Ontario Tech Faculty reject University Offer
OSHAWA, February 5th, 2022 —Members of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA), which represents full-time faculty at Ontario Tech University, have voted 80% to reject the offer proposed by Ontario Tech University.
“The offer put forward by Ontario Tech administration’s ran counter to the institution’s stated mission to offer high-quality education and produce innovative research,” said Kimberly Nugent, Interim President of the UOITFA. “They need to acknowledge the value of Faculty Member’s contributions to research, teaching and service and invest in the future of our university. We invite the administration back to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair Collective Agreement that addresses the issues identified by our members in a meaningful way that avoids a strike.”
Throughout the pandemic, faculty at Ontario Tech have had to deal with one of the highest student-to-faculty ratios in Canada, denying students the individual support that is so important to academic success. This is unacceptable.
“We are still hopeful that the Ontario Tech administration will acknowledge the struggles that faculty and students have faced during the pandemic and make the investments needed to improve education quality at our university,” said Nugent.
Ontario Tech can afford to make investments in these areas. They have seen almost a decade of budget surpluses. It is time to show respect for faculty and students and invest this money in areas that will improve education quality, innovation and research, and equity initiatives at the university. The UOITFA remains in a legal strike position as we invite the Ontario Tech Administration back to the bargaining table to work with the us to avoid a strike. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association represents 281 full-time faculty at Ontario Tech University.
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For more information, contact:
Kimberly Nugent, UOIT Faculty Association Past President
289-404-7570, [email protected]