class, though if the deal is ratified students will likely be back in class next Monday at the conclusion of the Winter Study Break.
The university bargaining team had said heading into the weekend’s negotiations they had tabled “multiple proposals” to address workload issues. “These proposals are comprehensive and respond to the concerns around equity and transparency,” they said. “The reality of the workload issue is to be fair by not applying a one-size-fits-all approach.”
