University of Toronto collective bargaining FAQs

There are 10 different unions representing over 20,000 employees in 25 employee groups, which are separate bargaining units each with their own collective agreement.

University faculty and librarians are not unionized and instead are members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association. You can learn more here.

The steps in the collective bargaining process for University employees represented by unions are dictated by the Ontario Labour Relations Act. You can read more about the steps and process on the Ontario Ministry of Labour website.

UTFA

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is the agreement that has governed the relationship between the University and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) for over 45 years. It sets out the terms and conditions of employment for faculty members and librarians, including the right to academic freedom. The MOA is iterative and has undergone periodic revisions, which can be substantial (e.g. the extension of the tenure clock from 5 to 6 years and the establishment of the teaching stream professoriate).

Article 6 of the MOA outlines the annual process by which the University and UTFA negotiate:

• Salary
  • Across the Board (ATB) Increases
  • Progress Through the Ranks (PTR) merit pay
  • LTD and extended health benefits
  • the policy on sick leave affecting faculty members and librarians,
  • the practices affecting faculty members and librarians related to leaves of absence,
  • short-term compassionate and emergency leaves,
  • the policy on maternity leave, and
  • the policies on family care leave and parental leave.
  • What happens if the parties cannot reach agreement?

  For article 6 negotiations of salary, benefit or workload issues, any proposals that remain in dispute will be subject to a binding dispute resolution process set out in Article 6 of the MOA.

  The dispute resolution process for salary benefits and workload is outlined in Section 6 of the MOA found here.

  Under the terms of Article 6 of the MOA the University and UTFA salary, benefit and workload default to one-year periods. The University and UTFA can mutually agree to a longer term, which has happened a number of times in the past, including most recently for the three-year period from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.