QUFA Digest: May 2026

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Hello QUFA Members,

Please see the May 2026 edition of Digest below.

Bargaining

Spring Workshops

  • QUFA-Queen’s RTP/RCAP Workshop for Applicants: Please join us for a workshop on Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion/Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion on May 12 from 9:30-11:30am. This session will be held in person. Please email vpaa@queensu.ca for room details. 
  • QUFA-Queen’s RTP/RCAP Workshop for Heads, Committee Chairs, Departmental Managers/Administrators: Please join us for a workshop on Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion/Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion on May 15 from 9:30-11:30am. This session will be held in person. Please email vpaa@queensu.ca for room details. 

Deadlines

  • The Fund for Scholarly Research and Creative Work and Professional Development (Adjuncts) has a Spring/Summer deadline of June 1. The application form is available here. We will send additional detailed email reminders over the next few weeks. Please email QUFA Member Services Officer Doug Nesbitt at d.nesbitt@queensu.ca with questions.

Grievance Updates

  • On March 27, 2026, a new Association grievance was filed in response to QUFA’s ongoing concerns about the conduct of administrative representatives via the work of the joint JCAA Workload Standard Sub-committee. The work of the joint sub-committee is described at Article 37.6.1 of the Collective Agreement. QUFA has grieved that the Administration’s conduct has contravened various Collective Agreement provisions aimed at protecting the integrity of unit driven Workload Standard procedures. QUFA has also claimed that the Administration’s conduct fails to uphold the agreement at LOA#2 that the joint sub-committee will endeavor to agree to a new Workload Standard template. The grievance further claims that the Administration’s conduct has interfered with QUFA’s role as the exclusive Bargaining Agent and amounts to a failure to administer the Collective Agreement honestly and in good faith.  A Step 1 meeting to discuss the grievance is scheduled for May 6, 2026.
  • On May 5, 2026, QUFA filed an Association grievance claiming that the Administration has breached its commitment(s) to engage in meaningful consultation and exercise transparency that are enshrined in the Collective Agreement and Roll-over MOA. The grievance responds to the recent identification of the Administration’s ongoing planning and efforts to establish a new academic entity to be known as a “college.” This planning has ostensibly been underway for many months in the absence of any prior consultation or information sharing with QUFA or with the QUFA Membership.  

Get Involved

  • Call for Job Action Committee: Are you the person in your friend group who knows where to get things? Like portapotties? Do you have a large collection of sticks and poster boards to make signs? Could you source 30 clown costumes on short notice? Maybe not, but if you are someone who is great at handling logistics, the Job Action Committee is looking for you! The Job Action Committee is the group responsible for ensuring that QUFA is ready for either a strike or a lockout, should one be necessary. We find a strike headquarters, plan picket lines and organize strike captains. We source food and coffee so strikers are fed and portapotties, because we might not have access to washrooms. We plan signs and map out the campus, meet with police to ensure everyone’s safety and gather musical instruments so everyone still has fun. And as always, we hope none of this is ever necessary. If this sounds like you, please reach out to Amanda Ross-White at amanda.ross-white@queensu.ca
  • QUFA Caucuses:
    • BIPOC Caucus: Supports and advocates for members who are Black, Indigenous, or racialized and/or visible minorities. It is organized to collectively discuss workplace matters specific to QUFA’s BIPOC members and work towards racial equity in our workplace. Contact Co-Chairs Ayca Tomac (ayca.tomac@queensu.ca) or Norma Möllers (norma.mollers@queensu.ca) for more info.
    • Caregivers Caucus: Connects members involved in care responsibilities (e.g., young children, seniors, family members with disabilities) to share experiences, concerns, and resources. Contact QUFA Political Action and Communications Committee (PACC) Chair Vanessa Thompson (vt25@queensu.ca) for more info.
    • New Faculty Caucus: Connects recently appointed faculty (up to 5 years) to share experiences and concerns pertinent to new faculty. Contact QUFA PACC Chair Vanessa Thompson (vt25@queensu.ca) for more info.

For Your Information

  • New Members: If you are a recent hire at Queen’s, you can fill out an Association Membership form here. To learn more about being a Member of the union Bargaining Unit and a Member of the Association, click here.
  • Please see QUFA Voices, Governance Watch, and Campus Conversations for updates on recent business and important issues.
  • Check our News & Events feed on the bottom of the website homepage for updates: www.qufa.ca
  • Visit QUFA on Facebook and Instagram.

Sincerely,

QUFA Staff