Concordia part-time faculty sign a new agreement with the university
On November 4, 2019, happy representatives from the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association (CUPFA) and the university gathered to sign a new collective agreement.
Carolina Willsher, associate vice-president of Human Resources began the celebratory event by thanking all those who were part of the bargaining process.
“I want to thank each and every person involved because they’ve all made a difference,” she said. “This is an agreement that both parties can be really proud of.”
Agreement recognizes the contributions of part-time faculty
Anne Whitelaw, interim provost and vice-president academic, echoed Willsher’s tone. She thanked both parties and acknowledged the value that CUPFA members bring to the Concordia community.
“I know an agreement like this takes a lot of time, effort and intellectual and emotional labour,” she said. “The hard work, however, leads to a document that reflects the exceptional contributions of Concordia’s part-time faculty members to the education of our students and to the university community as a whole.”
Pride and privilege
Both parties agreed that the quality of their relationship and the contributions that CUPFA members make are a big reason for the success of the university.
Robert Soroka, president of CUPFA, highlighted that sentiment when he took a moment to thank each member of both the CUPFA negotiating and executive teams and those sitting across from them at the bargaining table.
“We’re very privileged to have a terrific collaboration with the team across the table,” he said. “It’s so important to have the kind of discourse, the type of communication and collegiality that we do. It contributes significantly to the creation of a document like this.”
He went on to acknowledge the contributions of the university’s senior administration and the CUPFA constituency in coming to the agreement.
“CUPFA is a very collaborative and cooperative constituency whose members contribute significantly through town halls, emails and meetings throughout the year. That valuable information is what we take to the table to negotiate what we can on their behalf.”
Soroka concluded by highlighting the quality of the commitment of part-time faculty. “Some CUPFA members have been working at Concordia for over 40 years,” he said. “For us, it’s not just a job; it’s a passion, something that we look forward to every day. We’re very proud and privileged to be part of this community.”
