Who We Are - What We Do - Why It Matters
Who We Are
WUFA is a democratic, member-led association of full-time and part-time faculty, librarians, learning specialists, clinical psychologists, and coaches.
WUFA’s core principles are collegiality, equity, participation, and transparency. Decision-making authority for the Association’s policies and action rests with the membership, which meets twice a year and more frequently, as needed. WUFA Council determines the Association’s direction between membership meetings, and the Executive attends to the day-today business of the Association subject to the wishes of Council and the membership at large.
We are proud that UWindsor faculty were among the first academics in Canada to unionize. The Association was created in 1974 and certified as exclusive bargaining agent by the Ontario Labour Relations Board in 1978. We are grateful to that first organizing committee who took this step on our behalf. Today, unions and collective bargaining are the norm in the university sector.
The work of WUFA is accomplished through standing committees of volunteers who are ably assisted by three dedicated WUFA staff. Key committees include the Grievance Committee, Contract Committee, Negotiating Team, Status of Women, Diversity & Equity Action Committee, and Sessional Committee.
WUFA activities are financed by monthly dues paid by all members of the bargaining unit. Everyone is invited to join and participate.
WUFA has been housed at 366 Sunset Ave. since 1983. In 1994, the building was named Kerr House in honour of Professor Robert Kerr who was the first WUFA union president.
What We Do
WUFA advances the interests and aspirations of its members as scholars and employees by:
- Negotiating collective agreements, which establish the rights, responsibilities, and terms and conditions of employment for all members of the bargaining unit.
- Defending members’ individual and collective academic and employment rights through informal resolution and the grievance-arbitration process.
- Collaborating with OCUFA, CAUT, and labour organizations to advance the quality of post-secondary education, protect academic freedom, and defend the collective bargaining rights of university faculty.
Aims of the Faculty Association, as written in the Constitution and Bylaws
Why It Matters
Advocacy, fairness, support, collectivity: when WUFA Council members describe the organization, these terms arise over and over again: advocacy, not only for WUFA members, but for the educational quality of the institution and its students; fairness and balance in negotiating contracts, mediating between faculty and administration, and disseminating information to the public; support for members in their academic and research pursuits, for sessional and tenured instructors, for individuals facing workplace grievances; and a collective voice that demands to be heard. Strength in numbers.
While they may have come to WUFA Council through different channels, and from a range of faculties and programs, Council members emphasize the vital importance of the Faculty Association for the wellness and betterment of the University of Windsor.
