From: Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture, Heather Boon, Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life, Terezia Zorić, UTFA President and Sherri Helwig, Vice-President, Grievances, UTFA
Date: February 28, 2025
Re: Tentative Agreement Regarding Changes to the Memorandum of Agreement

We are very pleased to announce that the University Administration and the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) have a tentative agreement in principle regarding changes to the Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) between them. These changes were ratified by UTFA Council on January 30, 2025 and are scheduled to be recommended for approval by the University’s Governing Council on April 3, 2025. These changes will significantly amend the grievance and arbitration process under Article 7 by replacing the Grievance Review Panel with a more modern labour arbitration framework common among universities and faculty associations across the academic sector. Key changes to the MoA include that grievances will now be heard by a professional arbitrator who will have the same powers as those conferred upon arbitrators under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, the exclusion of certain senior academic administrative roles who lead on academic faculty relations matters from membership in UTFA, and improved timelines and efficiencies to address grievances. The University Administration and UTFA want to thank the Mediator Eli Gedalof for his assistance in helping the parties reach agreement.

These changes will proceed to the University Administration’s governance in Cycle 4. Additional details will be forthcoming.