Blog

President’s update: November 2023

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 by
President's update title card with a small photo of the UWSA presidents and UW president in a polaroid frame.

It’s the start of a new year for the Staff Association, with our directors and presidents turning over at the end of October. I want to extend a warm thank you to outgoing president Agata Jagielska for her work and welcome Lisa Habel as our new president-elect. At the board level we welcome Tracelyn as vice chair, as well as two new directors: Gitanjali Shanbhag and Alana Guevara. And finally, yours truly, the new president for this next year!

Salary updates

Salary Negotiations
equity census

President’s update: October 2023

Monday, October 16, 2023 by
President's update October 2023

This is my last report as UWSA president; Yessenia Guerrero will be stepping into the role November 1! I want to thank all the area representatives and staff who have been attending our monthly meetings, and bringing information back to your departments. 

June 28 healing sessions

campus safety
Governance

How well do you know the UWSA?

Wednesday, August 30, 2023 by Laura McDonald
The banner image for the UWSA trivia contest with "update" stamped over top.

So far, 354 people have taken our UWSA quiz and the results have been very interesting. We thought we’d share some of the facts that UWSA members collectively knew best—and didn’t know.

But first: Congratulations to Jennifer Murray and Sarah Landy on winning the prize draw. We hope you enjoy your Canada’s Wonderland visit and gift card!

President’s update: July 2023

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 by

Here’s what UWSA staff and representatives are working on this month, including campus safety, progress on the Bill 124 salary settlement adjustment, ways to get involved with the UWSA, and recently funded programs for staff.

Salary Negotiations
campus safety
grants

President’s update: June 2023

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 by

Here’s what UWSA staff and representatives are working on this month, what’s happening with the board of directors, and more:

employee services
Salary Negotiations

Q&A: Staff salary structure and increases

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 by UWSA staff

The guest presentation at our May Area Reps meeting was from HR’s Chantal Moore who gave a presentation about annual salary increases. You can download the presentation slides from the HR website (PDF). The conversation broadened into questions about how the salary structure works in general and we’ve followed up on a few questions since the meeting. We hope this information helps!

President’s update: May 2023

Monday, May 15, 2023 by

Here's what president Agata Jagielska shared at the May 11 Area Reps meeting about renegotiating salaries post-Bill 124, policy development, changes at the Board of Directors, fitness programs for staff, and more.

Salary Negotiations
Policy 33
staff enhancement fund

Michael Herz has passed away

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 by Agata Antkiewicz, Chair

It is with broken hearts that we let you know that a long-standing member of the UWSA executive and the Board of Directors Michael Herz has passed away on January 14, 2023; he was 59 years old. The news is devastating to his family, friends and colleagues, and also to the Staff Association as a whole.

A look back at 2022

Thursday, December 22, 2022 by Agata Jagielska, president

As 2022 draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this past year.

What has our team been up to?!

The UWSA operations team and board of directors started the year strong with a strategic visioning exercise and governance training. We’ve been meeting with our governance expert throughout the year to discuss what the UWSA will look like in the coming years and have been planning for a successful future.

Where's your happy place?

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 by Dave McDougall

How’s your summer going? I hope you are able to carve out some time to leave the office both physically and mentally and enjoy some fun activities and down time – without feeling guilty indulging in a well-deserved break.

My happy place is in northern Ontario. There, I live completely off grid, which forces me to disconnect from deadlines and other work pressures and allows me to shift my mindset mentally and emotionally. When I return to work, I bring more energy and enthusiasm about the important work here, and maybe a few fish stories.