Interest Arbitration Award with Respect to Outstanding Issues Concerning Salary, Benefits, and Workload Between the University and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) for the Period July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023

From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity, & Culture
Randy Boyagoda, Acting Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life
Date: September 8, 2023
Re: Interest Arbitration Award with Respect to Outstanding Issues Concerning Salary, Benefits, and Workload Between the University and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) for the Period July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023

Arbitrator Eli Gedalof has issued his interest arbitration award with respect to outstanding issues concerning salary, benefits, and workload between the University and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) for the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.

For context, in January 2022, with the assistance of Mediator Kevin Burkett, the University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) reached partial agreement with respect to salary, benefits, and workload for the period July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. This partial agreement included the referral of outstanding issues concerning salary, benefits, and workload for the period July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023 to interest arbitration.

This is a summary of the interest arbitration award that has followed this referral.

With respect to salary, Arbitrator Gedalof has awarded an across-the-board (ATB) increase of 7%  retroactive to July 1, 2022. This amount is in addition to the already implemented 1% increase effective July 1, 2022, which is what he previously awarded while the provincial government’s salary moderation legislation, Bill 124, was in effect. He also awarded an increase of 7% to the overload course stipend rate, which is in addition to the 1% increase that has already been applied.

Based on a separate agreement that the University reached with UTFA, the University will make an additional payment of PTR retroactive to July 1, 2023, calculated as the difference owing following an increase to the breakpoints and increments by 7%, so as to be consistent with the additional ATB increase awarded by Arbitrator Gedalof.

Arbitrator Gedalof also awarded some incremental changes regarding workload. In this regard, he awarded the inclusion of new language in section 3 of the University of Toronto Workload Policy and Procedures For Faculty and Librarians (“WLPP”) to require each academic unit to prepare and distribute a Unit Workload Document on an annual basis setting out specified information regarding the assigned teaching and assigned service workload for each member in the academic unit. He also awarded an amendment to Article 4.2 of the WLPP, to require that “Level and/or hours of technical and/or pedagogical support for online teaching” be included as a factor, if applicable, when considering the teaching component of normal workload.

Further details about the implementation of the interest arbitration award will be forthcoming.