UMFA Bargaining Information For Students 

June 25, 2024

What is UMFA?

The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) is the labour union that represents over 1,300 full-time academic staff at the University of Manitoba — your Professors, Instructors, and Librarians. 

What does UMFA do?

UMFA advocates for Members’ rights and the protection of their working conditions, which are governed by a contract with the university administration known as a collective agreement. When UMFA Members’ working conditions get better, so do your learning conditions.

What does “UMFA bargaining” mean?

When it is time to renew the collective agreement, UMFA and the university’s administration talk about different ways to structure working and learning conditions. Proposals are negotiated in a back-and-forth process between the bargaining teams for the union and the administration. The back-and-forth process is called “bargaining”.

Didn’t you just finish bargaining? Why are you doing this again?

The last round of bargaining concluded in 2021 with a collective agreement covering April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2024. It is now time to update the agreement in a round of bargaining.

How does bargaining affect me?

You might hear a lot of talk on campus about bargaining, including rumours or misinformation. This might make you nervous or unsure about what is going on. While bargaining is taking place, classes will carry on as usual and you won’t notice any differences in your day-to-day student experiences. At its core, bargaining is about improving working conditions for UMFA Members so they can provide the best learning experience for you. 

What are UMFA’s priorities in bargaining?

UMFA Members meet to discuss what their collective priorities are for making improvements to their working conditions and your learning conditions. Typical priorities include the ability to recruit and retain faculty members, regulating class sizes, and ensuring there are enough Professors, Instructors, and Librarians to provide high quality education.

You went on strike twice in 5 years. How concerned should I be about another strike this year?

Bargaining is just beginning. The goal of negotiations is always to come to an agreement without disruption. Nobody ever wants to go on strike and the decision to do so is never made lightly. 

How can I keep informed? 

To learn more about the bargaining process visit: https://www.umfa.ca/bargaining-information.