(1A) Policy Grievance GR# 0862, Changes in Management of Windsor Faculty Pension Plan.

Status: Tentative arbitration date of October 1, 2013, under arbitrator Pamela Picher

The Badger in Newsletter 3.19 in June 2011 explained in more detail why WUFA has filed this policy grievance. Basically, WUFA has not been notified about altered practices of Board of Governors’ committees that could result in no WUFA bargaining unit representation in the management of pension monies contributed by its members into the Windsor Faculty Pension Plan (WFPP).

WUFA is guaranteed the right to have voice and vote about its pension plan under Article D.2 of our 2008-2011 and 2011-14 Collective Agreements. WUFA is especially concerned about somebody else than the agreed-upon members of this Article’s Retirement Committee administering the WFPP on behalf of WUFA members.

(1B) Policy Grievance GR# 0866, Confidentiality Requirement for WUFA Representatives on Board of Governors Committees.

Status: Tentative arbitration date of October 1, 2013, under arbitrator Pamela Picher

This policy grievance is formally coupled with another policy grievance (#GR0862 above) about the unilateral decision of the Board of Governors to make alterations to its committees for managing the Windsor Faculty Pension Plan (WFPP). This second policy grievance stipulates that when WUFA representatives are restored to those BoG committees, they must be able to report to WUFA about their and the committees’ activities. Signing a confidentiality agreement will obviously muzzle our representatives from reporting back to members of WUFA who are contributing to the WFPP.

(2) Policy Grievance GR# 0870, Failure to Follow Through on Equity Obligations under Article 30

Status: Confirmed arbitration date of August 7, 2013, under arbitrator Brian Langille.

In 2005, then-President Ross Paul commissioned a report from Dr. Rebecca Priegert Coutler about the University’s progress towards implementing employment equity policies and practice for WUFA members.

None of the so-called Coulter Report recommendations have been implemented, despite much subsequent communication between Dr. Paul and WUFA, especially President Brian E. Brown; and more recent communication between President Alan Wildeman and WUFA, especially by our Status of Women, Diversity and Equity Action Committee.

In fact, the University has failed to meet any of the agreed-upon deadlines for its actions in support of employment equity principles and procedures that are in Article 30 of the previous 2008-11 Collective Agreement.

 (3) Policy Grievance GR# 0876, Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) / Voluntary Contract Termination.

Status:Confirmed arbitration date of May 24, 2013

In April 2011 it came to WUFA's attention that certain retirees aged 65 years or older were being provided with individually-negotiated retirement packages in violation of the Collective Agreement. The Association launched an OLRB complaint, as WUFA is the sole bargaining agent for its members. The OLRB did not hear this complaint and instead returned it to be adjudicated through arbitration processes in the Collective Agreement.

(4) Policy Grievance GR# 0890 – Email Privacy Issue

Status: Awaiting Administration decision at Step 3.

WUFA is concerned about Administration’s accessing the contents of Members’ personal email accounts stored on the University server without prior authorization or permission.