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

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

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

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 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 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

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’s Grievance Web site contains a wealth of information for the use of QUFA Members. I have been so busy with arbitration preparations and hearings this summer and autumn that I’ve not had the opportunity to write a substantial “Grievance Corner” for this issue of QUFA Voices. So, I decided → Learn More

Welcome to the fall term! The fall term brings with it committee work encompassing all sorts of personnel processes. These include RTP, appointments, and reappointments.  In addition to conflict of interest, the collective agreement now articulates another situation that must be taken into account when making decisions, and that is → Learn More

Great West Life and the “orthotics case fee”- Who knew? I thought I would share my tale of woe regarding orthotics. I am now that person who looks for shoes that these rafts will fit into because I want to walk comfortably for as long as I possibly can. Oh, → Learn More