YUFA Ad Hoc CUPE Support & Communications Committee: Communiqué on CUPE Conversions
27 Nov 08 – Communiqué on CUPE Conversions
YUFA supports the Conversion Program and CUPE’s position that it should be extended and continued
Since 1988, CUPE has had a program for conversion of a small number of high intensity contract faculty each year into tenure track positions within YUFA. This program is open to any CUPE members with at least five years of Unit II teaching (or equivalent). CUPE is negotiating to continue this program, and YUFA’s contract language is ready for that extension. Background information:
1. York relies heavily on a pool of contingent workers to support its growing enrolment and has substantially reduced the number of tenure track faculty appointments. As a result, the pool of contract faculty has grown considerably. In 2002, there were just over 500 contract faculty members. Today, that number has almost doubled, with a total of 871 contract faculty now teaching at York. This represents a 74% increase in contingent educational workers in less than ten years. The growing tierification of teaching staff is an important issue for those concerned with the quality of post secondary education.
2. Over two decades, about 89 people have moved from CUPE into YUFA, and these full-time faculty members continue to make essential contributions as teachers, researchers, undergraduate program directors, department and program Chairs, Associate Deans, and active members of YUFA.
3. Conversion appointments are made through a highly competitive process which requires the involvement of the Unit, the Dean, and the Vice President Academic. Applicants are selected by the Unit and the Dean on the basis of application, from within a pool of CUPE members with at least five years of Unit II teaching (or equivalent). The CUPE contract specifies a fixed number of conversions to be made each year (from 1-8 in different years), priced into their negotiations.
4. Conversion appointments become regular YUFA appointments with the same rights and responsibilities as all other appointments, appropriate to their stream (Professorial or Alternate stream, as agreed at time of appointment).
5. There is accelerated access to the pool for members of the Affirmative Action designated groups, under CUPE Affirmative Action language. A majority of conversions have come from these groups (most easily seen in the data for women). Affirmative Action applies to appointments with a consideration of gender, race, disability, and age.
6. Most conversion appointments come from people just entering the pool with 5–10 years long term experience. This does not address the situation of people with 15 years (and more) as high intensity contract faculty.
YUFA affirms its commitment to Affirmative Action (as per Article 12.21) in all appointments, in all units throughout the University. We will work with CUPE to reinforce the implementation of the YUFA Affirmative Action language within the conversion process.
A number of our valued colleagues began their academic careers in precarious employment (CLAs, Contract Faculty). We all benefit from programs such as conversions which work to increase the full-time faculty complement, and build our programs and our University.
YUFA Ad Hoc CUPE Support & Communications Committee
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