President's Report: May 2026

After a very warm May long weekend, it feels like we skipped ahead to summer for a moment before settling back into spring. The calendar is also reminding me that I am now over halfway through what has been a very busy term as your President—time sure has flown. As always, thank you for everything you continue to carry in your work and for the care you bring to this community. 

We announced our first negotiated compensation settlement a few weeks ago. The two‑year agreement is based on our new compensation framework.

Eligible staff will receive across‑the‑board (ATB) increases in both years of the settlement (2.6% and 2.5%, respectively), with individual equity adjustments for eligible staff below job value. While the calculations are still being finalized with HR, the University has committed to providing summary information once available. All increases will be effective May 1, processed retroactively on June payroll. The Flexible Increase Pool (FIP) does not apply in 2026, and will instead be developed over the coming year, with the University engaging the UWSA through SRC to ensure the approach is clear and consistent before it is implemented in 2027.

We also negotiated several other meaningful elements, such as the continuation of (and increase to) the Staff Excellence Fund, a Health Care Spending Account for staff (mirroring what Faculty received last year), and commitments to joint recommendations for key policy updates, such as improving vacation for staff, increasing sick days for contract staff, and expanding the permitted use of emergency days. 

University leadership held budget Q&A sessions on May 14 and 15, where we learned that while recent provincial funding has provided some relief and allows for a more measured approach, the University remains in a deficit and continues to focus on expense reductions, efficiencies, and revenue generation. We heard that fewer than 60 employees (mostly, but not exclusively, staff) have lost their jobs due to budget reductions since 2025, and mitigation efforts such as voluntary retirements, closing open positions, and redeployments have been critical to reduce the impact on staff. Detailed budgets are expected to be finalized and shared with faculties and ASUs in the coming weeks to inform next steps.  

Many of the questions raised reflected the ongoing uncertainty around organizational change, workload, and what is to come. While not all questions could be answered with specific details, such as mine about whether we are through the worst of the job cuts, the administration reiterated they are committed to minimizing job loss. There was also frank discussion that we cannot simply do “more with less,” but rather we need to think critically about what work should continue, what can stop, and how to uncover opportunities for improvement by meaningfully engaging the people doing the work every day – in other words, you, our staff community!  

Functional reviews (including the functional review implementation teams, or FRITs), were briefly discussed at the sessions and are being communicated through function-specific channels as well, so I want to summarize our overall understanding: 

• Marketing and Communications: Many staff received a recent communication noting the work was taking a bit longer than expected but they are looking to share more information this spring on reporting relationships and structural changes, with supports in place to help leaders and staff.  

• IT: In late April, a two-stage approach was shared via email with all staff, with a town hall also held for IST-related staff, to outline the stage 1 reporting realignments happening between May and September 2026. The stage 2 operating model design and harmonization of people and services will start in summer 2026 and is expected to take about a year.  

• Finance: As of now, this function is focused on new systems and tools, leveraging projects already underway to implement changes that will drive efficiencies.  

• Human Resources and Student Services: These two more recently announced reviews are in the data‑collection and consultation phase. 

It was also noted during the sessions that the University is developing a large‑scale organizational change framework to guide this and future work. While we have a commitment for monthly updates on the ongoing progress, we continue to press for more information and earlier awareness as this work rolls out. For example, we are beginning to see elements of the Job Architecture work (part of the Strategic Talent and Performance Framework) play out in terms of changes to titles and associated salary grades.  

The UWSA has been requesting clearer communication about all of these significant changes, as well as what it all means for staff at an individual level and ensuring changes align with Policy 18. As with many things, we will share more information when we can. In the meantime, through SRC and ongoing leadership engagement, we continue to request more information and advocate for meaningful consideration of staff throughout this process. 

We have several ways to get involved with the UWSA right now through committees and leadership roles.

You will also have received your personalized link to our member survey. This year’s survey focus is on workload, accommodations, and experiences with flexible and hybrid work. It takes about 10–15 minutes to complete and closes May 29. Your input directly shapes our advocacy priorities, so please take part if you’re able.  

Applications for our Staff Enhancement Grant (SEG) close soon! This is a great opportunity to get funding for personal development projects unrelated to work. Find out more and apply by June 1!  

I hope to see some of you at Brunch at Lunch next week, although I know it sold out incredibly quickly! We are planning more fun ways to connect in spring and summer, so please stay tuned. And as always, if your group is interested in a visit, we’d be thrilled to set something up and tailor the conversation to your needs—and we’ll bring snacks and swag!  

Thank you, as always, for your engagement—and please reach out any time!