TUFA Newsletter

Executive Committee

New Member-at-Large, LTA appointed

Emily Bruusgaard is TUFA’s new Member-at-Large, LTA. Emily has been serving on TUFA’s Equity Committee and, in her new role, will ensure that the perspectives and concerns of limited-term members inform the work done by TUFA’s Executive Committee. Please join TUFA in welcoming Emily to the role.

Committees and Caucus

Calls

We are still looking for members interested in participating in the following committees. Please contact the TUFA Office for more information.

Academic Integrity and Quality of Education (Finance) subcommittee

This ad hoc committee was established by action of the membership on 17 December 2025 and then confirmed at the March 26^th General Membership meeting. It is chaired by the TUFA Treasurer, Wesley Burr, and comprises up to four additional members with financial expertise to undertake and advance research on the financial health and practices of the University.

Equity Committee

TUFA’s Member-at-Large (Equity), Nael Bhanji, chairs the Association’s Equity Committee which promotes an employment environment that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable for all members of the Trent community.

Governance Committee

Established by the membership, this ad hoc committee was to consider ways that the Association and its members can better engage in, and defend, collegial shared governance at the University. The Executive is keen to revitalize and repopulate this Committee with an eye to reviewing governance practices at Trent and potentially converting this committee into a standing committee next year. The Committee is chaired by TUFA’s Vice President, Karleen Pendleton Jiménez.

Grievance Committee

TUFA’s Grievance Committee is chaired by the Chief Grievance Officer, Anne Pasek, and is responsible for investigating and addressing members’ workplace complaints and concerns.

Multi-workplace Joint Health and Safety Committee

The Joint Health & Safety Committee is comprised of management and union representatives as required by law. The Committee identifies workplace hazards and makes recommendations to improve health and safety for everyone at the University. TUFA appoints two members to this Committee who, along with other worker-appointed representatives from CUPE 3908 and OPSEU 365, conduct periodic building inspections on Trent’s campuses. For this reason, the Association tries to ensure that our appointees include one Symons-based and one Durham-based member.

Nominating and Elections Committee

The work of the Nominations and Elections Committee typically begins late in the Fall semester. The Committee comprises two members of the Executive and, at least, two members who are not currently serving on the Executive. It makes recommendations regarding nominations, elections, and appointments to the Executive Committee for the coming year. The Committee is chaired by the Past President, Moira Howes.

Organizing Committee

Across the post-secondary education sector, Academic Staff Associations are expanding their advocacy efforts to exert more pressure on Employers in bargaining, while challenging administrative creep, government underfunding, and external political campaigns aimed at undermining the integrity of academic work. With this in mind, TUFA’s Executive is establishing an organizing committee chaired by TUFA’s Vice President, Karleen Pendleton Jiménez, to engage and mobilize members in pursuit of the Association’s goals.

Palestinian Student and Scholars at Risk Committee

Established by action of the membership at a special meeting of the membership on June 12, 2024, the Committee oversees TUFA’s efforts to strengthen links with Palestinian academics, educational workers, and students. The Committee works to revitalize Trent’s Scholars at Risk Program and seeks ways to support the eventual rebuilding of academic institutions in Gaza. Chris Beyers chairs this ad hoc Committee.

Sustainability Committee

An ad hoc Sustainability Committee was proposed by the membership several years ago, but that initiative fizzled. The Executive is keen to try again with our Chief Grievance Officer (and resident carbon expert), Anne Pasek, agreeing to Chair.

TUFA Scholars Against the Scholasticide in Palestine.

Also established by the membership on June 12, 2024, this Committee has been tasked to assess, with the goal of eliminating, institutional ties and support for the Israeli military, defence, security, intelligence, and technology sectors. Kirsten Francesone chairs this ad hoc Committee.

Community

New Term Socials

Thank you to everyone who came out to TUFA’s New Term Socials in Durham and Peterborough. Both events were a great opportunity for members to connect with colleagues, enjoy a casual lunch, and kick off the new term together.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend and help make these events a success. We hope to see even more members at future TUFA events!

The winners of the raffle will be contacted shortly.

National College of Indigenous Scholars

The National College of Indigenous Scholars (NCIS) was established in early 2026 as a First Nations University initiative. NCIS aims to connect with Indigenous scholars across Canada, learn about their experiences, support career development and mentorship, and promote their work.

NCIS is currently developing an Indigenous-led faculty development program, with potential supports including webinars, mentorship, onboarding support for new hires, regional support networks, coaching sessions, and story sharing. A webinar series is expected to launch this month. Indigenous scholars working in Canadian higher education are invited to connect with NCIS to learn more about future supports and initiatives.

Click here to learn more.

CAUT

CAUT Bulletin – Vol. 73, No. 3

The September-October 2026 issue of the CAUT Bulletin examines the growing pressures facing academic staff, including precarity, unpaid work, funding challenges, and threats to academic freedom and workers’ rights.

Highlights include:

Invisible cuts to contract academic staff are everyone’s problem: Examining the impact of austerity and course cuts at Memorial University and the broader effects of the precarity of contract academic staff.

A failing grade for work unpaid: Exploring the issue of unpaid work through recent labour disputes involving airline workers and the broader implications of work that falls outside formal measures of paid time.

Revising global standards for the academic profession: A look at CAUT’s participation in an international expert group advising UNESCO on revisions to global standards concerning the status of higher-education teaching personnel.

Academic freedom and human rights: Commentary on hiring practices that prioritize Canadian citizens and permanent residents, alongside a book review examining activism, political persecution, and the continuing struggle for academic freedom.

News updates from across the sector: Coverage of developments including a 3% salary increase for University of Toronto academic staff, a strike mandate at McGill, calls for emergency post-secondary funding, international work on academic staff rights, and concerns from labour groups about worker protections in Canada’s AI strategy.

Click here to read the latest issue of the Bulletin.

Solidarity

Support Save Glendon College

Faculty members at York University are circulating a petition opposing a proposal to dissolve Glendon College’s bilingual Faculty and move its programs to the Keele campus. Members are invited to learn more and add their names to the petition.

Click here to sign the petition.

Protecting the Right to Strike and Bargain Collectively

The federal government has announced a new bill, C-39, that includes sweeping changes that will make it much harder to strike and bargain collectively. This is gross overreach on the part of the federal government.

The Durham Regional Labour Council (DRLC) has started a letter-writing campaign about these changes.The DRLC is encouraging workers to learn more about the proposed changes and to contact their local MP to express their views.

“The Workers Together” campaign has information about Bill C-39 and provides a way for workers to contact their MPs. To write to your MP and let them know how you feel about this bill please click here.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is holding a telephone town hall on Tuesday, October 13. Join workers, unions, and supporters from coast to coast to coast to learn more about what is happening, what is at stake, and how to keep up the pressure so the federal government will scrap the strike-breaking Section 107 of Bill C-39.

CLC Telephone Town Hall: Defending the Right to Strike

Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET

This is a virtual event. Click here to register.