We won’t be sending out any newsletters in July, but will resume in August. In the meantime, we hope you’re able to take some time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the summer season.
President’s Message
With July 1st just around the corner, I would like to take this opportunity to thank two Members who will be cycling off the TUFA Executive.
George Kovacs (AGRS) joined the Executive as a Member-at-Large in 2023 and has been serving as TUFA’s Acting Chief Grievance Officer for the last six months. Grievance work is significant and important to the lives of our Members and George should be commended for his contributions in this area. George is heading off on sabbatical and Anne Pasek shall be returning from one and resuming her post as Chief Grievance Officer on July 1st.
Brent Bellamy (CUST) joined the Executive earlier this year as the Member-at-Large, LTA. Brent worked with the LTA Caucus and eloquently represented the concerns felt by many LTA Members at our Spring General Membership Meeting. Unfortunately, Brent’s LTA position was not renewed and he will no longer be a member of the TUFA bargaining unit as of July 1st. I want to thank Brent for his contributions in advocating for the rights and needs of our Members who experience contingent labour and there will be a call later in the summer to recruit a new LTA Member-at-Large for the Executive.
In the rest of the newsletter, you’ll see updates on the University Budget, news of Barbara Wall’s well deserved OCUFA Award, and calls for Solidarity from our colleagues in the Syndicat des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de l’Ontario français (SPPUOF) and those advocating for a strong public sector in Ontario.
In Solidarity,
Dwayne
Collective Agreement
Collective Agreement Pro Tips
by Karleen Pendleton Jiménez
When applying for reappointment, tenure, permanency, or promotion, you have the right to ask your Chair to contact TUFA members outside of your home department to “comment” on your “suitability for reappointment, tenure, or promotion” and offer their “written views”. Your chair only contacts members that you have specifically selected. These views will be added to your file.
See (TUFA CA) VII.11.2 Input from Members Outside the Candidate’s Home Department (p. 95)
Committee & Caucus Updates
Upcoming Participation Opportunities
TUFA will soon be putting out a call for members interested in becoming more involved in union work and advocacy initiatives. Opportunities will include participation in newly developing initiatives such as the Organizing Committee, as well as other governance and engagement work planned for the coming year. The aim is to create more pathways for members to contribute, shape priorities, and participate in Union activities.
Keep an eye on your inbox for these opportunities or email TUFA for more information.
Trent
2026/27 Budget and Financial Position
The provincial budget embargo was lifted and the board has published the approved 2026/27 budget and financial outlook. Administration reported that the current-year position has improved significantly compared to earlier projections. The 2025/26 operating budget originally forecast a deficit of approximately $1.65 million; however, current projections indicate a near-balanced result with a small surplus of approximately $0.1 million.
This improvement was attributed to a combination of factors, including higher-than-expected domestic enrolment, approximately $4.9 million in additional provincial funding, and $4.0 million in miscellaneous revenue. Lower-than-expected staffing expenditures also contributed to the year-end position.
Administration presented the 2026/27 budget and multi-year outlook to the Board of Governors for final approval on June 19, 2026. Prior to revised provincial funding, the University was originally projecting a deficit of approximately $31.2 million; updated provincial funding of roughly $57 million significantly improved the short-term outlook.
Key assumptions remain, including projected enrolment of 11,587 FTEs (a 6% decline), continued impacts of federal international student permit restrictions, and the maximum allowable 2% domestic tuition increase. Mitigation measures include departmental budget reductions, increased ancillary contributions, and the use of operating contingency reserves. In the result, the projected deficit for 2026/27 has dropped below $3 million.
See the full budget and other documents from the Board of Governors meeting by clicking here.
Solidarity
Support the SPPUOF
TUFA is asking members to respond to a call for solidarity from the Syndicat des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de l’Ontario français (SPPUOF).
After three years of negotiations toward a first collective agreement, SPPUOF reports that the employer continues to refuse to reach a fair and equitable agreement and has also declined to implement the 44 agreements in principle already reached while a full collective agreement remains under negotiation. SPPUOF members have voted 95% in favour of a strike mandate and will be in a legal strike or lockout position as of June 29.
With only days remaining before a decisive bargaining session, SPPUOF is seeking to increase pressure and ensure that faculty voices are impossible to ignore. TUFA encourages members to support this effort by sending a letter to the Board of Governors and by sharing the campaign within your networks.
The link to the letter-writing campaign can be found here.
Our Members in the News
TUFA Celebrates Barbara Moktthewenkwe Wall’s OCUFA Teaching Award Recognition
Trent University Faculty Association proudly congratulates Barbara Moktthewenkwe Wall on being named a recipient of the 2026 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Teaching and Academic Librarianship Award, recognizing excellence in teaching and contributions to student learning and the academic mission.
A Bodwewaadmii Anishinaabekwe is a Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, traditional Knowledge Holder, storyteller, educator, and scholar, Wall’s work reflects a deep commitment to Indigenous knowledge systems, decolonizing education, and community engagement. Serving as Director of Studies and teaching within the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Wall has inspired students and communities through her teaching, storytelling, scholarship, and advocacy. Her work embodies the values of academic excellence, leadership, and meaningful social impact. TUFA joins OCUFA in celebrating this well-deserved recognition of her remarkable contributions.
Click here to read more about the award.
Community
Fight Ford Protest
The fourth Fighting Ford protest is taking place Saturday, June 27th at 1 pm outside MPP Dave Smith’s office at 864 Chemong road, Peterborough.
Gather your colleagues and march in solidarity to protest Ford’s cuts to education, healthcare, OSAP and environmental protections.
Please contact the TUFA office to sign out a union flag and help ensure TUFA is represented loud and proud at the rally.
CAUT
The latest issue of the CAUT Journal, Organizing for Power in Canada’s University Sector: Lessons for Academic Staff Associations, focuses on strategies for strengthening academic staff unions and building collective power. Drawing on recent organizing experiences and labour actions across Canadian universities, contributors examine innovative approaches to bargaining, member engagement, participation and mobilization, including lessons from recent faculty association actions and organizing in increasingly virtual environments. The issue offers practical insights for academic staff associations seeking to strengthen solidarity, increase participation, and adapt organizing practices to evolving challenges in the post-secondary sector.
Click here to read the journal.