YUFA
Executive
YUFA Executive Meeting Summaries 2009-2010
by Louise Ripley, Communications Officer
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
Business Arising From the Minutes
M. Kandiuk reminded Executive of the scheduled meeting with President Shoukri and Vice-President Academic and Provost Monahan.
A. Murray asked about the urgency of someone from ARFL coming forward as Returning Officer. M. Kandiuk responded that the issue is somewhat urgent insofar as she is Acting RO as well as being Acting President for the time-being.
Motion: That Executive determine the implementation of Stewards’ Council representation with respect to the recent amalgamation of Atkinson and Arts on the basis of the names and numbers of units and YUFA members affected by amalgamation with a view to elections of stewards to Stewards’ Council in each of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies units. Carried.
Motion: That the Vice-President Internal, and as appropriate, the Chief Stewards consult with the two new LA&PS units (Equity Studies and Communications Studies) that have fewer than 15 home-unit YUFA members. Carried.
Mary Kandiuk has posted a proposal for revisions to the Constitution for placement on a future agenda. M. Kandiuk has compiled a list of outstanding vacancies for Stewards’ Council, including those subject to the coming election.
President – Arthur Hilliker, Mary Kandiuk standing in
Executive agreed on a list of non-labour relations topics to be raised by Executive members at the 25 November meeting with President Shoukri.
M. Kandiuk reminded Executive that the meeting of Executive with Jim Thomas and President Shoukri will be held on Wednesday 2 December 2009 and Executive will discuss labour-relations issues considered at the 24 October 2009 meeting.
Motion: That Executive approve and endorse changes to Pension Plan resulting from the CUPE 3903 settlement. Carried.
Vice President Internal – Mary Kandiuk
Motion: That the Vice-President Internal confirm to Stewards’ Council that the final framework on Workload will be brought to the YUFA membership to be ratified by all YUFA members. Carried.
Motion: That the process for nominations to Joint YUFA / Employer committees be adopted. Carried.
Motion: That Executive appoint Amin Mawani and Eve Haque to the Research Development Fellowship Committee and Tamara Kelly to the Teaching-Learning Development Grants / Release-Time Teaching Fellowships Committee. Carried.
M. Kandiuk will follow up concerning possible nominations for the remaining TLDG / RTTF Committee position. If there are a larger number of applicants than the number of vacancies for particular appointments, Executive will review the statements of interest.
M. Kandiuk reported that nominations for the 2010-12 terms of YUFA Executive Officers are being posted as they are received.
M. Kandiuk said there is a need for a future discussion of electronic voting. In the meantime, M. Kandiuk has approached www.evote.ca, which is the only third-party Canadian company that provides infrastructure for electronic voting.
Motion: That Executive approve electronic voting for the upcoming election of Executive Officers. It is understood that this will cost the Association $3500-4000, depending on how quick a turn-around is required for this round of elections. Carried.
Vice President External – Livy Visano
Motion: That Executive authorize support for one of YUFA’s CAUT Defence Fund Representatives (currently, L. Ripley and Kym Bird) to participate in the protest against unpaid days at Lakehead University 20-24 December 2009. Carried.
Executive deferred consideration of support the upcoming (May 2010) CURAC Conference, with the prospect of an email vote. It was suggested that the Treasurer, R. Rogers, indicate the amount of money available for such larger requests.
Executive deferred consideration of support for the All-University Unions petition, with the prospect of an email vote.
L. Visano will provide information concerning the upcoming CAUT conference and requests for funds.
Chief Stewards - B. Lightman & S. Young
YUFA is awaiting a revised legal opinion with respect to the FSCO complaint.
JCOAA Standing Report
M. Kandiuk reported considerable progress on outstanding issues since JCOAA’s previous meeting.
JCOAA has agreed to a memo being sent to the Dean and units of LA&PS concerning the status of existing workload documents and new workload documents, including relevant timelines and dates. As well, such a memo will be going out to other Faculties and units.
M. Kandiuk reported that the Inclusivity / Diversity Survey should be available in a few days.
In response to the Chief Stewards, M. Kandiuk said that intradepartmental inequities will be taken to JCOAA.
Equity Officers: D. Khayatt & R. Steele
Motion: That By-law 3 be changed as follows: change ‘Chairs of recognized caucuses’ to ‘Chairs (or delegate) of recognized caucuses’; change ‘at least five’ to ‘two (2)’; change ‘one year, renewable for two one-year terms’ to ‘two (2) years, renewable for one (1) two-year term.’ Carried.
M. Kandiuk indicated that Leslie Sanders will inform Stewards’ Council about a letter that will be sent concerning the 15 January Workload deadline.
Order of the Day
Jim Thomas (President’s Third Party Initiative) gave an overview of the process so far of consulting with York unions as to their views on why there has been labour unrest at York. Twelve of the last fifteen cohorts of students have had their educations disrupted by strikes. There was a roundtable discussion where each member of the executive provided their views on labour issues.
Business arising from the minutes of 23 September 2009
M. Kandiuk reported that A. Hilliker has drawn Executive’s attention to possible consequences of a medical school at York for YUFA’s membership and the location of such a School (e.g., on or off York’s Keele campus).
Acting President / Vice-President Internal – Mary Kandiuk
M. Kandiuk invited comments on how the meeting with the President should be structured.
There was discussion of the appointment process for the Joint Long-Range Planning Committee on Workload. There were 8 applicants of whom the members appointed were: Brenda Spotton-Visano, Susan Dimock, Scott Forsyth, Patrick Taylor, and Lewis Molot.
Motion: Approve the Draft Financial Statement. Carried.
Motion: Move $100,000 from cash reserves into an investment situation. Carried.
Motion: Send a representative to a CAUT Defence Fund Action Day at Lakehead University. Carried.
Executive agreed that M. Kandiuk will contact the Association of Retired Faculty and Librarians (ARFL) via Alex Murray concerning the possibility that a member of ARFL would serve as YUFA’s Returning Officer.
Vice-President External – Livy Visano
L. Visano reported on the recent OCUFA Board meeting. L. Visano emphasized that University Employers in Ontario have attempted to lock out faculty as a form of ‘Rae days,’ and that Province-wide concerns include a possible increase in credit transfers between Colleges and Universities, the amount of teaching at satellite campuses, the proportion of funding provided by student fees, and internationalization.
Motion: That registration ($325) only be paid for up to 3 members to attend the OCUFA Conference called Financing Higher Education in the Current Economic Climate, 22-23 January 2010, Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto. Carried.
Treasurer - Ray Rogers
R. Rogers presented an updated budget. He explained that a current shortfall is explained by the delay in dues increases following bargaining (the period of 1 May to following ratification), as well as the fact that quite a few course releases have been cashed in suddenly.
President – Arthur Hilliker
Executive agreed that, if the tentative settlement is ratified, Executive will solicit comments on President Shoukri’s proposed Third-Party Initiative re labour relations at York University (Jim Thomas, facilitator) from the 2009 Bargaining Team, YUFA’s Chief Stewards, and the YUFA Caucus of JCOAA.
Motion: That Executive appoint Brenda Spotton Visano to represent YUFA on OCUFA’s Collective Bargaining Committee. Carried.
Motion: That Executive consideration of future unit representation on Stewards’ Council be deferred until Executive receives the report of the Subcommittee on YUFA’s Constitution and By-Laws. Carried.
Executive agreed to develop an agenda of concerns for a meeting to be scheduled with President Shoukri and senior administrative colleagues, as per Article 7.07.
Motion: That Jim Thomas, head of the Third Party Initiative regarding labour relations at York University, be invited to attend the 28 October Executive meeting. Carried.
Motion: That Executive specify topics to be discussed with J. Thomas at its next meeting, 14 October, and that a report of the current Grievance Committee and recent Chief Stewards be prepared for the 28 October meeting with J. Thomas. Carried.
Motion: That L. Visano report to Executive on the All-Unions Committee’s response to President Shoukri’s Third Party Initiative. Carried.
Vice-President Internal – Mary Kandiuk
Executive appointed John Bell and David Doorey to the Dispute Resolution Committee, and appointed Michael Gilbert to the Retirement Planning Centre’s Advisory Committee.
Vice-President External – Livy Visano
Motion: That YUFA support the Centre for Social Justice’s 12th Annual Retreat in the amount of $1,000.00 to subsidize the attendance of low-income people, subject to the receipt of a budget deemed adequate by the Vice-President External. Carried.
L. Visano reported that, following up on the 11 May 2009 Executive motion, two applicants responded to the call for delegates to attend the CAUT Librarian Conference “Negotiating for Parity”.
Equity Officers – Didi Khayatt & Rose Steele
D. Khayatt and R. Steele reported on a suggestion to change the membership of the Equity Committee.
Communications Officer – Louise Ripley
L. Ripley reported that 25-Year Service pins will again be distributed to members at the upcoming AGM.
Treasurer – Ray Rogers
Motion: That Executive approve the 2009-10 Budget. Carried.
Motion: That the Compensation Committee consider YUFA’s policy concerning the banking of course releases for YUFA work. Carried.
ARFL Standing Report – Alex Murray
In response to a query from A. Murray, A. Hilliker suggested that ARFL contact YUFA’s Equity Committee concerning the possibility of ARFL being represented on Stewards’ Council as a Recognized Caucus. It was noted that those ARFL members who are engaged in post-retirement teaching are already represented by their units.
A. Murray noted that ARFL would like the list of those who retired in December 2008 (approx. 28 people) and those who retired in July 2009.
Order of the Day
K. Saravanamuttu, YFS President, made a brief presentation asking for Executive’s support re the 5 November Day of Action and YFS’s 24 September Senate proposal for an academic amnesty on student attendance 5 November.
Other Business
J. Rahn noted that York University has been granted a court order re 3rd-party access to York University’s server and asked whether the issue was being taken up in JCOAA.
Item for Action
Motion: That the Officers’ Workplan 2009-10 be approved. Carried.
Item for information
Executive received J. Rahn’s report on the 29-30 May 2009 CAUT Conference on Contract Academic Faculty and agreed that it be posted at the YUFA Website.
Order of the Day: Endorsement of the Tentative Settlement
Chief Negotiator, Brenda Spotton Visano, presented the tentative Agreement and responded to questions from YUFA Executive.
Motion: That Executive endorse the tentative settlement reached by the Negotiating Team and the Employer and recommend it to the YUFA membership for ratification. Carried unanimously.
Executive agreed that YUFA members be informed as soon as possible that Executive has endorsed the tentative settlement and recommends it to the YUFA membership for ratification. Executive also agreed that the tentative settlement be printed and mailed to YUFA members as soon as possible (e.g., to be received by YUFA members 11 September) and that a Ratification Meeting be held as soon as possible thereafter.