Skip to footer
My InfoUnionized student staff with teaching or research functions

Article 1 : introduction

1.1 Definitions and Purpose

In this Agreement, the pronouns “they/them/theirs” are used to denote gender neutral persons both singular and plural.

The French language does not allow, unlike English, to designate a person or a group by a neutral pronoun. If a simple or clear epicene formulation cannot be found by the Parties, a female formulation will be used. We recognize that this gap in language does not adequately represent transgender members or those who do not identify with a binary gender identity.

Academic Year: the academic year shall be the period of twelve (12) months starting on September 1 and ending on August 31.

Academic Unit: any academic unit, including but not limited to departments, schools, research centres, institutes, faculties without departments of the University of Ottawa in which Employees may be employed.

Agreement or Collective Agreement: the current Collective Agreement between University of Ottawa and Local 2626 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Bargaining Agent: the Canadian Union of Public Employees/Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique and its agents.

Bargaining Unit: the Bargaining Unit as defined in the certificate issued by the OLRB, dated May 20, 1997, and in Article 3, Scope.

Chair or Academic Unit Chair: a person so titled in each academic unit in faculties with academic units; in faculties without academic units or in units that do not have departmental status, those persons designated by the Employer to carry out a function ascribed by the Collective Agreement to an Academic Unit Chair.

CUPE/SCFP: the Canadian Union of Public Employees/Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique.

Employee: all persons included in the Bargaining Unit.

Employer: the University of Ottawa and any of its officers or authorities.

Full-time and part-time status: for the purpose of this Collective Agreement, an Employee's full-time or part-time Student status is determined by their registration in their most recent previous term and is only changed (where applicable) at the time of their registration for the ensuing term.

Full-time graduate Student: Students registered as full-time Students in a graduate program must be engaged in their studies on a full-time basis. Full-time graduate Students are defined by Ontario government regulations.

OLRA: Ontario Labour Relations Act.

OLRB: Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Parties: the Parties to this Collective Agreement, namely the Employer and the Union.

Properly Formatted: describes documents that respect the format that the Parties agreed upon for those specific documents. This format varies depending on the article and the purpose, but is electronic and machine-readable by default.

Registered: a graduate or undergraduate Student registered in a regular program of studies in an academic session at the University of Ottawa, it being understood that Students who have officially submitted their Master's thesis or Ph.D dissertation are deemed to be registered during the session or sessions in which the thesis or dissertation is submitted, is under evaluation or is in the defense process.

Soft-funded research bursary: A research bursary paid to Students from sources other than the University's operating funds; as a condition of receiving the bursary, Students are assigned a duty, assignment or activity that is directly related to the major work required to fulfill the requirements of the Student’s program of study.

Spouse: for the purpose of this Collective Agreement, "spouse" is a person to whom the member is married, or, notwithstanding the member's marital status, a person with whom the member is cohabiting, provided that the member has been cohabiting with that person in a conjugal relationship for a period of at least 1 year, or, if less than 1 year, where they have become the natural or adoptive parents of a child. For the purposes of insured benefits, only one spouse will be eligible at any given time as indicated by the Employee on their benefits application form. Where the information is not contained on the Employee's application, the person who qualifies last under the insurance policy's definition of spouse will be the eligible spouse.

Student: a person registered as a regular Student at the University of Ottawa, who has regular Student Status.

Student Status: graduate and undergraduate Student Status is considered to have ended:

  • when the Student has been granted their degree by the Senate of the University of Ottawa;
  • when the Student has voluntarily withdrawn from the University; or
  • when the Student has withdrawn by virtue of an academic regulation of the University requiring the Student’s withdrawal.

In addition, undergraduate Student Status is considered to have ended if a Student not on authorized leave of absence has not re-registered in the Winter academic session immediately following the last Fall academic session in which they were registered or if they have not re-registered in the Fall academic session immediately following the last Winter academic session in which they were registered.

Thesis Director: the professor or professors authorized to supervise or co-supervise a Student during the preparation of their Master's thesis or Ph.D. dissertation.

Supervisor: the immediate Supervisor of an Employee as part of their work contract. An Employee’s Thesis Director is not by default their Supervisor.

Two-Year (2-year) Master's Program: Any Master's program clearly identified as a two-year (2-year) Master's program in the Calendar of the University. In addition, any Student registered in a Master's program with thesis who has registered as a full-time Student for five (5) consecutive terms shall be considered to be in a two-year (2-year) Master's program for the purposes of 18.7.3.

Union: Local 2626 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (la section locale 2626 du Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique).

Unit: any administrative unit of the University of Ottawa, including academic units or non-academic services in which Employees of the Bargaining Unit may be employed.

University: University of Ottawa.

Working Day: a regular University of Ottawa day of work where Employees are working, or graduate or undergraduate Students are in attendance from Monday to Friday inclusively, excepting holidays recognized in this Collective Agreement.

Year of study: three (3) consecutive semesters of study, starting with the initial registration but not including any semesters on leave.

1.2 Purpose of this Agreement

The University, hereafter referred to as the Employer, recognizes the importance of the Employees represented by the Union as a vital part of the university community in its teaching and research functions. The general purpose of this Agreement is to establish an orderly collective bargaining relationship between the Employer and its Employees represented by the Union to ensure the peaceful settlement of disputes and to set forth agreement covering rates of pay and other working conditions which shall supercede all previous agreements and arrangements between the Employer and the Employees represented by the Union.