Greetings,
Executive Director of WLUFA, Sheila McKee-Protopapas, has successfully completed negotiations with the Laurier Administration that will bring vacation pay compensation for our Contract Faculty in line with amendments made to The Employment Standards Act through Bill 148.
The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, made amendments to The Employment Standards Act that, among other things, provide for varying levels of vacation pay based on length of employment. McKee-Protopapas began talks with the Administration in January of this year (the month the legislation took effect) in order to argue for the need for Contract Faculty compensation that would reflect the amended Act.
The result is that all Contract Faculty who have been employed at Laurier for five years or longer – so long as there has been no break in their service of over 36 months – will now receive 6% vacation pay, retroactive to January 2018, in accordance with the amended act. This is an increase of 2% over the current minimum of 4% vacation pay under the ESA.
The increase applies to all Contract Faculty, regardless of mode or location of teaching.
Those Contract Faculty who qualify for the increased vacation pay will receive it as follows:
- CF who taught only in Winter 2018 will receive a retro payment reflecting the additional 2% vacation pay at the end of August when the final payroll for August is completed.
- CF who taught during both Winter and Spring terms in 2018 will see a retro payment on their pay once the paperwork has been processed.
- CF who taught in neither of those terms will see the increased amount when they begin their next regular contracts.
Contract Faculty who have not yet met the five-year employment mark will continue to receive the minimum ESA amount (4%) but will receive the modified vacation pay amount (6%) when they reach five years of employment from their first date of hire, so long as there have been no breaks in employment that exceed 36 months at a time. Those who return to teaching at Laurier after more than a 36-month break in employment must begin their “years of employment” clock over again.
Please Note: Going forward, CF who qualify will see the 6% vacation pay amount on their pay stubs but the 6% amounts will not show on CF Letters of Appointment. Appointment letters will continue to note a 4% vacation pay, even though pay stubs will reflect the new amount.
WLUFA is very pleased to be able to have played a role in beginning to connect our Contract Faculty with Bill 148. All precariously employed workers deserve to be recognized by the “Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act”.
To read the complete Letter of Understanding, click here.