As members of the YUFA bargaining unit, you know that the Faculty Association has represented you in negotiations with the University as Employer, covering such matters as salary, benefits, collegial governance, and working conditions. You should also be aware that YUFA also bargains on your behalf with respect to pensions and post-retirement benefits, and YUFA receives advice about the needs of retirees from the Association of Retired Faculty and Librarians (ARFL). For example, ARFL has long sought improvements in dental coverage, and YUFA secured some in the last set of  negotiations. ARFL also strives to encourage support for emeriti who wish to maintain their scholarly and creative work in retirement.

When you retire as a faculty member or librarian, you can shift your membership seamlessly from YUFA to ARFL, simply by declaring your wish to do so, by sending an e-mail to [email protected] as soon as you have decided on your retirement date. You will no longer pay union dues to YUFA, but you can pay a membership fee of $25 per year to ARFL and continue to have a voice in YUFA's bargaining on behalf of retirees. Your first year of membership in ARFL is free, so the $25 dues payment will cover the first two years of membership. As indicated on the ARFL website, when it comes time to pay dues, you can do so by credit card through the "Dues" section of the website.

Before retirement, YUFA faculty and librarians can become Associate Members of ARFL for a yearly fee of $10. You will then be added to the mailing list and receive the ARFL Newsletter and other communications. A membership form can be found at this link. We also invite those of you who are not yet retired, but want to join ARFL directly when you are, to let us know then.

Many retired faculty and librarians also choose to join the York University Retirees Association (YURA)--a body whose members include York retirees from all employee groups. YURA is very valuable for maintaining a York connection and keeping in touch with former colleagues, but ARFL uniquely serves the interests of retired faculty and librarians regarding post-retirement benefits and supports. Both YURA and ARFL are members of the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada, which (among other things) lobbies government on behalf of post-secondary retirees.

As you approach retirement, we urge you to contact ARFL c/o YUFA, 240 York Lanes, Keele campus, York University to join the retiree organization. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fastest way to contact ARFL is by email: [email protected]. Indeed, if you wish to alert ARFL now to your intention to join when you retire, you can send us a note to that effect.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.