At the most recent membership general meeting of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1998, the U of T administrative and technical staff’s union, the membership approved spending up to $100,000 on a fightback to U of T’s announcement that a “critical mass” of in-person administrative staff must work full-time five days a week.  

In an email to The Varsity, Local 1998 and Unit President John Ankenman and Vice-President Tamara Vickery wrote that the approved money will also be used to support Local 1998 members with alternative work arrangements.

On October 3, U of T President Melanie A. Woodin announced that the University would be carrying out plans to increase its in-person staff presence among U of T’s three campuses. In her statement, Woodin said that this change will be initiated in January 2026, “or sooner in some cases.”

Woodin also emphasized that the University would continue to honour its “institutional commitment to considering alternative work arrangements.” She said it will also remain true to its commitment to “an academic community where students, faculty, librarians and staff learn, work, debate, and solve problems face to face.” 

In the memorandum of agreement between U of T and the USW Local 1998 staff-appointed bargaining unit, full- and part-time administrative and technical employee alternative work arrangements “may include flexible hours, a compressed work week, a remote work setting, a hybrid-remote work setting, or altered work hours.” As explained in U of T’s Alternative Work Arrangement Guidelines, an alternative work arrangement is “not permanent, and includes a start, review, and end date.” 

Ankenman and Vickery emphasized that since COVID-19 lockdowns ended, they believe “a balance between in-person and remote work has been reached, with many front-line employees working full time on campus and other staff working in hybrid arrangements. We have no doubt that the needs of faculty and students are being well served.”