Dear colleagues,
The YUFA Constitution permits amendments to be submitted to the Executive Committee by 50 or more members. In late October 2018, the YUFA Executive received a package of 17 proposed amendments from Prof. Ida Ferrara, signed by 91 members. The proposed amendments would significantly alter the objectives and purpose of YUFA, as well as our operations regarding meetings, voting, collective bargaining with our employer, and other central aspects of the YUFA mandate. This package has been shared with members by email and is available here (and below). Additional materials received from Prof. Ferrara on February 12 are available below.
The YUFA Executive has carefully reviewed these proposals and sought advice from legal counsel, Stewards' Council, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, and the Canadian Association of University Teachers. The YUFA Executive unanimously opposes these changes in the strongest possible terms and urges members to reject all but one of them. We recommend that members vote NO to proposals 1-16 and vote YES to proposal 17 (proposal 17 is the last item in the ballot – change to Article 11). Stewards' Council unanimously supports the recommendations from Executive Committee. A summary response from the YUFA Executive has been shared with members by email and is available here (and below), along with a detailed, proposal-by-proposal response.
In order to pass, the amendments must be ratified by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of voting members via electronic voting. We invite members to discuss the proposed amendments and the Executive Committee’s response at the YUFA Winter General Membership Meeting. Our membership meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in 152 Founders College. YUFA encourages all members to attend this important meeting. Electronic voting will commence as soon as possible afterwards.
Documents:
- Agenda
- Submission by Prof. Ferrara - Amendments to the YUFA Constitution
- Executive Committee’s Response to Proposed YUFA Constitutional Amendments - Summary and Appendix
NEW documents submitted by Prof. Ferrara (Feb. 12, 2019):
NEW documents submitted by Executive Committee (Feb. 12 & 15 2019):
- Executive Response to Constitutional Proposals (two-page summary)
- Presentation notes for GMM by Executive Committee
Please direct questions and comments to [email protected].
* This document, submitted on February 12, 2019 by one member (Prof. Ida Ferrara), has been posted for informational purposes only. Because it was sent so late, it does not meet two constitutional requirements to be voted upon by members in the already scheduled electronic vote that begins after our membership meeting. According to Article 11 of the YUFA Constitution, amendments to the Constitution must “be submitted to the Executive Committee by fifty or more members of the Association… Notice of motion to amend the Constitution shall be given in writing in the notice of the General Meeting.” According to Article 3.2, “[f]or the Annual or any General Meeting of the Association, written notice, with a statement of the agenda, shall be sent to members no less than one week prior to the Meeting in question.”