October 10, 2017
The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) and Laurentian University have formally ratified a new collective agreement. On Friday, LUFA members voted 98% in favour of the 3-year extension to the collective agreement which expired on June 30. Laurentian’s Board of Governors unanimously ratified the agreement today.
“This agreement is good news for our employees and the entire Laurentian community. I want to thank both the Laurentian University and the LUFA bargaining teams for their hard work and cooperation,” said Dr. Pierre Zundel, Laurentian University Interim President and Vice Chancellor. “This agreement will provide our faculty with the stability and supports to continue providing our students with a world-class education, and will provide organizational stability as we finalize the University’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan.”
The 3-year contract extension will remain in effect until June 30, 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, LUFA members will receive a normative annual salary increase, and both sides agreed to begin discussions with regard to pension and workload equity.
“I want to thank both negotiation teams for their hard work in seeing this very tough round of negotiations through,” said Dr. Jim Ketchen, LUFA President. “We believe that both the Laurentian Board and the University Administration have heard the concerns of faculty and that in responding to those concerns, this agreement positions Laurentian University in a quite positive way to move forward in providing quality education and the production of very important research.”
Laurentian University and LUFA want to thank members of the bargaining teams led by Dr. Denis Hurtubise for LUFA and Geoff Tierney for Laurentian University, for their commitment and dedication to achieving a mutually beneficial agreement.
Classes will resume on Wednesday October 11th for students who do not have a scheduled reading week. All other students will resume on October 16th.
LUFA represents 373 full-time and 304 part-time Faculty members at Laurentian University in Sudbury and Barrie.
About Laurentian University
Laurentian University offers an outstanding university experience in English and French, with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education. Laurentian University, situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinabe peoples of Atikameksheng First Nation, prepares students as agents of change and empowers them to create innovative responses to local and global challenges. Laurentian’s students benefit from small class sizes and exceptional post-graduation employment rates. With nine Canada Research Chairs and nineteen research centres, Laurentian is a recognized leader in its specialized areas of research strength, which include mining innovation and exploration, stressed watershed systems, particle astrophysics, rural and northern children’s health, and occupational health and safety.