FAQs

When does the new agreement come into effect?

The new collective agreement became effective on November 21, 2023 (the date when both the SFUFA membership had ratified and the SFU Board of Governors approved the Memorandum of Settlement). The agreement covers the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025; however, not all terms will be applied retroactively to July 1, 2022.

Which agreement applies to processes that are already in progress?

Processes that commenced prior to the effective date of the agreement (November 21, 2023) will continue under the provisions of the 2019-2022 collective agreement (e.g., current RTP cases, searches, retention award/salary anomaly applications already submitted, etc).

Processes that commence on or after November 21, 2023 must comply with the new agreement.

When will the wage increases and retroactive pay be implemented?

Negotiated monetary increases will be applied retroactively, with certain caveats to eligibility (see Article 33 and monetary section in the highlights below).

Faculty Relations and Payroll will be working to implement the increases as soon as possible. Payroll is experiencing an exceptionally heavy workload in the next few months as they process increases for all employee groups. It is anticipated that the SFUFA pay increases and retroactive pay will be made in Spring 2024.

Highlights

Note: this is not an exhaustive list of all the adjustments that need to be made to current processes. It is only a high-level overview of the most important changes or changes that need the units’ immediate attention. An implementation guide will be provided by Faculty Relations in the coming weeks.

Outside Activities (Article 20)

  • Updates to the language to clarify that these articles apply to those in both full and part-time positions (Article 20.0).
  • Language amended to reflect that the focus of the University’s review of outsideactivities is the time commitment rather than the compensation that the member receives. Members must inform the Chair and Dean in advance and in writing where activities willrequire time commitment of 2 days a week on average during the period of the outside activity (Article 20.5.2).
  • Going forward, only those who have conducted outside activities are required to submitthe annual report to their Chair; going forward, the annual report must also be submitted to the Dean (Article 20.8).

Faculty Workloads (Articles 27 and 35)

  • New provisions to address what should happen if an assigned course or section is cancelled (Article 27.11.1 and 35.81).
  • New provisions for faculty members to request a workload review (Article 27.21.1 article 35.80).
  • Added reference to the department’s policy in assigning teaching workloads (with the caveat that the department’s policy must be consistent with University policies, the CA, and applicable legislation) (Article 27.19 and 35.79).

Specific to Article 27:

  • Language added to increase the transparency of how teaching equivalencies are determined. Departments and Schools need to develop a teaching equivalency policy and share with the Dean and SFUFA (Article 27.6).
  • Note that the removal of the reference to the TTR balance in Article 27.14 does not change expectations or practice around ratio of teaching and research workload. Articles 27.4, 27.16, 46.5 maintain that the normal trimester is two of teaching and one of research.

Contract Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion (Articles 29-31, 35)

Tenure-track/tenured Faculty:

  • Application deadlines for contract renewal, tenure, and promotion moved up to March 15th to allow adequate time for TPC formation. Clarity is added to the RTP timelines for those initially appointed as Instructors (Articles 30.8.1 - 30.9)

Teaching Faculty:

  • Application deadlines for teaching faculty promotions moved up to March 15th to align with tenure track faculty timelines.
  • Added requirement for the University (i.e. Faculty Relations) to notify Lecturers of their eligibility to apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer in the following calendar year (Article 35.51.1). Note: this doesn’t change the expectations that members must still have the required years of experience by the date of application (March 15th).
  • In addition to the required three years as a continuing Lecturer at SFU, recognition of equivalent experience in both term and continuing positions for consideration in early promotion to senior lecturer (Article 35.54).

These are only a high-level overview of the changes. Other adjustments need to be made to the RTP processes. Instructions will follow in separate and more detailed documents prior to the commencement of the 2024 RTP process.

Automatic Step Awards without review (Article 33)

  • Clarity added to language around the date of first review and application of the first stepaward without review. Value of first step award without review changed to 1.5 steps from 1.0 (Articles 33.1 – 33.4).
  • Note: This provision will be applied on a go-forward basis and will have no retroactive effect. Only members whose appointments commenced as of the effective date of the agreement (i.e. November 21, 2023) will receive the 1.5 automatic steps without review on a go-forward basis.

Salary (Article 42)

  • Adjustment to the requirements for Retention Awards (Article 42.35). The three eligibility criteria in the previous agreement remain the same. Under the previous agreement, members had to meet any two of the three criteria. Under the new agreement one of the criteria is now a requirement: members must fulfill the criteria of “having achieved a high profile within their area of expertise and are likely to be recruited by another university or employer”; in addition, they must meet one of the other two criteria.

Health Spending Account (Article 43)

  • Recognizing wellness and mental health supports as a priority for both parties, a new Health Spending Account has been established with a total aggregate commitment of $1.35M with individual amounts to be determined by the parties based on the eligible FTE count. Individual amounts, to be determined by the parties based on the eligible FTE count, are anticipated to be approximately $1100 per year, pro-rated in the first year of employment.
  • Further information will be provided as details of the final amount and instructions for claiming the benefit are worked out.

Monetary Provisions

General Wage Increases

• Provision of General Wage Increases (GWIs) as follows:

  • July 1, 2022: Increase pay by a flat rate of $520 for each member and a 3.24% GWI
  • July 1, 2023: Increase pay by a 6.75% GWI (based on a recognition of a 1.25% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and a 5.5% wage increase)
  • July 1, 2024: Increase pay by the annualized average of BC CPI over twelve months starting on March 1, 2023, to a minimum of 2.0% and a maximum of 3.0%, subject to the COLA Memorandum of Understanding.

Targeted Labour Market Salary Adjustments (“TLMSA”)

  • SFU has committed $2.45M to be shared among eligible members (prorated for partial appointments) with an estimated value of approximately $2250 per eligible faculty member. Members having a Market Differential (“MD”), inclusive of historical MD, equal to or above $40,000, shall be ineligible to receive a TLMSA
  • Note: The TLMSA will be paid out in two installments – August 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024.  Only eligible faculty who were in appointment as of August 1, 2023 are eligible for the TLMSA.  Anyone whose appointment commenced after August 1, 2023 is not eligible for either installment of the TLMSA.

Targeted Market Differential Payment

  • One-time payments in the amount of approximately $4,500 to faculty members who are ineligible for TLMSA (i.e. members having a MD, inclusive of historical MD, equal to or above $40,000) in lieu of targeted adjustments to ongoing salary.
  • Note: Those who were in appointment as of August 1, 2023 are eligible for the TMDP. Anyone who commenced after August 1, 2023 is not eligible for the payment.