YUFA
Stewards' Information
Article 18.08.2: Teaching Load Above 2.5 Lowered for 300+ Members
by Scott Forsyth, 2006 YUFA Chief Negotiator
23 Jun 08 – In the last round of bargaining, one of the most important achievements was Article 18.08.2, which provides for units to revise workload documents to reduce “normal teaching load” to 2.5 Full Course Equivalents (FCEs). This affects over 300 YUFA members and redresses an historical inequity across the University. Over the past year, workload committees have been active in departments at Glendon College, in the Faculty of Fine Arts, some units in the Faculty of Arts, and in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. This has been, for many units, an important democratic process. Progress has been made; for almost all units planning is proceeding for a normal teaching load of 2.5 FCEs for 2008-2009, as described in the Article. There have been problems however. Responses from Deans have been slow and members at Glendon waited a year for the Principal to reply in writing. Most units are still in discussions with Deans about some details of workload documents. Inclusion of Alternate stream colleagues, CLAs, and SRCs has been in dispute in some units. In the Division of Humanities and the Faculty of Environmental Studies, YUFA and the Employer disagree over the scope of the Article, given the particular way workload is defined. Many members have been frustrated with what they see as lack of commitment by the Employer to the improvement of researching and teaching conditions.
The Association will need to look closely at what has been achieved, and what has been difficult, in the implementation of Article 18.08.2. It should form the foundation for further improvements in workload as we prepare our proposals for the upcoming round of bargaining next year.
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YUFA reminds faculty that as of May 2008, there is now compensation for other supervisory work according to Appendix O, Sections 5 and 6, and urges all faculty engaged in graduate work to keep careful records of ALL your graduate supervisory work.