President's Report: August 2026

I hope August has brought you a chance to slow down and take some time off – hopefully even to get away! This report is a bit later than usual this month because I just got back from a nearly two-week family road trip through Quebec. It was wonderful to explore a new part of our country, and I highly recommend it if you’ve never been! In that spirit, I’m keeping this month’s report fairly light.

Thank you to everyone who voted on the extension of my term as President. I’m incredibly grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response and the confidence members have placed in me – I don’t take that trust lightly. It is a privilege to represent staff, and I will continue to give this role everything I can over the year ahead.

Our new Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) is now available to eligible staff, retroactive to May 1, as negotiated in our recent Memorandum of Settlement. Eligible staff have $300 per benefit year to put toward health and dental expenses not fully covered by our benefits plan or OHIP, including eligible eyewear, orthodontics, medical equipment, and more.

I want to acknowledge that August has been a significant time for so many staff affected by the Marketing and Communications functional review, with many moving into new roles and teams this month. We continue to hear concerns, frustration, and uncertainty as things roll out. We also continue to anticipate further updates from the University related to the IT, Finance, Student Services, and HR reviews, not to mention further clarity on the new job architecture framework that I noted last month. As ever, we will continue supporting members, raising concerns with the University, and advocating for clear communication and thoughtful implementation.

Several members have asked about the recent removal of job postings listed in the Daily Bulletin, with the Bulletin now linking directly to the internal job postings page. The University made this change to ensure staff always see the most current information and to avoid inconsistencies between sources. We know many staff appreciated seeing opportunities at a glance in the Bulletin (it was certainly part of my weekly ritual for many years!) so thank you to everyone who reached out to ask about the change.

The University recently announced in the Daily Bulletin that Policy 39 is changing effective September 17. Importantly, the ability to request a self-funded leave of absence (a type of unpaid leave) is not being removed. What is changing is how staff prepare financially for that leave. UW will no longer hold back and later pay out a portion of salary through the deferred salary program, which had low participation and required specialized administration. Now, staff can instead save independently in the way that works best for them, for example, directing part of your pay cheque to another account directly in Workday. Eligibility and approval requirements for these types of leaves remain unchanged.

Our 2026 elections are around the corner, and registration is open for information sessions on September 9 and 15. We’ve posted lots of helpful information if you are thinking of running, or if you just want to learn more. This year, members can also recommend someone they think should consider running!

There is also a very important change: The UWSA Presidential term is becoming two years in length. The next President-Elect will still onboard for one year starting on November 1, 2026, before serving as President from November 1, 2027, to October 31, 2029.

Serving UWSA is important, meaningful work, and my own experience has been incredibly rewarding. If you’re even a little curious about getting involved, please reach out anytime. I’m always happy to talk candidly about the role of President and the UWSA more broadly, whether you are interested in the big-picture work or what it’s like to be involved day to day.

Enjoy the rest of August, and I hope you can make the most of these last few weeks of summer. I’ll see you in September when we’ll have more to share on other important topics, like results from our staff survey, important policy updates, more volunteer opportunities, ongoing pension and benefits topics, UWSA strategic planning, the Staff Excellence Fund and more!