QUFA Digest: June 2026

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Hello QUFA Members,

Please see the June 2026 edition of Digest below.

Bargaining

  • Please see the QUFA Bargaining page for updates, including two recent Bargaining Alerts we encourage Members to read.

Get Involved

  • New Ad Hoc Committees: QUFA is looking for volunteers to serve on the new UPP Divestment Committee and Constitutional Review Committee. You can see a brief description of each committee below, and read the Terms of Reference for the committees are in the latest issue of QUFA Voices (p. 3).
    • UPP Divestment Committee: At the Dec. 18 Fall General Meeting, the membership called on QUFA to form an ad hoc committee to advocate for divestment of UPP investments from entities producing weapons that support violations of human rights. If you are interested in joining this committee, please send a statement of interest noting your relevant expertise and/or background to QUFA Executive Director Leslie Jermyn at qufaed@queensu.ca and QUFA Vice President Melissa Houghtaling at m.houghtaling@queensu.ca by Monday June 15 at 5pm.
    • Constitutional Review Committee: The QUFA Executive and Council support a review and renewal of the Association’s Constitution, bylaws, policies and practices to ensure consistency, completeness, and alignment with democratic principles. This committee will be tasked with completing a review to make recommendations to the Executive and Council before the 2026 Fall General Meeting or 2027 Spring General Meeting. If you are interested in joining this committee, please send a statement of interest noting your relevant expertise and/or background to QUFA Executive Director Leslie Jermyn at qufaed@queensu.ca and QUFA Past President Mary (Cella) Olmstead at olmstead@queensu.ca by Monday June 15 at 5pm.
  • Call for Job Action Committee Volunteers: 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, coffee, and portable washroom facilities. 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. To get involved, please reach out to the Job Action Committee Chair 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.

Notifications

  • Early Renewal or Tenure: It has come to our attention that some faculty members believe that if they apply for Renewal or Tenure early and are not successful, that they can then try again at the expected time. In other words, they believe that there is no penalty or risk to applying to renew or become tenured earlier than the normal interval contemplated in the Collective Agreement. THIS IS NOT SO. Any application for renewal or tenure carries the same risk of termination if the applicant is not successful.
  • Conversion to Continuing Adjunct: If you are currently in the process of converting to a Continuing Adjunct appointment or have converted to Continuing Adjunct appointment in the recent past (last five years), we encourage you to send your appointment letter to QUFA for review. A correct FTE, Course Load Entitlement, and Years of Experience are essential as they determine teaching workload and are used in the calculation of the nominal and actual salaries. For consultation send your appointment letter and any additional information to QUFA Member Services Officer, Doug Nesbitt at d.nesbitt@queensu.ca
  • Please be advised that the QUFA Office will close on Fridays throughout the summer from the end of June to the end of August. The Office is also closed on statutory holidays in July, August, and September. Please feel free to email staff during those times, and we will respond when the office reopens. Out-of-office email messages will indicate who to contact when people are away from the Office for longer periods.

Deadlines

  • Later in the summer, we will post dates for the upcoming fall deadlines including the Adjunct Fund (October 2026), Tuition Support Plan (November 2026), and Childcare Support Plan (February 2027). A brief, early reminder that Annual Reports will be due on September 30. 

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