UMFA gets raise from referee

An arbitrator has ruled that the University of Manitoba will pay a raise to the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA).

In a statement on Monday, the UMFA announced that arbitrator William Kaplan had granted general salary increases of 2.25%, 2.25% and 2.25% from 2021 to 2024.

Kaplan’s decision comes after a 35-day strike in 2021, with the university administration and UMFA agreeing to binding arbitration.

UMFA noted that under the terms of the arbitration, the arbitrator would ignore any government mandate and be guided by “reasonable progression over salaries paid at Canada’s other top research universities.”

UMFA president Orvie Dingwall is pleased with the decision.

“After six years of Conservative government interference and freezing our salaries, we needed significant improvements to our compensation in order to remain competitive with Canada’s research universities,” Dingwall said.

“This decision helps ensure that we are able to retain the best teachers, instructors and librarians who provide quality public education to Manitoba students.

Kaplan also ruled that the university administration paid professors for the teaching they provided after the strike and that UMFA members were paid for time spent on research and service duties.

“We are pleased that the arbitrator recognized what it would take to keep our wages competitive and that he sent a clear message to UM that workers must be paid for the work they do,” said said Dingwall.

UMFA represents more than 1,200 professors, instructors, and librarians at the university.