On January 12, the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) won a 2.5 per cent Across-The-Board (ATB) salary adjustment, which applies to base salaries and salary floors for the period of July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. 

Despite this, Arbitrator Eli Gedalof’s decision fell short of the UTFA’s proposed four per cent ATB increase and its ongoing effort to include recent hires in ATB adjustments. Gedalof also declined to award salary floor increases for Librarian I and Librarian II positions, despite UTFA’s advocacy.

Wage increases 

In the latest round of bargaining with the university, the UTFA proposed a four per cent ATB increase to account for inflation. The university proposed a 1.5 per cent increase, which UTFA said “would have left members woefully short of inflation and below top of market in the sector,” in an announcement about the January 12 award. 

The 2.5 per cent increase awarded by Gedalof still fails to “close the gap,” UTFA asserted in their announcement, adding that “by awarding only 2.5% ATB, Arbitrator Gedalof failed to protect members’ wages against the compounding consequences of inflation.”

Arbitrator Gedalof did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.

UTFA has long sought a four per cent increase, claiming during bargaining that “The Administration argues that it cannot afford to pay increases above 1.5% despite its 2023–2025 Financial Reports indicating its ‘strong financial position,’ and a 2025 net income of $519 million and an increase in revenue of 5.1%.”

In an email to The Varsity, a spokesperson for the university wrote that “Approximately 66 per cent of operating budget expenditures at the university fund salaries and benefits. Increases in compensation reflected in the budget are expected to cover a range of expenses including negotiated increases for existing employees (such across the board increases as well as step or merit increases); the hiring of any additional faculty and staff needed to support growth in student enrolment, expansion of student services, and research activity; and increases in the cost of benefits or benefit improvements.”

New employees

Gedalof also did not support UTFA’s proposal to apply retroactive ATB salary increases to recently hired employees, who are excluded from any ATB increases awarded in the year they are hired. 

In an email to The Varsity, the UTFA wrote, “We are disappointed that the Arbitrator ruled in favour of the Administration’s position that faculty members and librarians are not eligible for retroactive ATB during their first year of hire. Of course, this has a significant impact on members who are often among the lowest paid.”

UTFA has been engaged in a longstanding effort to win this ATB salary increase for new employees, but remains unsuccessful despite a petition signed by 750 UTFA members in support of the proposal.

In the announcement of the award, the UTFA added that it “maintains that the Administration should never be authorized to negotiate terms with individual members that would deprive them of a benefit negotiated by the Association.”

In an email to The Varsity, a university spokesperson wrote that “The university respects the decision of the independent arbitrator and remains committed to constructive relations with the faculty association. The arbitrator upheld that the university’s positions are grounded in established practice, lawful and in accordance with the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement.”

When asked what challenges lie ahead in the new round of bargaining, which began on January 23, UTFA President and Co-chief Negotiator Terezia Zorić, and UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload and Co-chief Negotiator Jun Nogami, wrote “Bargaining with the U of T Administration always entails many challenges… One well worth pursuing, will be to secure across-the-board salary increases for UTFA members in their first year of employment.”