Summary of Gains: 2024-2028 

Salary/Monetary

  • General Salary Increases (GSI) of 2.5%, 2.75%, 3%, and 3%
  • Effective April 1, 2024, a special adjustment (aka lump-sum) increase to base salary of $3,500 for every Member
  • Effective April 1, 2024, an increase to the salary maxima of 2.5% plus:
    • $12,000 salary maxima increase for full Professors
    • $4,250 salary maxima increase for Associate Professors and Senior Instructors
    • $2,750 salary maxima increase for Assistant Professors, Lecturers, Instructor I, Instructor II, General Librarians, Assistant Librarians, Associate Librarians, and Librarians
  • Effective April 1, 2025, the salary maxima for all ranks will increase by 2.75%
  • Effective April 1, 2026, the salary maxima for all ranks will increase by 3%
  • Effective April 1, 2027, the salary maxima for all ranks will increase by 3%, and then by a further 10%.
  • Salary increments for year one are calculated by first determining the new floor by dividing the new maxima by 1.4 and then creating 10 steps between the new floors and the maxima. Salary floors and salary increments for subsequent years are increased by the GSI percentage.
  • Members hired between the end of the last agreement (March 31, 2024) and the ratification of the new agreement will also receive the salary gains negotiated, including for year one.
  • Your GSI, $3,500 lump-sum, salary increment, and promotion increment will be applied to your base salary, subject to the new salary maximum at your rank, and paid retroactively to April 1, 2024.

In addition to the above improvements to salaries, there is a new Research/Study Leave provision (RSL). You will now have the option of taking a 12-month leave at 100% salary for 8 RSL credits. This option is in addition to already existing RSL provisions, and will be available starting July 1, 2026. 

Term Appointment Conversions

Effective April 1 2027:

  • Members in the Instructor and Librarian ranks who are on full-time contiguous term appointments for six years and who have performed satisfactorily in that time, will have their subsequent appointment be converted into a continuing position;

Effective April 1, 2026:

  • Instructors who are coaches of UM sports teams will initially be appointed to one-year renewable term appointments for the first six years. After completion of six years of contiguous appointments, any subsequent appointments will be for three-year terms.
  • These provisions are retroactive – service to date will be counted toward the six year period. 

Child Care

  • The administration will commit $1,000,000.00 to a fund that will be used to negotiate priority designated childcare spaces at the Fort Garry Campus for children of UMFA Members. 
  • Should the University fail to come to terms with the Campus Day Care Centre that are acceptable to UMFA on or before March 31, 2028, or should the fund not be used in its entirety, any remaining portion of the $1M will be transferred to UMFA to support childcare initiatives for UMFA Members.

Equity in Hiring

Significant improvements to the Hiring Article (Article 18) to create a path for ensuring a more diverse, inclusive University. Improvements include:
 
New Hiring Practices:

  • Where two or more candidates are relatively equal and one or more candidates is from an underrepresented systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons), a candidate from an underrepresented systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group will be selected.
  • New criteria on determining “underrepresentation” based on voluntary demographic data collection, and in some cases, use of census data.
  • University administration to conduct an annual voluntary demographic data collection campaign targeted to Members.
  • Where the recommended candidate is not from an underrepresented systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group, and there are qualified candidates from one or more of those groups, the CV’s of the recommended candidate and the best qualified candidate from such groups will be forwarded to the dean along with the committee’s recommendation. The basis for the committee’s recommendation will be explained in detail.
  • Summary of Applications Forms will be updated to indicate whether applicants, interviewees, and appointees voluntarily identified as being from a specific systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group.

Equity Preferred and Equity Designated Positions:

  • Article 18.B.2.1 describes “that academic staff members with faculty rank meeting in committee shall recommend to the dean the priorities and procedures whereby candidates shall be sought, assessed and recommended for appointment”. Improvements to these 18.B.2.1 meetings include:
    • Before an 18.B.2.1 meeting University administrators will provide academic staff members with a report detailing any applicable underrepresentation in the unit. Where data is insufficient to clearly discern whether a designated group is underrepresented in a unit, then the relevant group will be included as an underrepresented group.
    • If an underrepresentation exists, during the 18.B.2.1 meeting academic staff can recommend that a search be conducted for an:
      • Equity Preferred Position where priority is given to hiring a candidate from a specific underrepresented systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group, or an
      • Equity Designated Position which is open to only those applicants from a specified underrepresented systemically disadvantaged and marginalized group or groups.

These positions are contained in a Letter of Understanding in the Collective Agreement and specify that up to 20 Equity Preferred Positions may be hired each year and up to 6 Equity Designated Positions may be hired each year, with up to an additional 4 positions for Indigenous Peoples.

Other Equity-Related Changes

  • Recognition of Career Path Differences: Candidates for hiring, tenure, and promotion are to be assessed with a valuing and appropriate weighting of career path differences, including those associated with protected human rights-based characteristics (see Article 15 of the CA), including but not limited to those caused by health, care, and family responsibilities and/or barriers that persons in systemically disadvantaged and marginalized groups may have encountered in their careers, in order that such interruptions and/or barriers will not be a disadvantage to the candidate.
  • Workload adjustments for Extraordinary Service Responsibilities: While Members from systemically disadvantaged and marginalized groups will be sought to serve on search, tenure, and promotion committees to ensure representation from these groups or to fulfill gender diversity requirements, they will not be penalized in any way for refusal to participate on committees beyond a normal service load. When they do assume increased service duties to serve on these committees, or other comparable service assigned by the University, the University will implement a reasonable workload adjustment.
  • Reduced Appointments Eligibility Expanded: Reduced appointments will now be available for Members who are on term or probationary appointments, for a maximum of 2 years.

Technology Used in Teaching

  • Stronger Language on Consent Regarding Teaching in Modalities of Non-In-Person Course Instruction: You have the right to reasonably withhold your consent in the use of any modality of Non-In-Person Course Instruction (defined as any manner of teaching not taught like an On-Campus Course, including but not limited to On-Line, Blended, and Dual Delivery Courses). Members will be advised by their Dean/University Librarian as to whether they would receive a teaching assistant and will be informed of the maximum course capacity before choosing whether to consent to teaching Non-In-Person Course Instruction. Withholding consent will not be held against you in any evaluation process.
    • New definitions added to define In-Person Course Instruction and Non-In-Person Course Instruction.
    • Consent will be deemed if a Member agreed to a letter of offer which assigns specific duties which include Senate-approved programs requiring or designed for Non-In-Person Course Instruction, or assigns specific duties which include teaching of courses requiring or designed for Non-In-Person Course Instruction.
  • Support for Teaching Non-In-Person Course Instruction: If you develop and/or teach courses in modalities of Non-In-Person Course Instruction, technical support assistance, relevant training, and professional development will be made available.
  • Support on Protecting Intellectual Property: 
    • When you provide evidence of copyright infringement of your course materials to the Copyright Office, you are to receive assistance, information and materials for the purpose of issuing demand letters and/or take down notices. University administration will provide an annual report to UMFA on statistics related to copyright infringement reported by Members to the Copyright Office.
    • Unless required by law, you are not required to allow recording or live streaming of your lectures without your consent.
    • University administration shall only adopt digital or information technologies that have met all University Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, or By-Laws.
    • Commitment by the University administration outside of the Collective Agreement to review and revise the Student Discipline Bylaw and the associated Student Non-Academic Misconduct and Concerning Behaviour Procedure to indicate that unauthorized file sharing and recording of your course material is explicitly listed as an enumerated offense. University administration will also communicate with all students what the prohibitions are on unauthorized file sharing and recording.
    • Commitment by the University administration outside of the Collective Agreement to communicate with all Members what data is collected through UMLearn and its applications as well as how you can protect your privacy when using University-supported video conferencing tools.
  • Parameters on Online Invigilation: Normally, invigilation for tests, mid-terms, and final exams will be in-person, but if University administration determines that an off-campus exam is needed, you will not be delegated the responsibility for finding an in-person invigilator. Any means of remote proctoring must be vetted for privacy or security considerations.
  • Control Over SRI Open-Ended Comments: Confirmation that University administration cannot access or make physical copies of your online teaching evaluation open-ended comments. Digital copies hosted by the University will be deleted after 12 months.

Benefits

  • New University Employees Scholarship Funding: Increase of an additional $100,000 to the University of Manitoba Employees Scholarship to be made every April 1 in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
  • Teaching Stipend Increases: Significant increases in stipends for teaching Summer Session 1 and 2 and Off-Campus University Credit Courses.
  • Administrative Stipends: Increased by 7.5% in 2024, 7.75% in 2025, 3% in 2026, and 3% in 2027.
  • Extended Travel and Expense (T&E) Fund Carryover: Travel and Expense Fund carry-over increased from 2 to 3 years.
  • Expanded T&E Uses: You will now be able to use your Travel and Expense Funds for:
    • Travel for an undergraduate or graduate student under your supervision for attending meetings of academic or professional groups or for supporting your research and scholarly work;
    • Purchase of services to be used by a graduate student or undergraduate student under your supervision in support of your academic duties or in support of the research and scholarly work which forms a part of your university duties;
    • Childcare-related and dependent-care-related expenses incurred when you travel to attend meetings of academic and professional groups or while travelling to pursue research and scholarly work which forms part of your university duties.
  • Anomalies Fund Increase: Anomalies Fund increased from $100,000 to $150,000.
  • Computers, Health Care Spending Account, Parking, Stipends:
    • University will provide each Member with a computer upon their first appointment. Prior to providing a computer, the University will give a Member the opportunity to request that specific computer equipment be provided to meet the needs of their teaching, research, and service duties.
    • Health care spending account remains at $865 throughout the agreement.
    • Parking Rates, Travel and Expense Funds, and Northern Allowance increased by general salary increase percentages (2.5%, 2.75%, 3%, 3%).

Leaves

  • New Option for Research/Study Leaves: As noted above, a 12-month research/study leave at 100% base salary, to be obtained with 8 research/study leave credits or 48 academic librarian credits. This option will be available for July 1, 2026.
  • Protecting Research Grant-Based Teaching Releases: Members who receive a research-grant based teaching release and who are on a six-month research/study leave in the same academic year will not have their teaching release reduced or prorated when applied to their teaching load for that academic year.
  • Compassionate Care Option: Ability for you to take  up to 28 weeks of compassionate care leave of absence without pay to provide care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death;
  • Other Negotiated Items:
    • Application for research/study leaves may be made in anticipation of accumulation of the credits at the time the leave is to be taken.
    • Service in an administrative position excluded from the bargaining unit immediately prior to service as an academic administrator as defined in 21.1.2 will be recognized as part of the “continuous years of service” requirements.
    • Upon request and with at least 6 months written notice, Members to be granted an automatic waiver of the obligation to return from a research/study or administrative leave (and of any requirement to reimburse the University for remuneration received while on leave) should the Member be at least 55 years old and have completed at least 5 years of service to the University.
    • Significant changes to the UMFA Officers Release Time Article (Article 36): the Association will be invoiced for teaching replacement costs. Changes also include new recognition that release time can also be negotiated if you become an officer of the CAUT, the CAUT Defence Fund, or the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations (MOFA).

Working Conditions, Tenure, and Promotion

  • Annual Consultation on Support Staff Needs: Annually, in preparing the budget for their unit, Deans and the University Librarian must seek the feedback of Members in their unit about what the reasonable amount of support staff for the coming academic year would be.
  • Submission of SRIs for Tenure and Promotion is Optional: You may include Student Reflections on Instruction (SRI) results in your tenure and promotion applications, but these committees are prohibited from requesting such data. No negative inference will be drawn if these results are not submitted, though you still remain responsible for satisfying the criteria for tenure and promotion established by your unit.
  • Tenure and Promotion Process Updates:
    • Addition of a stage of the tenure and promotion committee process where the committee may have areas requiring clarification regarding the Member’s application. The Chairperson is to inform the Member in writing of the areas needing clarification and establish a meeting date with the Member in order to provide them in writing with the questions and areas of clarification that the committee may have. The Member is to be given the opportunity to speak to the committee regarding these areas requiring clarification and be able to provide a written response.
    • Confirmation that normal tenure committee procedures apply to early tenure applications and must be completed by October 3. Deadline for early tenure application withdrawal now extended to October 10.
    • Confirmation that the Department Head serves as a resource to the committee, providing context as to the candidate’s assigned duties.
    • Following the normal discussions regarding promotion between a Member and their Department Head (at either’s initiation), promotion applications are now initiated by the Member, by filling out the necessary forms and submitting them to the Dean/University Librarian.
    • Written opinions regarding promotion applications may be sought regarding a Member’s service, in addition to teaching and research duties.
    • Significant changes to the Promotion Appeal process, to streamline the establishment of appeal panels.
  • Other Negotiated Items:
    • UMFA to receive copies of each term and contingent re-appointment letter of offer.
    • UMFA to receive copies of each approved or revised Guidelines within 30 days of a successful vote.
    • New Letter of Understanding to change some instructions when you should send notice to your Dean, who will then forward the notice to the Provost, instead of you sending notice directly to the Provost. 

Investigations and Discipline

  • Clarity on Discipline: Only a Dean or University Librarian may reprimand a Member, and only the President may suspend a Member with or without pay or recommend their dismissal to the Board of Governors. When a recommendation for dismissal is made to the Board, the Member has the right to have an UMFA representative present their case to the Board prior to the Board deciding on the President’s recommendation.
  • Interim Measures Procedure: A Member is to be provided with written notice of any interim measures imposed on them, with a copy to UMFA within 72 hours (unless the Member does not want UMFA to receive one). Ability to grieve the interim measures beginning at Stage 3 of the Grievance Process.