We share your frustration with the slow pace of negotiations. Unfortunately, despite having met more than 15 times with the employer, our negotiations have reached an impasse. We have agreed to a number of proposals, but our employer refuses to rectify inequities in salaries and workload while threatening our identity as university faculty. We cannot accept the compensation offered by the employer nor the concessions to our long-established working conditions they are seeking.

The next step is to refer the matter for arbitration before the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB). We urge you to join us on 28 January 2026 at 7:00pm for a Special General Meeting which will be held by Zoom; note that the meeting was originally scheduled for 22 January 2026 but was changed to accommodate the Public Lecture - Cowan Prize Awardee. Our members will receive an email containing instructions on how to register for the Special General Meeting.

You have made it clear to us that you find UT salaries and allowances inadequate when compared to faculty members at other universities and we have clearly communicated this to the employer. Unfortunately, the employer refuses to acknowledge that fact and their latest offer does nothing to close the gap.

You will recall that the employer agreed to the formation of a Joint Committee on Teaching Load Distribution (JCTLD) at the conclusion of the previous round of bargaining. The JCTLD clearly identified inequities in teaching workload at the Colleges but the employer rejects our proposals to rectify these imbalances.

The employer also wants to change the nature of our work as university faculty members. They are proposing restrictions on our academic freedom and the removal of the protections afforded by our collective agreement in terms of past practices. We simply cannot accept these attacks on our working conditions.

Please join us for this important Special General Meeting.

Please address your questions or comments to the CMCFA Chief Negotiator, Sylvain (Sly) Leblanc, at leblanc@cmcfa-apcmc.ca

In solidarity,

The CMCFA Bargaining Team