The UW Staff Association is the official voice of staff at the University of Waterloo. Our mission is to cultivate a progressive work environment where employees feel safe, empowered to grow, and able to thrive.
News
2026 MoA Ratified: What happens next
UWSA members have voted in favour of ratifying the 2026 Memorandum of Agreement between the UWSA and University of Waterloo. The agreement will be in effect as of April 9, 2026. Here's what happens next.
Our Tentative 2026 MoA: What’s new and what it means for you
The UWSA Board of Directors is pleased to formally endorse the tentative Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the University of Waterloo, reached earlier this month. This agreement is the result of months of diligent work and negotiation, and is a transformative step forward for our membership.
We have a tentative Memorandum of Agreement
Our Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) is the foundation of how the UWSA and the University work together to support staff. It shapes the UWSA’s role in advocating for staff working conditions and ensures you have a strong, independent voice at the table.
After months of collaboration and hard work, we’re excited to share that the UWSA and the University have reached tentative agreement on MoA revisions.
This is an important milestone as we move together into the approval stage.
Events
May 2026 Area Reps Meeting
The UWSA Area Representatives Council is a space to exchange information about current issues facing staff at UW and to keep an open line of communication between the UWSA leadership and staff members across the University. Most meetings are open to Area Reps, with one meeting each term open to all staff.
The May meeting topic is still to be confirmed.
June 2026 Area Reps Meeting
The UWSA Area Representatives Council is a space to exchange information about current issues facing staff at UW and to keep an open line of communication between the UWSA leadership and staff members across the University. Most meetings are open to Area Reps, with one meeting each term open to all staff.
The June meeting topic is still to be confirmed.
Blog
Reflections on the functional reviews
We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the functional reviews, in particular the outcomes of the functional review implementation teams (FRITs) and what’s coming next for staff. We don’t have much in the way of new information to share right now, but we want to be transparent about what we’re hearing from you and what we’re continuing to raise with the University.
Introducing the Staff Spotlight: Get to know the people powering UW
In this new blog series, we’ll be celebrating the work of staff members from across campus, especially but not only those in roles dedicated to supporting other staff.
With elections of staff to the Board of Governors open now, we’re kicking off this series with Nancy Heide, a current staff governor, to help you learn more about the role of the Board of Governors and the staff representatives on the Board.
Our takeaways from the University’s January 2026 budget forum
Last week, Waterloo leaders spoke to employees about the University’s budget situation and what to expect in the coming year. As your representative, it’s our responsibility to ensure staff receive clear and timely information, and to advocate for transparency and compassion. We are focused not just on what decisions are made, but how they are made and experienced by staff, especially with the understandable anxiety around job security and organizational change given the scale of the financial challenges the University is facing.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a summary of what we learned at the forum and what it means for staff.