Unofficial text of a notice and ruling from the Ontario Labour Relations Board, posted as a service by Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo.

Form T-5

Labour Relations Act, 1995
Notice of Vote and of Hearing

Between:
Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo, Applicant,
-and-
The University of Waterloo, Responding Party,

To all employees and to the parties:

The Board has directed that a representation vote be held. A copy of the Board's decision is attached.

Voting constituency

The Board has established the following voting constituency:
"all persons employed as academic staff or professional librarians by the University of Waterloo based in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo including:
  1. persons holding regular appointments (definite term, probationary or tenured), including fractional-load and reduced work load appointments;
  2. persons appointed as professional librarians, including librarians whose assigned workload is equivalent to or greater than 50% of a normal workload;
  3. persons holding full-time or part-time visiting or research appointments;
  4. persons holding full-time or part-time special, adjunct or staff language instructor appointments, whose assigned workload is equal to or greater than two (2) term courses per year or the equivalent,
save and except for:
  1. persons at the level of Dean and above, including the President, Vice-Presidents and the University Librarian;
  2. persons appointed as professional librarians whose assigned workload is less than 50% of a normal workload;
  3. visiting appointees holding an appointment for one year or less while on leave from another university or comparable institution;
  4. persons holding visiting, special, adjunct or staff language instructor appointments whose assigned workload is less than two (2) term courses per year, or the equivalent."
If employees believe that they are eligible to vote, or have any questions as to their eligibility to vote, they should attend at a polling place and identify themselves to the Board Officer conducting the vote. If eligibility to vote is unclear, or in dispute, employees will be given an opportunity to mark a ballot, but it will be segregated, meaning it will be sealed in a separate envelope, until eligibility to vote has been determined.

Secret ballot

The vote will be by secret ballot. The Board Officer conducting the vote will issue a ballot to voters presenting themselves to vote at a polling place. Voters will mark their ballot in secret in a polling booth, fold it and deposit it in the ballot box provided at the polling place.

Do not sign, number or otherwise mark your balot in such a way as to reveal your identity.

Voters are entitled to vote without interference, restraint or coercion.

Time and place of taking vote

The vote will take place as follows:

Poll #1 -- Day #1

Date: Wednesday, April 17, 1996
Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Place: Foyer, 2nd Floor, Modern Languages Building, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario

Poll #2 -- Day #1

Date: Wednesday, April 17, 1996
Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Place: Foyer, Ground Floor, Davis Centre, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo

Poll #1 -- Day #2

Date: Thursday, April 18, 1996
Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Place: Foyer, 2nd Floor, Modern Languages Building, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario

Poll #2 -- Day #2

Date: Thursday, April 18, 1996
Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Place: Foyer, Ground Floor, Davis Centre, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario

Voters may cast a ballot at a polling place during the periods described.

Scrutineers

One scrutineer representing each interested party may be present at each polling place. Scrutineers have the following duties and privileges:
  1. To check the voters' list as voters attend to vote.
  2. To assist in the identification of voters.
  3. To assist in the conduct of the vote as may be required by the Board Officer.

Questions on the ballot

The ballot provided to voters will contain the following question:
In your employment relations with your employer do you wish to be represented by the applicant union?

Dans vos relations de travail avec votre employer desirez-vous etre represente par le requerant syndicat?

Notice of meeting and/or hearing

A meeting with a Labour Relations Officer will take place on Monday, May 13, 1996 at 9:30 A.M. at the Ontario Labour Relations Board, 6th Floor, 400 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, for the purpose of trying to settle all or part of the application if it is not already settled by that date.

If the case is not settled during that meeting, the hearing of the application will begin on the same date, immediately after the meeting, and will continue on consecutive days from Monday to Thursday, excluding Fridays and holidays until completed or as the Board otherwise directs.

The purpose of the hearing is to hear the evidence and representations of the parties with respect to all matters relating to this application which have not been settled.

If employees want to say something to the Board about this application and to participate in any meetings and/or hearings held, they must send a written statement to the Board as described on the Notice to Employees of Application for Certification, not later than April 29, 1996.

If you do not attend the Labour Relations Officer meeting or the hearing, the Board may decide the application without further notice to you and without considering any document you may have filed.

Dated April 11, 1996


Ontario Labour Relations Board

0076-96-R Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo, Applicant v. The University of Waterloo, Responding Party.

Before: Kevin Whitaker, Vice-Chair, and Board Members O. R. McGuire and C. McDonald.

Decision of the Board: April 10, 1996

1. This is an application for certification.

2. The applicant has not yet been found to be a trade union within the meaning of section 1 (1) of the Labour Relations Act, 1995. That issue will be determined following the vote directed herein.

3. It appears to the Board on an examination of the evidence before it, that not less than forty percent of the individuals in the bargaining unit proposed in the application for certification were members of the union at the time the application was made.

4. The Board directs that a representative vote be taken of the individuals in the following voting constituency:

all persons employed as academic staff or professional librarians by the University of Waterloo based in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, including:
  1. persons holding regular appointments (definite term, probationary or tenured), including fractional-load and reduced work load appointments;
  2. persons appointed as professional librarians, including librarians whose assigned workload is equivalent to or greater than 50% of a normal workload;
  3. persons holding full-time or part-time visiting or research appointments;
  4. persons holding full-time or part-time special, adjunct or staff language instructor appointments, whose assigned workload is equal to or greater than two (2) term courses per year or the equivalent,
save and except for:
  1. persons at the level of Dean and above, including the President, Vice-Presidents and the University Librarian;
  2. persons appointed as professional librarians whose assigned workload is less than 50% of a normal workload;
  3. visiting appointees holding an appointment for one year or less while on leave from another university or comparable institution;
  4. persons holding visiting, special, adjunct or staff language instructor appointments whose assigned workload is less than two (2) term courses per year, or the equivalent.
5. The vote will be held on April l7, 1996 and April 18, 1996. Other vote arrangements will be as determined by the Registrar and set out on the attached "Notice of Vote and of Hearing". Despite the respondent's request that a mail in ballot be permitted for some employees, the Board is of the view that a mail in ballot is not appropriate in these circumstances.

6. All individuals who had an employment relationship with the responding party in the voting constituency on April 3, 1996, the certification application filing date, are eligible to vote. Employees having an employment relationship on April 3, 1996, the certification application filing date, include employees who were not work on that date, so long as there is a reasonable expectation of their return to employment.

7. There may be a dispute between the parties as to whether persons otherwise in positions falling within the voting constituency described in paragraph 4 above but employed in the following positions shall be included in the bargaining unit:

  1. Associate Deans, Chairs and Directors and persons above the level of Associate Dean, Chair and Director including, but not restricted to, Deans, Associate Provosts, Associate Vice-Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Provost and President;
  2. Members of the Board of Governors;
  3. Persons in the bargaining unit seconded to responsibilities providing confidential advice to the President or the Provost and Vice-President (Academic);
  4. Persons appointed as regular faculty with less than 50% of a full-time appointment;
  5. persons employed as librarians;
  6. persons employed by a Federated or Affiliated College:
  7. language and other instructors;
  8. teaching assistants;
  9. post doctoral fellows;
  10. demonstrators;
  11. persons holding visiting appointments while on leave from another university or comparable institution;
  12. Retired faculty;
  13. Emeritus faculty;
  14. persons holding research appointments who are not regularly faculty;
  15. persons holding adjunct appointments;
  16. persons holding sessional appointments who are not regular faculty;
  17. persons holding special appointments; and
  18. persons holding part-time appointments who are not regular faculty.
If any individual holding such a position wishes to cast a ballot, the individual shall identify himself or herself as occupying a disputed position and shall then be entitled to cast a ballot. Any ballots cast by such individuals shall be segregated and cast in a manner which permits a separate count of the ballots cast by those in disputed positions.

8. Voters will be asked to indicate whether or not they wish to be represented by the applicant in their employment relations with the responding party.

9. The responding party is directed to post copies of this decision and of the "Notice of Vote and of Hearing" adjacent to each of the posted copies of the "Notice to Employees of Application for Certification". These copies must remain posted for 30 days.

10. Any party or person who wishes to make representations to the Board about any issue remaining in dispute which relates to the application for certification must file a detailed statement of representations with the Board and deliver it to the other parties, so that it is received by the Board within seven days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays on which the Board is closed) of the date on which the vote is taken.

11. The matter is referred to the Registrar.

Kevin Whitaker
for the board