As the University of Waterloo transitions to a unionized environment for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) positions, some employment processes will change.
Graduate students interested in GTA or GRA positions must apply for available roles through a formal, centralized process. Positions will be assigned to qualified applicants following a structured priority order.
This page provides an overview of the changes, key definitions, timelines, and what current students and incoming students can expect. Information will continue to be updated as additional details become available.
Background and definitions
A new collective agreement between the University of Waterloo and CUPE Local 5524.01, a union representing Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) employees, was approved on February 26, 2026. The collective agreement (retroactively) covers the period from January 12, 2024, to April 30, 2027, and outlines terms and conditions of employment for graduate students working in GTA and GRA roles.
The collective agreement between the University of Waterloo and CUPE 5524.01, the union representing Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) employees, is available on both the Human Resources and the Employee and Labour Relations websites.
Union
-
Employee-elected organization recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Board that represents a group of workers (i.e., the bargaining unit) and advocates for fair working conditions.
- Negotiates the terms of the collective agreement with the employer through collective bargaining.
Bargaining unit
- A group of employees that are represented by a labour union in negotiations with their employer, and are covered by a collective agreement.
- Under CUPE 5524.01 and as defined in the collective agreement, all University of Waterloo graduate students who are employed as a GTA and/or a GRA are part of the bargaining unit.
- Ensures that the University of Waterloo is accountable for adhering to the terms of the collective agreement.
- Represents worker(s) to resolve issues through informal discussions with management or by filing a formal employment grievance where the terms of the collective agreement may have been violated.
Collective agreement
- Legally-binding, written contract between an employer and a labour union that represents workers within the bargaining unit;
- Defines the terms of employment for bargaining unit members including: wages, hours of work, workload, leaves, employee rights and protections, employment leaves, dispute resolution processes, union dues, and more.
Collective bargaining
- The process through which a labour union (CUPE Local 5524.01) negotiates with the employer (University of Waterloo) the terms and conditions outlined in the collective agreement between the parties.
Details of the collective agreement relevant to the GTA/GRA recruitment and application process
Starting in fall 2026, the GTA and GRA recruitment and application process will change to align with the collective agreement. All students must apply for each GTA/GRA position, and positions will be assigned to qualified applicants in a structured priority order.
All graduate students whose Offer of Admission includes a funding package will receive a breakdown of their funding commitment, which may include employment income opportunities, academic financial support (i.e., scholarship/award funding), or a combination of both. Students received this information either in their Offer of Admission (for fall 2026 or later) or through the Revised Notice process during the spring 2026 term (July/August). Any questions regarding the structure of graduate funding should be directed to unit-level graduate co-ordinators.
Employment income funding structure
Where an Offer of Admission provides funding in the form of the opportunity for employment income, the Offer will specify a corresponding number of GTA and/or GRA appointments, which can be Specified or Unspecified. Each of these types of appointments align with the priority levels for assigning appointments at Article 15.03 of the Collective Agreement. Note, for students admitted prior to fall 2026, the Revised Notice is incorporated into their official Offer of Admission (as referenced below).
Guaranteed Appointment
- A Guaranteed Appointment means a graduate student has been promised a certain amount of employment income through a GTA and/or GRA role as part of their Offer of Admission.
- Employment income funding commitments are tied to the student remaining continuously enrolled full-time in their graduate program.
Specified Guaranteed Appointments
A Specified Guaranteed Appointment means the student’s Offer of Admission identified the specific academic year and/or term in which the appointment was/is to occur.
Unspecified Guaranteed Appointments
An Unspecified Guaranteed Appointment means the student was guaranteed employment income, but the Offer of Admission does not specify exactly when the appointment(s) will occur. The unspecified appointments must be held within the defined length of the program.
Guaranteed appointments are not automatically assigned. Students must still apply for available GTA/GRA positions by the posted deadlines and meet the qualifications for the position.
Students who do not apply, decline an offered appointment, or do not respond to an offer of employment may forfeit their guaranteed appointment (and related funding) for the term.
Application process for a GTA/GRA role
All graduate students will need to apply for GTA/GRA positions each term.
Students can view the details of Available Graduate Teaching Assistant & Research Assistant Opportunities on the HR webpage, and can access the Workday system designed specifically to support recruitment for sessional instructor, GTA and GRA positions using the following link: https://uwaterloo.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/CUPE_5524.
Students should apply to the hiring unit(s) (i.e., faculty, school, or department) where they are seeking employment. You may indicate preferences for or against specific positions in your application. Full-time students shall not be engaged in employment by the University for an average of more than 10 hours per week, or the equivalent of 1.0 appointment. With supervisor approval, students may receive approval to work up to 20 hours per week as per the Guidelines for graduate student employment, and in accordance with the terms of the Collective Agreement.
For Winter 2027 positions: Applications must be submitted by December 1, 2026, though units may have earlier deadlines, as detailed in the posting. Students are encouraged to check on each job opportunity for specific details.
Postings will be released on Thursdays starting October 15. Please continue to check for updates as more postings are released. After December 1, postings may continue on an as-needed basis.
Hiring priority for GTA/GRA appointments:
1. Graduate students with a specified guaranteed appointment
- Full-time graduate students in their department/school/faculty who already have a guaranteed appointment for that exact term or year get first priority.
2. Graduate students with an unspecified guaranteed appointment
- Full-time students in the department/school/faculty who have a guaranteed appointment within their program time limit, even if the exact date/time and role was not identified ahead of time.
3. Graduate students who require employment income to meet their funding commitment
-
Full-time graduate students who are enrolled in the specific faculty, department or school offering the appointment, and an appointment is required to meet their annual or total Employment Income commitment.
4. Graduate students in the department/school offering the appointment
- Full-time and part-time students from the department/school offering the position, but who do not fall into the categories above.
5. Other graduate students
-
If positions remain available, graduate students outside the department/school/faculty may also apply.
Offers of employment
Graduate students offered employment as a GTA and/or GRA will receive a formal appointment letter outlining the key terms and conditions of employment, including:
- Total hours of work (GTA appointments must outline whether it is a full or fractional appointment)
- Length of the appointment
- Vacation entitlement
- Benefit entitlement (where applicable)
- Union dues deductions
- Notice that the employee is represented by CUPE 5524.01
Appointment letters are generated through Workday when appointments are assigned. In most cases, students can expect to receive their appointment letter at least ten calendar days before the appointment start date and will have five calendar days to accept the offer.
Students can download their accepted appointment letter(s) from their Workday profile (Personal > Documents) and should retain a copy of their appointment letter for their records. Students planning to use GTA/GRA employment income to satisfy Fees Arranged requirements should retain both their appointment letter and confirmation of their appointment acceptance in Workday.
In addition, GTA and GRA employees will receive a completed Assignment of Duties form, normally within five days of the start of their appointment. The form will outline assigned duties and the corresponding time allocations for those duties.
Training requirements
Graduate student employees may be required to complete mandatory training as part of their GTA or GRA appointment. Based on Human Resources mandatory training and the Safety Office’s training matrix, all employees are required to complete, at a minimum, the following training:
- Employee Safety Orientation (SO1001) [60 minutes]
- WHMIS 2015 [60 minutes]
- Workplace Violence & Harassment Awareness (SO1081) [60 minutes]
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) training [70 minutes]
- Cyber Awareness Essentials [30 minutes]
- Cyber Awareness for Knowledge Workers [20 minutes]
The total time required to complete all six courses is five hours.
Students who have previously completed one or more of these courses may not be required to complete them again. Training requirements are assessed individually, and the specific training required for each graduate student employee will be identified in their Assignment of Duties form.
Next steps/questions
If you have questions, please contact your graduate co-ordinator or complete the question form for a response within 1-3 business days.