Happy Holidays Everyone! —— And just a reminder that our office will be closed from Monday, 22 December to Friday, 2 January. We will be reopening on Monday, 5 January 2026.

OCADFA served notice to bargain in June 2025... www.linkedin.com/pulse/ocadfa...

An exclusive excerpt of OCADFA Negotiations Team representative Ross Bullen's new book! www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-su...

Ines Tang (Executive Director of Campaigns & Advocacy, OCAD Student Union) recounts their fight against #Bill33. www.linkedin.com/pulse/ocad-s...

An update from the 99th Council of the Canadian Association of University Teachers @caut.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/pulse/99th-c...

In this month's "Dear Graeme" we go over what #AcademicFreedom is, and if only tenured faculty are covered. Read in full: www.tinyurl.com/A-Freedom

By Faculty-at-Large Senator b.h. Yael (Art) Read in full: www.tinyurl.com/OCADUsenate "Rather than seeing the work of Senate as a productive space...we are reduced to narrow or limited business decisions..." @ocufa.bsky.social @caut.bsky.social

In our conversations with #SessionalInstructors the issue of financial #precarity & #jobsecurity are always among the top concerns. Read in full: www.tinyurl.com/SessionalProfile #makeitfair @caut.bsky.social @ocufa.bsky.social

OCAD U is the least funded university in Ontario and among the lowest-paid faculties in the sector. What will a new round of fiscal tightening bring? Read the full story here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/ocadus... #SMA4 #EducationCuts @caut.bsky.social

Dec 2025 Newsletter: www.tinyurl.com/Dispatch-122025 - OCADU's #SMA4 & Ontario's Funding Crisis - A Profile of #SessionalPrecarity - Senate Update: Shrinking Democratic Space - CAUT Council: Defending Education, Democracy, and Labour Rights - Student Union & #Bill33 - and more! @caut.bsky.social

Mutual Support When You Need It All OCADFA members have access to a small emergency fund created to assist with unexpected financial hardship. Members may apply for up to $250 in assistance. Applications are confidential and reviewed as quickly as possible. To apply: www.tinyurl.com/OCADFAfund

OCADFA Town Hall Mon, 26 Jan 2026 1-2:30pm, Rm 230, 100 McCaul Right now, OCADFA resolves bargaining disputes through interest arbitration instead of the right to strike. What does that mean for our power at the table—and what would change if we pursued strike rights?

OCADFA is always active on the grievance front. We successfully settled two grievances in mediation over the summer that were slated for arbitration, including a workload group grievance concerning Faculty of Art thesis courses: www.linkedin.com/pulse/grieva...

If OCADFA is a trade union, why can’t we strike? And secondly, doesn’t not being able to strike hurt our leverage at the bargaining table? www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-ca...

In recent weeks, several faculty and staff have raised a troubling question: has the office charged with upholding human-rights protections at OCAD U quietly been dismantled? www.linkedin.com/pulse/erosio...

New Bargaining Update Approved! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Min Sook Lee, OCADFA President “We made sure that every single labour category at OCADFA saw improvements in their working conditions.” youtube.com/shorts/OiFQy...

Isra Amsdr, Graduate Student representing #TeachingAssistants On fighting for better rights for those with disabilities through a #DesireBasedFramework. youtube.com/shorts/7_yY8...

Eric Steenbergen, Representing Technical Staff “When I started Sessional rates were the lowest in the province, now our pay is in the centre of the pack, I’m proud of that.” youtube.com/shorts/mXkYF...

June Pak, Sessional Instructor, OCADFA Vice-President On how this MoA added transparency to the three level Sessional pay scale. youtube.com/shorts/Xu9oY...

Maria-Bélen Ordóñez, Representing the Teaching Stream “It was important to me that the Faculty of Art would be teaching 6 courses as their workload as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences had been teaching for some time.” youtube.com/shorts/D0tYi...

Roderick Grant, Representing Permanent Faculty Getting Chair GPD language into the MoA will have immediate and long term positive impact for faculty moving into and out of the role knowing that it’s a defined position in the MoA. youtube.com/shorts/l1eM-...

Wed, 19 Nov @1230-2pm Are you a sessional instructor at OCAD U and do you have questions about your contract, your workload, pay or general working conditions? www.ocadfa.ca

We just started a LinkedIn page! Follow us at: www.linkedin.com/company/ocad-university-faculty-association/

Graeme Reniers, OCADFA Executive Director On how there were 33 total changes to MoA, making this the most successful in OCADFA history. youtube.com/shorts/CWDhn...

Annie Tung, Negotiations Chair — On the language around On-Boarding and Teaching Stream course load production for Studio Faculty. youtube.com/shorts/88oiI...

We had seven pillars in our bargaining mandate in the last round, and we achieved gains in all of them! 
 This series of short videos shares some highlights! www.tinyurl.com/OCADFA2025

The Nov 2025 issue of our newsletter can be read here: drive.google.com/file/d/11lBr...

—EXTERNAL EVENT— When: Nov 20, 7pm Where: Venue shared upon registration Who: All those who work in the higher education sector, including non-academic workers. Light refreshments will be served. More information: www.socialistproject.ca/event/crisis-resistance *This is a non-OCADFA event*

Help nudge us towards bowling victory! www.workersbowl.ca/fundraisers/leftbydesign It's time for us to step up and help ensure this work continues - please consider making a donation to our team today.

Donate now and help nudge us towards bowling victory! All funds raised will directly benefit racialized, immigrant and low-wage workers in precarious jobs. www.workersbowl.ca/fundraisers/leftbydesign Interested in joining the team? Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to everyone that came out to support the screening of The Encampments on a rainy night last week! Photo courtesy of @chrilee_photography

It’s cold and flu season, and COVID is certainly still around us, so we’ve been getting a few questions on what to do if you’re sick and need to miss a class. Learn more: ocadfa.ca/blog/2023/11...

ATTN all OCAD Teaching Faculty and Academic Staff: We are very excited to share this illustrated summary of the new Memorandum of Agreement! Download: drive.google.com/file/d/1SYXu... A big THANK YOU to OCAD University student and illustrator Ines Tang who spearheaded this project!

We created an illustrated summary of the MoA: www.ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10/27/ocadfazine For changes made to the MoA in the most recent round of bargaining: www.ocadfa.ca/2023-2026-moa

We’ve created a Zine to help you know your rights! We're very excited to share this illustrated summary of our MoA. OCADFA is deeply indebted to the hard work of OCAD University student and illustrator Ines Tang who spearheaded this project! ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

Join us THIS THURS, 30 Oct @7pm for a FREE screening (with Q&A with the co-director)! The Encampments is a documentary about the 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampment and protest movement at Columbia University and other campuses during the Gaza war and genocide. ▶️ OCAD U Auditorium, 100 McCaul St.

Fair is fair. Sessionals deserve better wages, job security, benefits, & funding for professional development! Learn more about the rules & regulations that govern the 600 Faculty & Acad Staff at OCADU: www.ocadfa.ca/ocadfa-zine-know-your-moa #fairemploymentweek #makeitfair @caut.bsky.social

Dropping some facts about sessionals at OCADU. Learn more about the rules and regulations that govern the 600 Faculty and Academic Staff at OCADU: www.ocadfa.ca/ocadfa-zine-know-your-moa #fairemploymentweek #makeitfair @caut.bsky.social

This week for #FairEmploymentWeek we were in the foyer of 100 McCaul to talk with members and students about the #labourprecarity faced by their instructors, esp #sessionals. Thank you to all the wonderful ppl that stopped to chat and share their support! #MakeItFair ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

Good morning! We'll be out again at 100 McCaul to mark #FairEmploymentWeek. Come say hi! We'll have snacks! ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

We're in the foyer of 100 McCaul for #FairEmploymentWeek. Come get some candy and say hi! ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

Yest we had our Fall Membership Meeting where our Negotiations Chair, Annie Tung, presented a proposed Bargaining Mandate for approval—which was APPROVED! Today we'll be at 100 McCaul from around 1pm onwards for #FairEmploymentWeek. Come say hi! (We'll bring candy!) ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

We're in the lobby of 100 McCaul, come say hi!

TODAY! Fall Membership Meeting | Tues, 21 Oct | 10am to noon —— AFTERNOON: Ask questions and come say hi! 100 McCaul in the Foyer & the Great Hall! Learn more about what we do & how we can help you. We’ll have candy! ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10... #FairEmploymentWeek @caut.bsky.social

Thurs, 30 Oct, 7p, FREE 100 McCaul Auditorium An urgent, intimate portrait of America's student movement, ignited at Colombia U as students protested their U's ties to the war on Gaza. Co-director Michael Workman will join us for a post-screening discussion. ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

Look out for us on 21 to 23 Oct around 100 McCaul in the Foyer and the Great Hall (we’ll be carrying the OCADFA flag) and say hi! You can ask us your questions and learn more about what we do, how we can help you, and where to get more information. We’ll bring candy! ocadfa.ca/blog/2025/10...

Our April 2025 Dispatch has arrived! Read it now through the link in our bio or on Ocadfa.ca

Thanks to the OCAD University Faculty Association for your support! @ocadfa.bsky.social #UNITEDtoEDUCATE Keep up with bargaining at cuasa.ca/bargaining-2...

Happening today!!