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 UWSA Member Survey
The UWSA is surveying members to better understand staff experiences at UW and to identify priorities for our advocacy and negotiations. Your input helps us push for improvements that matter to staff.
Understanding our 2026–2028 Compensation Settlement
Here's a quick breakdown of our two-year compensation settlement.
We’re rolling out new UWSA membership cards
The UWSA is piloting a new system for issuing membership cards. In the next couple of days, you’ll receive an email from Ticket Tailor with your new digital membership card and code, valid until December 31, 2026.
This replaces the need for members to request their membership card, and introduces new features.
Events
Brunch @ Lunch – Sold out!
Do you smell bacon? The UWSA is hosting another Brunch @ Lunch on May 26, prepared fresh by Mel's Diner!
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 will feature a presentation about the Shift:Mobility sustainable transportation plan.
Blog
Staff Spotlight: Gladwyn Badger
The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.
Gladwyn Badger is the Events and Special Projects Coordinator in the Office of Indigenous Relations. We spoke with him about his role, community, and what meaningful engagement looks like at UW.
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.
Opportunities
The Appointments Committee plays a key role in ensuring that staff have a strong, credible voice at decision‑making tables. The committee oversees fair, transparent, and equity‑informed appointment processes for staff roles on both UWSA committees and University of Waterloo committees and advisory bodies. Through its work, the committee helps ensure staff perspectives are meaningfully represented across governance structures.
The Staff Excellence Fund (SEF) Committee oversees the allocation of funding that supports staff‑led projects and initiatives aimed at improving the University of Waterloo workplace. Through a fair and transparent review process, the committee assesses applications, makes funding decisions, and ensures that SEF resources are used in ways that advance staff wellbeing, professional growth, and a positive, inclusive campus culture.
The Copyright Advisory Committee is the primary forum for collaborative decision-making regarding copyright and its applications on campus. The committee will work to keep campus administration, faculty, staff, and students informed about the current and ongoing status of copyright and licensing related issues, projects, and developments.