Academic Consideration for Extenuating Circumstances

Last year Queen’s approved a policy called Academic Consideration for Extenuating Circumstances[1]. It is not included in the Collective Agreement, but we at QUFA are wondering how it is working and would like your feedback on whether and how it might be affecting working conditions. When first learning about it, → Learn More

Executive Resources

Governance Documents QUFA Revised Constitution, April 2022 Policies and Protocols, February 2023 Staff Employment Policy, April 2020 Committee Terms of Reference, October 2019 Additional Materials QUFA Executive Handbook Primer for Executive Committee Members: Rights, Duties and Practices Meetings: Why They Matter & How to Run Them Motions Summary Travel Information → Learn More

QUFA Health & Safety Officer

Approved by QUFA Executive December2014 Approved by QUFA Council January 2015 The Executive committee approved the creation of a new position: the QUFA Health & Safety Officer (HSO) to be filled by early 2015 if possible. The following terms of reference for the position were approved in principle with the → Learn More

Records and Governance

Our experiences with grievances and (often inadvertent) violations of the Collective Agreement keep bringing home to us the close connection between good record-keeping and good governance and the importance of both for collegiality. Ramneek last wrote on this topic four years ago, but examples continue to pop up regularly, where → Learn More

Consent to Disclose Personal Health Information

We rely on doctor-patient confidentiality and the privacy of our health information. A recent arbitration decision focused on the high degree of privacy and confidentiality accorded personal health information and what a consent form from your employer may or may not include, Ontario Public Service Employees Union (Union) v Ontario → Learn More

Official File – Article 34

Many Members are unaware that they have both a Human Resources file and an Official File. The file held in Human Resources is your personnel file containing information about your employee benefits, salary calculations, and other things like that. Your Official File contains “[a]ll documents and materials in the possession → Learn More

Family Status

Family Status is an enumerated ground in the Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code)[1] and includes both eldercare and childcare. Members have raised questions about how far the University must go to accommodate childcare or eldercare. What if a teaching schedule conflicts with a child’s extracurricular activities? What if a → Learn More

Welcome and Merit

Welcome to the fall term! We have now gone through the first biennial performance review which was developed in the last round of bargaining, a change from the annual review in place for many years. We are always asked questions about this review and merit, so I provide a general → Learn More

What Does the Sun Set On with a Sunset Clause?

By Leslie Jermyn ( Executive Director, QUFA) Many collective agreements contain what are colloquially known as “sunset clauses” on discipline proceedings. The Queen’s-QUFA Collective Agreement contains such a clause at Art. 20.4.4 which states that Any record of a written reprimand shall be removed from a Member’s Official File after → Learn More

QUFA PACC Chair

From the QUFA Constitution: ARTICLE 5:   GENERAL MEETINGS There shall be at least two General Meetings of the Association each year: a fall meeting to be held in October, November or December and a spring meeting in March or April, each at the call of the Secretary. The Secretary shall → Learn More