UMFA Bargaining Information For Students

January 2025

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, Librarians, Instructors, Coaches, and Counsellors. 

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. When UM faculty are paid wages that are competitive with Canada’s research universities the UM can recruit and retain faculty members, which means there will be enough full-time teaching staff to provide all the courses you need to graduate on time, and in small enough classes that you’re able to have time with your professors.

What does “collective 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. This process is called “collective 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 this round of bargaining?

The current round of bargaining involves many issues including equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), childcare, protections for intellectual property, workload, and more. The most important issue is salary. UMFA salaries were frozen, or severely limited, from 2016 to 2021. Though there have been modest salary increases from 2021 to 2024, the increases have not kept up with the cost of inflation, nor have they kept UM academic salaries competitive with Canada’s other top research universities (known as the U15).  In fact, UMFA salaries are at the bottom of the U15 in almost all categories.

You went on strike twice in 5 years. How concerned should I be about another strike this year – especially now I hear there is going to be a strike vote?

The goal of negotiations is always to come to an agreement without disruption and UMFA is committed to reaching a fair deal with administration at the bargaining table. The decision to do so is never made lightly. 

If the vote is authorized, ballots will be cast between February 5-7, 2025. A “yes” vote doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a strike. Faculty members will only go on strike if negotiations fail. We hope that a “yes” vote will motivate the administration to reach a settlement before the strike deadline. 

In its 50 years, UMFA has gone on strike four times (1995, 2001, 2016, and 2021). More commonly, negotiations continue right up to the last minute of a bargaining deadline and then a contract is settled without a strike. It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s often how bargaining plays out. Faculty will only go on strike if negotiations fail.

How can you say it’s about the students when you’re fighting for higher pay?

Of Canada’s top research universities (the U15), the University of Manitoba is at the bottom when it comes to the salaries of your professors, instructors, and librarians. This makes it increasingly difficult to hire new faculty because job candidates are accepting offers elsewhere because of better pay. New and established faculty are also leaving the UM for jobs in other provinces because the pay is better. 

If departments don’t have enough faculty, the implications for students is that there are fewer options for you, such as:

• Your degree could take longer to finish if departments don’t have faculty to offer requisite courses every semester, or even every year.
• Your classes could get even bigger, if departments don’t have faculty to offer additional sections, or additional courses.
• Your advisor could have less time for you, or could provide fewer research opportunities.

If the administration doesn’t invest in faculty members, students suffer.  UMFA wants to ensure that UM remains a university you are proud to attend, and that offers you a world-class education you can complete on time. 

What will a strike mean to me? What can I expect?

If a strike is called, UMFA members will not be teaching, supervising, or doing any committee work while the strike lasts. This includes not grading papers, submitting grades, answering student emails, or using UMLearn. There will be picket lines set up on UM campuses. UMFA will be doing its best to keep students informed about what is happening so you know what to expect.

How can I show my support for UMFA?

All messages of support from UM students and staff are greatly appreciated.  Email your message of support to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or find us on Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook to help share our messages there. 

Send this letter to UM President Benarroch and the Chair of the UM Board of Governors emphasizing that your learning conditions are UMFA’s working conditions and calling for the UM’s bargaining team to offer your professors, instructors, and librarians a deal that will improve the UM for everyone!

Ask your program’s Student Association to pass a motion expressing support for UMFA, and have them send it to us and President Benarroch. Speak to your UMSU or UMGSA representatives and ask them to pass a motion in support of our demands. The more voices the administration hears, the more likely they are to listen!