Frequently Asked Question
Question: My academic chair is assigning me ____________ and I think this is an unreasonable workload. What can I do?
Answer: One of the lesser known provisions in our collective agreement is the Letter of Understanding (LoU) covering workload criteria and an expedited grievance process you can use if you believe your “workload assignment is unfair, inequitable, unreasonable or arbitrary”.
In a nutshell, it contains two things: a list of things that should be considered when determining an individual instructor’s class contact hours (trial framework) and an expedited grievance process if you’re concerned that your workload wasn’t assigned in accordance with the trial framework.
I’ve copied the Letter of Understanding for your information (below).
Please contact the SAFA office or Al Brown if you have any questions concerning your workload or how to use the process as detailed in the Letter of Understanding.
Letter of Understanding RE: Workload criteria and expedited grievance process for Section 36 Workload
The parties agree to trial the following for the duration of the 2017-2020 Collective Agreement:
Trial Section 36.05 Framework (the trial framework):
Class contact hours of an individual instructor shall be determined by the Dean or their designee (non-academic staff member) after giving consideration to all of:
(a) the past practice in assigning instructor class contact hours,
(b) the needs of developing programs,
(c) new course delivery, which may include courses being taught for the first time, the first time after a major revision or after five (5) years without teaching the course,
(d) the number of different course preparations,
(e) the time required for evaluation.
(f) the previous times the course material has been taught.
Should an academic staff member be concerned that their workload was not assigned in accordance with the trial framework for workload assignment in the School and that their workload assignment is unfair, inequitable, unreasonable or arbitrary, they may submit their concerns in regards to their workload assignment for review pursuant to this Letter of Understanding. The grievance procedure under Section 17-Grievance Procedure shall not apply.
Trial Expedited Grievance Process: Step I Academic staff members and Academic Chairs shall seek to resolve concerns over workload assignment as expediently and collegially as possible. The academic staff member shall first discuss the workload assignment with their Academic Chair within five (5) work days of receiving their finalized workload assignment. The Academic Chair must respond in writing to the concern within five (5) work days.
Step II Within five (5) work days of the conclusion of Step I, the academic staff member may provide SAFA in writing their rationale for a grievance on workload assignment. SAFA will determine whether to proceed with a grievance based on the material submitted by the academic staff member. If SAFA decides to submit a grievance, this must occur within (5) work days of receiving the rationale. The Dean or their designee shall render a written decision to SAFA within five (5) work days of receiving the grievance.
Step III If, in the opinion of SAFA, the matter is not resolved satisfactorily in Step II, SAFA may submit a written grievance to the Vice-President (Academic) within five (5) work days of receiving the decision of the Dean or their designee. The grievance shall set forth the nature of the concerns about the workload assignment in relation to the process and factors in the trial framework.
The Vice-President (Academic) shall respond to SAFA in writing within five (5) work days of receiving the written grievance at Step III. The decision of the Vice-President (Academic) shall be final and binding.
This Letter of Understanding will expire on June 30, 2020. It may not be renewed without the explicit agreement of both Parties and is not subject to arbitration.