YUFA conducted an electronic vote on 17 proposed constitutional amendments from Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. to Friday, March 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

In order to pass, the amendments must be ratified by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of voting members via electronic voting.

Only constitutional amendment number 17 passed. The remaining 16 amendments failed. The full package of proposals is available here.

A total of 848 voters cast ballots out of 1,545 eligible voters, for a turnout of 54.9%.

The full results of the electronic vote are as follows:

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 1?
Proposal to revise statement of YUFA’s organizational objectives

No: 530 (62.5%) FAILED
Yes: 318 (37.5%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 2?
Proposal to increase the number of members required to call for a YUFA General Meeting

No: 513 (60.5%) FAILED
Yes: 335 (39.5%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 3?
Proposal to double the size of quorum requirement for YUFA membership meetings

No: 523 (61.7%) FAILED
Yes: 325 (38.3%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 4?
Proposal to require electronic voting on motions raised from the floor at meetings

No: 497 (58.6%) FAILED
Yes: 351 (41.4%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 5?
Proposal to require electronic voting on motions at special meetings

No: 485 (57.2%) FAILED
Yes: 363 (42.8%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 6?
Proposal to change rules of order

No: 508 (59.9%) FAILED
Yes: 340 (40.1%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 7?
Proposal to elect trustees through electronic voting instead of at Annual General Meeting

No: 479 (56.5%) FAILED
Yes: 369 (43.5%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 8?
Proposal to change voting on YUFA budget and membership dues

No: 492 (58.0%) FAILED
Yes: 356 (42.0%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 9?
Proposal (1) to require Executive to conduct electronic polls upon request of 75 members and (2) proposal to require electronic voting for by-law changes

No: 490 (57.8%) FAILED
Yes: 358 (42.2%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 10?
Proposal to introduce recall procedure for outgoing president preventing them from serving as past president on next Executive

No: 535 (63.1%) FAILED
Yes: 313 (36.9%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 11?
Proposal to require separate electronic votes for each proposal submitted to the Employer in collective bargaining

No: 519 (61.2%) FAILED
Yes: 329 (38.8%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 12?
Proposal for consistency of language

No: 489 (57.7%) FAILED
Yes: 359 (42.3%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 13?
Proposal to require (1) membership referendum on arbitration option in bargaining and (2) delays and other votes before conducting strike mandate votes and taking job action

No: 540 (63.7%) FAILED
Yes: 308 (36.3%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 14?
Proposal to require electronic referendum on discontinuing strike action upon request of 75 members any time during a strike

No: 518 (61.1%) FAILED
Yes: 330 (38.9%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 15?
Proposal to require electronic referendum on union donations over $2,000

No: 469 (55.3%) FAILED
Yes: 379 (44.7%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 16?
Proposal to require super-majority to approve special levy

No: 477 (56.3%) FAILED
Yes: 371 (43.8%)
Total voters: 848

Are you in favour of constitutional amendment number 17?
Proposal to require more signatories for proposed constitutional amendments submitted by a group of members

Yes: 705 (83.1%) PASSED
No: 143 (16.9%)
Total voters: 848

To read each proposed constitutional amendment in their entirety, please click here.

For more information, please email [email protected].

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. Additional materials received from Prof. Ferrara on February 12 are available here.

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 has unanimously passed a motion recommending that members reject all but one of them. The Executive motion recommends 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 has unanimously voted to support the recommendations from the Executive Committee. A summary response from the YUFA Executive has been shared with members by email and is available here, 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 participate in the ratification vote.

Voting will begin on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. and will end on Friday, March 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Voting will be by electronic ballot. The results will be announced on YUFA-M shortly after voting ends on March 1.

Eligible voters will receive by email an invitation to vote electronically, when voting begins on February 15 at 10:00 a.m. Voting instructions will be included in the email.

If you do not receive an email invitation to vote by the time voting begins, please email YUFA as soon as possible: [email protected].

On February 13, YUFA will hold its Winter General Membership Meeting (GMM):

General Membership Meeting
Wednesday, February 13
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Founders Assembly Hall
152 Founders College

The meeting materials are available below:

• Agenda
• Attachment 1
• Attachment 2
• Attachment 3a
• Attachment 3b
• Attachment 3c
• Attachment 4
• All documents, including NEW documents submitted on February 12, 2019, related to the proposed constitutional amendments

The GMM is open to all YUFA members and is governed by the YUFA Constitution.

Childcare: YUFA will reimburse the cost of childcare for members who require it in order to attend the GMM: email [email protected] (subject line: Childcare).

Accommodation: Members who require accommodation should contact YUFA as soon as possible: email [email protected] (subject line: Accommodations).

et al., York's faculty and graduate student café and pub, is excited to announce its NEW hours, NEW menu, and NEW catering menu and order form.

For local, fair trade, sustainable, and delicious food and beverages, come and see us in S166 Ross Building!

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): 

• Response to YUFA General Comments
• Response to YUFA Specific Comments
• Friendly Amendments *

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.”

One of the key reasons YUFA was able to conclude negotiations in October was that the Employer agreed to CPI-based indexing for the minimum guarantee portion of the York Pension Plan (YPP). The October 2018 settlement between YUFA and the Employer contains the following provision:

"The Employer is committed to improving the pension plan to provide for indexation of the minimum guarantee portion of pension based on the consumer price index (CPI). The parties will work with AUPC (All University Pension Committee) and, if necessary, with the joint pension committee under 14.01d, to formalize a detailed project plan to implement the improved indexation described above by no later than June 30, 2019."

Unfortunately, in a surprising reversal, the Employer has informed YUFA that, in the Employer's view, the words "minimum guarantee portion" refer solely to the difference between the member's money purchase pension and the member's minimum guarantee pension. The University's reinterpretation of the terms of the memorandum of settlement all but nullifies CPI indexing and thereby violates the agreement between the parties. For the typical member who retires on the minimum guarantee pension, the Employer's revision would result in almost no change from our current pension provisions since the amount eligible for CPI indexing would be negligible (as the difference between the minimum guarantee pension and money purchase pension is typically very small, or nil). For members who retire on the money purchase pension, there would be no indexed floor. In light of the Employer's action, YUFA filed a grievance on this issue on December 19, 2018.

YUFA is issuing this communication out of concern that members may make retirement decisions based on the expectation that adequate pension indexing for the minimum guarantee pension was secured in the last round of negotiations. While the Association considers the Employer's obligation to be clear, and intends to hold the Employer to that commitment, at this point, the Employer does not recognize its obligation to meaningfully improve pension indexing for the minimum guarantee.

In the meantime, YUFA is continuing to work on a without prejudice basis at AUPC with the other employee groups to improve our pensions, and will communicate proactively to keep members informed of developments on this important file.

For more information, please see these previous YUFA updates regarding pensions:

• Pension backgrounder: Pension surpluses and revisiting pension cuts
• Pension FAQ – 2018
• Slides from YUFA special meeting on pensions
• Special YUFA meeting: Reassessing recent costly changes to our pensions

The following statement was issued on January 17, 2019 by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), in response to changes to post-secondary funding announced by the Ontario government. Read the original post here.

TORONTO – Without increased public funding for Ontario’s universities and colleges, the Progressive Conservative Government’s announced tuition fee reduction is nothing more than an ill-conceived political gimmick designed to distract Ontarians from damaging cuts to the province’s already under-funded postsecondary education system. OCUFA has long advocated for tuition fee reductions but not in the absence of increased core funding and sound student financial aid policy.

OCUFA is concerned that the fee reduction, OSAP cuts, and changes to ancillary fees were announced without consulting any stakeholders at the province’s universities or colleges. This demonstrates a government pursuing a political agenda, not one interested in good public policy or helping students.

The announced OSAP cuts and changes to eligibility criteria mean it will be harder for many students to access postsecondary education. While faculty are reassured that the Minister’s remarks signaled the government’s commitment to not cutting core operating grants for postsecondary institutions, the announced changes mean that universities and colleges will struggle with less funding and students will be burdened with less financial assistance, more expensive loans, and higher debt.

“These reckless changes will shrink university budgets, increase class sizes, encourage further tuition fee hikes for international students, and threaten both the accessibility and quality of postsecondary education in Ontario,” said Gyllian Phillips, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “We should be accelerating investment in postsecondary education in Ontario. Instead, this government has slammed on the brakes and put the car in reverse.”

The government’s unnecessary and anti-democratic decision to make many ancillary fees voluntary undermines students’ rights on campus and increases administrative costs and red tape for universities. Many of the fees the government has identified as non-essential were introduced by students through democratic votes. Students’ unions in particular are democratically elected, not-for-profit organizations founded by and for students. This is an attack on the ability of students’ unions to represent and support their members.

“Students’ unions provide numerous crucial services and support for students on campus, and, through their advocacy work, they play an important role holding universities and governments accountable for decisions about issues including tuition fees and student financial assistance.” said Phillips. “It is no coincidence that this government is cutting support for students’ unions at the same time they are cutting OSAP. Ironically, this appears to be another attempt to stifle political debate, dissent, and speech on campus.”

Ontario’s universities are vital institutions that produce amazing graduates and research. But maintaining this level of excellence will require that the government actually sit down and talk to students, faculty, staff, and administrators, instead of continuing to make uninformed decisions in secret, behind closed doors.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 29 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, please visit OCUFA's website.

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For more information, contact:
Ben Lewis, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or [email protected]

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of YUFA, I want to wish all of you a joyful holiday season and a happy new year.

As you may know, following a mandate from the provincial government, York University Senate and the Board of Governors have approved a statement of policy on free speech. The document merely gathers all relevant existing York policies under one umbrella statement and thus introduces nothing new. Hate speech is explicitly forbidden.

However, this move by the Ford administration represents an unprecedented and unwarranted intrusion of government into collegial affairs. Moreover, as many members have noted with concern, free speech policies may also provide protective cover for far-right groups with xenophobic and reactionary views, who have expressed their intent to use the initiative to secure a foothold on university campuses.

YUFA commits itself to the ongoing defence of our academic freedom. We will work as well to keep secure the Collective Agreement and legal protections that guarantee all of us—and members of vulnerable and racialized communities in particular—a safe work environment.

For further reading, you can find materials prepared by CAUT here and by OCUFA here.

Look in the coming year for more communications about this and other matters of interest to our members.

All best to you and yours,
Art Redding
President, York University Faculty Association

The YUFA Disability Caucus invites all members of York University to attend and participate in a celebration of the UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities on Monday 3 Dec. 2018 from 12-1PM in the Vari Hall Rotunda.

The event, called Sick and Tired at Work?, is sponsored by the York University Faculty Association. ASL interpreters will be in attendance.

The YUFA Disability Caucus asks participants to bring canes, walkers, pill bottles, sleeping bags, pillows, PJs … to Sick and Tired at Work? so that they can share in the performance of workplace exhaustion and show support forworkplace inclusiveness.

Join the Disability Caucus and YUFA friends for a free lunch afterwards, from 1-2:30 p.m. in et al., South Ross 166. There will be vegan as well as glutten and lactose free options.

If you plan to attend the luncheon, please RSVP by Nov. 29th to: [email protected] with “DC lunch” in the subject line of your email.

EVENT DETAILS SUMMARY
Monday, December 3, 2018
Event: 12:00 - 1:00 pm: Vari Hall Rotunda
Lunch: 1:00 - 2:30 pm: et. al. (South Ross 166)

Dear members,

We urgently need your help to save transit at York University. Please click here and sign the petition to restore all YRT/VIVA/GO bus stops on campus.

Please also share this message with family and friends. Together, we can make transit on campus accessible and affordable!

(Text continues after image.)

An image of the first campaign poster, with the headline, "Stop Go Transit from leaving Keele campus"

Background: 

As of September 2, York Regional Transit (YRT) no longer dropped off passengers on campus. Now, the YRT ends their bus routes at Pioneer Village Station at Steeles Avenue.

YRT users will have to spend over $1,000 per year in additional transit fees if they want to take the TTC subway to York University Station. Users who cannot afford these fees will have to travel on foot or by wheelchair to campus, which poses serious accessibility and safety risks.

In addition, on November 6, 2018, York University announced that GO Transit will cease operations from the Keele campus and instead will operate out of the Highway 407 station located at Jane Street and the 407 ETR.

We recognize that many students, staff, faculty, and community members are now being forced to pay double fare. York University is primarily a commuter school and the capacity to access our campuses using various transit providers contributes to that. When the TTC subway extension was announced, we were promised that commuters would have better access to transit.

Now we have a longer commute and dramatically increased transit costs. In order to maintain direct and shorter commutes with one fare, we require all transit providers to stay on campus.

But it doesn't have to be this way. YUFA is part of a campus-wide campaign to make transit at York University accessible and affordable.

Please sign the petition now!

For more information, visit yuride.ca.

This campaign is a joint-initiative of the York Cross-Campus Alliance, which includes the following groups:

• CUPE 1356
• CUPE 3903
• OPSEU 578
• York Federation of Students
• York University Faculty Association
• York University Graduate Students' Association
• York University Staff Association

An image of the second campaign poster, with the headline, "Bring back YRT/VIVA to Keele campus"