FA October Newsletter – BARGAINING UPDATE, DALHOUSIE FA STRIKE and BCGEU STRIKE UPDATE
October, 2025
BARGAINING UPDATE
This fall the FA team have been presenting important proposals at the bargaining table.
While we await a resolution of the BCGEU strike, and have provided some much-appreciated support for them on the picket lines, until the government and the BCGEU settle, leading to a public sector financial mandate, we cannot address monetary matters at the table. However, we could be making progress on a range of important non-monetary matters.
We have presented data from the FA bargaining surveys that outline your excessive workloads and the impact on members’ health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, we have not seen substantive proposals from the administration regarding workload. We have also not yet heard back from them regarding our detailed and practical proposals regarding workload, which we know is your number one concern.
While we have presented significant proposals on equity, diversity, and inclusion for BPOC, Indigenous and other equity-deserving members, we have had no positive responses thus far. The administration has rejected all proposals that would increase collegial governance rights for librarians or would guarantee collegial governance rights for faculty members at the department level, rights which are being eroded in certain units. At the same time, the admin’s proposals seek to reduce our consultation rights, key to collegial decision making.
In June we presented a reasonable response to their proposal to eliminate course reviews in return for faculty spending time on professional development for teaching. Our response recognized both the interests of the admin and the concerns you noted in our June survey on this matter. We have not yet had a response to this proposal.
We seek to work collaboratively with the admin team on these and other important matters and we look forward to developing a more reciprocal working relationship at the table.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
What is Collegial Governance?
University Affairs states that collegial governance is one of the “crucial aspects of academic freedom.” It affirms that faculty and librarians not only have the right, but also the institutional responsibility, to participate in key academic decisions, including nominating and appointing colleagues to leadership roles. UVic has strong collegial governance through the Petch Procedures.
Join the Membership Engagement Committee!
Interested in helping to elevate the voices of your colleagues and supporting the FA? Consider joining the Membership Engagement Committee! Commitment is flexible. We are currently looking for: (1) regular members from every department; (2) a committee co-chair, to help facilitate committee activities; and (3) someone with social media experience to support the new FA Instagram account.
Maybe you are interested in supporting the core work of the FA? The FA is also looking for a member-at-large for the Executive Committee. Email [email protected] with your interest in any of these committee roles!
Show Your Support for Bargaining!
Place an FA poster on your office door! Wear an FA button! Use the FA virtual background for zoom! Add the FA logo to your email signature. Stop by the FA office or complete this Google Form to request a delivery!
Follow Us on Instagram – UVICFA!
SPOTLIGHT ON: DALHOUSIE FA STRIKE
What UVic FA Members Should Know
Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) members voted in favour of a strike in July, with over 85% of members voting, 91% of whom were in favour of a strike. Key issues the DFA was bargaining for included equitable workloads, the increasing frequency with which full-time faculty were being replaced by precarious sessional instructors, and the increasing use of limited-term faculty contracts. The DFA indicated that the Dalhousie University board had an “aggressive posture,” was unwilling to negotiate in a meaningful way, and that they walked away from the table, despite positive progress.
Notice of a lockout from email, Brightspace, research facilities, and classrooms followed from the Dalhousie Board of Governor’s. Dalhousie is the first U15 institution in Canada to take this action against faculty members. The Board then offered to negotiate on wages only, at the expense of other key issues pertaining to workload and job security for members. The Board also used public messaging to bargain directly with faculty members, interfering with the integrity of the bargaining process. In response to this, the DFA submitted a formal complaint to the Labour Board. Read more about the Dalhousie Strike on the DFA website.
The DFA reached a tentative agreement on September 16, ending the 3-week long strike.
Join us at the Mid-Term Social!
November 4, 3-5pm at the Michele Pujol Room. Join us for a mid-term break and connection with colleagues. Snacks will be provided! RSVP here.
BCGEU STRIKE UPDATE
The BCGEU strike has now exceeded 7 weeks, with recent escalations in job action, bringing approximately 25,000 employees across over 470 work sites into the strike. BCGEU and PEA members gathered on October 6 to march from Centennial Square to the BC Legislature as the government resumed for the fall session. Members of the UVic FA attended the event to show their solidarity for BCGEU and PEA colleagues.
On Friday, BCGEU announced it will enter into mediation with the provincial government. Mediation will be non-binding and will require a successful vote of BCGEU members, once a tentative agreement has been reached.
