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 want to extend our sincere gratitude to the UWSA Operations Team; their unwavering commitment and sheer volume of hard work they put into this process were essential in bringing this agreement across the finish line. We also wish to express our appreciation to the University of Waterloo, as we are grateful to see their ongoing commitment to supporting staff and improving staff working conditions through this collaborative effort.
The information below is intended to help you understand the importance of our new MoA and lays out the major changes that have been made as part of this negotiation process.
— The UWSA Board of Directors
Why this agreement matters
Our MoA is the foundation of our relationship with the University. It outlines how the UWSA and the University work together, sets the framework for how your terms and conditions of employment are determined, and is central to our role as your representative. This updated version strengthens our ability to protect staff interests in several important ways, including:
- Formal negotiations: For the first time, we will formally negotiate staff compensation.
- Arbitration processes: We have secured access to neutral arbitration for both compensation talks and association-level grievances, providing new, dependable pathways for resolving issues that arise.
- A stronger voice: We have clarified and reinforced the UWSA’s role as the representative of staff at Waterloo.
The updated MoA is designed to increase the UWSA’s advocacy power. To ensure our Association remains independent and free from conflicts of interest, we've carefully refined membership exclusions. By excluding only those roles with direct relevance to labour relations, we protect the strength of our collective voice. Most importantly, while the list of excluded roles did grow, our model remains more inclusive than traditional unions, keeping many managers, supervisors, and professional staff at our table. This empowers us to represent more staff, maintain greater influence, and secure better outcomes for our entire staff community.
Your feedback shaped this agreement from the start.
For years, we’ve heard from members wanting the UWSA to have stronger tools—like binding arbitration—and others who wish to maintain our collaborative relationship with the University. These MoA updates support both goals. Having access to neutral arbitration for compensation and grievances provides a clearer, more dependable path for resolving issues when needed, while still allowing us to work collaboratively through the Staff Relations Committee (SRC) on the broader policies that shape staff working conditions.
Dozens of suggestions came in from members, and many of them made it into this draft. Others will move forward through SRC or other channels, or will inform future policy updates following more staff consultation. We’ve compiled your suggestions and explained where each one stands.
What else is changing
Alongside the MoA changes, the University has also committed to the following:
- Working together to make real progress on key topics of interest to staff, such as pay frequency and vacation.
- Updating Policy 36 to give contract staff access to dispute resolution processes.
- Revisions to Policy 5 to reflect new changes to staff compensation and salary.
- Engaging in meaningful conversations this year around contract staff working conditions.
- Prioritizing updates to clarify how staff are defined and referenced across policies and elsewhere.
- Regular and ongoing communication and engagement with UWSA about the Strategic Talent and Performance Framework (STPF) and what it means for Staff.
We’re also introducing a new membership structure to clarify member rights and services based on dues and membership status.
Next steps: The ratification process
The tentative agreement shared today has been endorsed by the UWSA Board of Directors and our legal counsel, who also shaped every change along the way. One of the final steps for this tentative agreement to take effect and provide new protections for staff is ratification by our members.
Ratification—introduced in the 2022 MoA for any future revisions—is new for UWSA members. That’s why we’re taking more time than a typical ratification period, creating space for questions, conversations, and learning so you can feel confident in your decision.
The vote will be open from March 30 to April 8. We will email all members a link to the ballot on March 30, and you’ll receive reminder emails through the Simply Voting platform. A simple majority vote is required to ratify the agreement. If the MoA is not ratified, the current (2022) MoA will remain in place and we will revert to the Provost's Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation to determine salary increases, through recommendations to the provost.
Here’s how you can get ready for the vote:
- See the proposed changes and what they mean
- Register for an information session
- Submit your questions or feedback online
Ratification is also required on the University’s side, which will occur independently of our member vote. We expect the MoA to be approved by the University’s Governance and Leadership committee meeting on March 25.
This agreement builds on the foundations of earlier MoA work, and we see it as part of an ongoing cycle of improvement. We encourage you to share your ideas to help make the next revision even stronger.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Kuron, UWSA president