University of Toronto collective bargaining updates

All three tentative agreements ratified between University and CUPE Local 3261 for Full-Time and Part-Time, Casual, and 89 Chestnut workers (March 18, 2024)

From:   Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date:   March 18, 2024
Re:   All three tentative agreements ratified between University and CUPE Local 3261 for Full-Time and Part-Time, Casual, and 89 Chestnut workers

I am pleased to announce that all three tentative agreements reached between the University of Toronto and CUPE Local 3261 Full-Time and Part-Time, CUPE Local 3261 Casual, and CUPE Local 3261 89 Chestnut on March 4, 2024 have now been ratified by the employees in each of the three bargaining units. I would like to thank all of the bargaining teams for their hard work, commitment, and professionalism throughout the process.

The term of the renewal collective agreements for the Full-Time and Part-Time and Casual bargaining units is from July1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, while for the 89 Chestnut bargaining unit the term is from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026.

All three Memos of Agreement are posted on the Agreements page of the PSEC website.

Agreement ratified between University and CUPE 3902 Unit 5 (March 15, 2024)

To:   Communications Leads
From:   Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date:   March 15, 2024
Re:   Agreement ratified between University and CUPE 3902 Unit 5

I am pleased to announce that the tentative agreement reached on March 4, 2024 between the University of Toronto and CUPE 3902 Unit 5 representing internally funded postdoctoral fellows at the University has been ratified by employees in the bargaining unit. I would like to thank both bargaining teams for their hard work, commitment, and professionalism throughout the process.

The term of the renewal collective agreement is from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

The Memorandum of Agreement is posted on the Agreements page of the PSEC website.

Agreement ratified between University and CUPE 3902 Unit 1 (March 12, 2024)

From:  Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date:  March 12, 2024
Re:  Agreement ratified between University and CUPE 3902 Unit 1

I am pleased to announce that the tentative agreement reached between the University of Toronto and CUPE 3902 Unit 1 on Monday, March 4, has been ratified by employees in the bargaining unit. I would like to thank both bargaining teams for their hard work, commitment, and professionalism throughout the process.

The term of the renewal collective agreement is from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2026.

The Memorandum of Agreement is posted on the Agreements page of the PSEC website.

Tentative agreements reached between the University and CUPE units (Mar. 4, 2024)

From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date: March 4, 2024
Re: Tentative agreements reached between the University and CUPE units

I am pleased to announce that the University and CUPE 3902 Unit 1, CUPE 3902 Unit 5, CUPE 3261 Full-Time/Part-Time, CUPE 3261 Casuals, and CUPE 3261 89 Chestnut bargaining units reached tentative agreements in the early hours on March 4, 2024.

The ratification process for each of the five CUPE bargaining units will be announced by the Union shortly.

All employees in the bargaining units are encouraged to participate in the ratification process. I would like to thank all the bargaining teams for their professionalism and hard work throughout negotiations.

Agreement ratified between University and USW Local 1998 Casual Unit (Feb. 28, 2024)

From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date: February 28, 2024
Re: Agreement ratified between University and USW Local 1998 Casual Unit

I am pleased to share that the tentative agreement reached between the University of Toronto and USW Local 1998 Casual Unit has been ratified by the bargaining unit of approximately 4,000 employees.

The term of the renewal collective agreement is from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026. The Memorandum of Agreement is posted on the Agreements page of the PSEC website.

Since the Fall term started, this ratification brings the total number of employees who have ratified renewal collective agreements with the University without labour disruptions to nearly 10,000.

Important Update on Bargaining with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (March 1, 2024)

From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date: March 1, 2024
Re: Important Update on Bargaining with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (“CUPE”)

Further to the update provided last Friday, the University is in collective bargaining negotiations with five CUPE bargaining units who could legally go on strike at U of T on Monday, March 4 at 12:01 am. This does not mean that there will be a strike on March 4 or at all, just that the bargaining units will be in a position to strike if terms and conditions for a renewal collective agreement are not reached before March 4.

The University remains committed to reaching negotiated renewal collective agreements with each of the five CUPE bargaining units and doing so without labour disruptions. The bargaining committees have been meeting over the past several months, and talks will continue throughout the weekend. Despite progress at the bargaining tables, it is possible that agreements may not be reached by the deadline set by CUPE. When tentative agreements are reached during collective bargaining, it is important to remember that they are still subject to ratification by employees in the relevant bargaining unit

We must be prepared for academic and operational continuity in the event of a strike or other job action. We are committed to taking appropriate steps so that our students can continue learning and complete the academic requirements of their courses and programs. If a strike does occur, the University will remain open and operational.

If tentative agreements are reached, the University will communicate this outcome as soon as possible. If we do not have tentative agreements, the University will communicate relevant updates. If CUPE calls a strike, we will respect the decision of those bargaining unit employees who choose to strike and those bargaining unit employees who choose to continue working.

We have circulated materials to divisional Vice-Deans with information about course and program resiliency, grading practices, and other relevant policies and guidance for faculty to use if necessary. Faculty members’ and librarians’ rights with respect to academic freedom will be fully respected and no actions will be required that are inconsistent with the academic freedom provisions of Article 5 of the Memorandum of Agreement between the University and UTFA.

The University’s bargaining updates will be available at https://www.utoronto.ca/negotiations. In the event of a strike or other job action, the U of T community may visit https://www.utoronto.ca/utogether for real-time updates and answers to commonly asked questions.

Union Bargaining at the University of Toronto – Update (Feb. 23, 2024)

From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date: February 23, 2024
Re: Union Bargaining at the University of Toronto – Update (as of February 23, 2024)

The University is providing an update on several bargaining units currently involved in collective bargaining at U of T.

The University is home to more than 20,000 unionized employees organized in 25 separate bargaining units and represented by 10 different unions. Each of the 25 bargaining units has its own collective agreement and negotiates its agreement separately with the University. Collective bargaining is a regular process that occurs in the normal course of the University’s life as one of the largest employers in the GTA.
The United Steelworkers, Casuals Unit, Local 1998 (USW Local 1998) represents approximately 4,000 casual administrative and technical employees across the University. The University and the local reached a tentative agreement on Friday, February 16. The union’s ratification process commenced on February 22 and is expected to conclude on February 27.
On February 8, 2024, five CUPE bargaining units currently involved in collective bargaining at U of T announced that they had simultaneously requested a “No-Board Report”. A “No-Board Report” indicates that the Minister of Labour is declining the appointment of a conciliation board to assist the parties in resolving outstanding issues. It is issued by the Ministry of Labour and is one of the legal requirements and prerequisites for the employer and union to be in a legal strike/lockout position. It does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur. The five bargaining units that will be in a legal strike position are:
- CUPE Local 3902 Unit 1 comprises approximately 6,200 current employees, including Teaching Assistants (TAs), invigilators and Course Instructors, all of whom are U of T students. Approximately 85% of employees are graduate students; the remaining 15% are undergraduate students and postdocs. Less than half of all graduate students at U of T are Teaching Assistants.
- CUPE Local 3902 Unit 5 comprises approximately 850 postdoctoral fellows who are classified and funded as University employees. Unit 5 represents many, but not all, campus-based postdoctoral fellows. Those funded externally and/or classified as trainees are not part of this bargaining unit and neither are those who work in hospitals and other research institutes.
- CUPE Local 3261 F/T and P/T represents full- and regular part-time service workers, including caretakers, grounds staff, drivers, laboratory animal technicians and athletic attendants.
- CUPE Local 3261, Casual represents casual workers located on all three campuses (many are University of Toronto students).
- CUPE Local 3261-89 Chestnut represents hospitality workers at the 89 Chestnut Student Residence & Conference Centre.
A union is in a legal strike position 17 days after a No-Board report is granted by the Minister of Labour, and it may declare a strike any time on or after that date, until a renewal collective agreement is ratified by the membership of that bargaining unit. In addition to a No-Board Report, other steps include a positive strike mandate vote by the membership of that particular bargaining unit. The five CUPE units have either held votes and received strike mandates from their members or are in the process of holding votes.
Regarding all five CUPE units, the earliest legal strike date at U of T is Monday, March 4 at 12:01 am. A strike does not automatically happen on this date: it could happen anytime on or after this date, or not at all. Just because a union is in a legal strike position does NOT mean that there will be a strike. It means that a union is legally able to strike once that date arrives.
Unions generally place themselves in a legal strike position and declare strike deadlines to increase their bargaining leverage with employers. This occurs in the normal course of collective bargaining. The vast majority of collective agreements are achieved without strikes or lockouts. Agreements at U of T have been reached without a strike or lockout approximately 96% of the time since 1971.
The bargaining teams are working hard to reach tentative agreements at all the tables where negotiations are underway. We remain hopeful that tentative agreements will be reached and ratified in all cases, but we continue to prepare for possible strikes as several significant issues remain unresolved.
Operational and academic continuity planning is particularly important at this time given CUPE’s public release of what was described as an “important announcement” on February 7th regarding “...negotiations with the university and possible effects on the academic year.”

Next steps:

University of Toronto Communications and the Office of Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture will post updated information as it becomes available at: https://www.utoronto.ca/negotiations