Payment of Salaries

The payment of salaries, including stipends, allowances, and premiums will be suspended for all UPEI Faculty Association (UPEI FA) BU 1 members upon the commencement of the strike and for the duration of the strike. Pay and T4 information can be accessed by faculty members during a strike as follows:

T4s prior to 2019

Paystubs prior to 2019

Paystubs and T4s after 2018 via Colleague Self-Service

Pension and RRSP

Pension

Pensionable service does not accrue and there are no member or employer contributions during a strike. Pension statements can be accessed as follows: 

UPEI Pension Statements

RRSP

There will be no member or employer contributions to RRSP during a strike.

Benefits

Supplementary Health Coverage (Blue Cross) and Emergency Medical Travel

Coverage can continue for up to six months from the end of the month in which the strike commences, as long as premiums are paid. The University has offered UPEI FA the opportunity to pay the total benefit premiums on behalf of their members and UPEI FA has agreed.    

Group Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance  

Coverage can continue until the end of the month following the date of a strike, as long as premiums are paid. The University has offered UPEI FA the opportunity to pay the total benefit premiums on behalf of their members and UPEI FA has agreed.  

Employee and Family Assistance Program

Coverage can continue as long as premiums are paid. The University has offered UPEI FA the opportunity to pay the total benefit premiums on behalf of their members and UPEI FA has agreed.

Long Term Disability Benefits and Coverage

For those employees with approved claims, Long Term Disability benefits will continue. Long Term Disability coverage terminates on the first day of the strike and remains terminated for the duration of the strike. New claims originated during a strike will not be processed until the conclusion of the strike.  

Optional Life Insurance and Critical Illness Insurance (optional coverages)

These optional coverages are 100% employee paid. Coverage can continue until the end of the month following the date of a strike, as long as premiums are paid. The obligation rests with the striking employee to arrange and ensure payment of Optional Life Insurance and/or Critical Illness Insurance premiums. Striking employees who wish to continue Optional Life Insurance and/or Critical Illness Insurance coverage must contact Employee Services at employeeservices@upei.ca to make arrangements to pay their premiums during a strike, otherwise Optional Life Insurance and Critical Illness Insurance coverage terminates on the date of the strike.  If coverage terminates, the employee will be required to reapply and re-qualify upon their return to work and all policy conditions, including those with respect to pre-existing conditions, will apply to that application and any coverage that results from it.  

Leaves

Sick Leave

For members on a period of sick leave approved prior to the commencement of the strike, if any such members notified the University that they will not participate in any aspect of the strike, the University will continue to pay salary and provide benefits for the duration of the approved sick leave. If the member is scheduled to return to work during the strike period, their status will be that of an employee on strike and their salary will cease and all terms and conditions of employment will be the same as other striking UPEIFA members.  Sick leave will not be otherwise be approved, extended or paid during a strike. 

Sabbatical Leave

For members currently on sabbatical leave, if any such members notified the University that they will not participate in any aspect of the strike, the University will continue to pay salary and provide benefits for the duration of the approved sabbatical leave.  Any members that choose to continue their sabbatical will, at their option, continue to have access to their office and lab (if applicable).  If the member is scheduled to return to work during the strike period, their status will be that of an employee on strike and their salary will cease and all terms and conditions of employment will be the same as other striking UPEIFA members.  

Pregnancy and Parental Leave

For members on a period of pregnancy and/or parental leave or for members who had the required pregnancy and/or parental leave paperwork submitted to HR prior to the commencement of the strike for a leave scheduled to start within the strike period, if any such members notified the University that they will not participate in any aspect of the strike, the University will continue to pay (if applicable) their waiting period salary and top up amounts, and provide benefits at the level indicated in their Continuation of Benefits form for the duration of the approved pregnancy and/or parental leave.  If the member is scheduled to return to work during the strike period, their status will be that of an employee on strike and any salary will cease and all terms and conditions of employment will be the same as other striking UPEIFA members.  Pregnancy and parental leave benefits will not be otherwise be approved, commenced, extended or paid during a strike. 

Leave Without Pay

For members on a leave without pay approved prior to the commencement of the strike, if any such members notified the University that they will not participate in any aspect of the strike, the University will continue to maintain their current benefits at the level indicated in their Continuation of Benefits form for the duration of the approved leave without pay. If the member is scheduled to return to work during the strike period, their status will be that of an employee on strike and all terms and conditions of employment will be the same as other striking UPEI FA members. Leave without pay will not be otherwise be approved, commenced, extended or paid during a strike.

Vacation

Vacation leave will not be approved or paid during the period of the strike. 

Statutory and University Holidays

Statutory and University holidays will not be paid during the period of the strike.  

Other Paid Leaves

Other paid leaves will not be approved or paid during the period of the strike.

Access to Campus/UPEI services

General public access to University facilities will continue. Striking employees will be permitted access to the Daycare, Bell Aliant Centre (CARI), and the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre for varsity games and for use of recreation facilities provided they do not engage in strike-related activities during such access.

UPEI Health and Wellness Centre

Striking employees and their dependents will have access provided they do not engage in strike-related activities during such access.

PDTR/Travel

Striking Members will not be entitled to access university travel funds or PDTR while on strike. Any such expenses incurred prior to a strike will be claimable in accordance with University policies after the strike.  

Credit cards

University credit cards for all striking employees will be frozen for the duration of the strike.

Parking

Parking is only permitted if you are an essential service or to access the Bell Aliant Centre (CARI), Daycare, or UPEI Health and Wellness Centre for non-strike-related activities.

Network/email access

Striking members will have access to email but will not have access to Moodle or myUPEI.

• To login to email, use this link: http://outlook.office.com/ 
• To access the UPEI Researcher Portal, ROMEO, use this link: https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/
• For instructions on ROMEO and how to reset password, use this link: https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms

Research

During a strike of the UPEI FA, any research at UPEI that does not involve members of this bargaining unit is expected to proceed. Minimizing adverse impact on students is a priority—at UPEI, there isn’t a grant or contract that doesn’t impact students.

Access to facilities 

UPEI FA members will have access to the UPEI Researcher Portal, ROMEO. Access to campus research spaces by UPEI FA members will be paused except those activities that are granted an exemption by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research, only under circumstances where they meet the criteria that lack of access could cause irreparable harm to a research program (if not approved) or safety issues.

To request access to facilities, the UPEI FA member shall submit a <Request Access to Research Facilities> form via ROMEO. Once approved by the Dean of the Faculty on ROMEO, Research Services will then forward the request to the Associate Vice-President Research (AVPR) for review approval on ROMEO, and then send relevant information to UPEI Security Services.

Any approved faculty access to research space on campus during a strike shall be limited to a minimum time period as indicated on the request form.

Animal research during a strike of the UPEIFA 

The Animal Care Committee (ACC) and the University Veterinarian are responsible for overseeing the ethical use and care of animals at UPEI, in accordance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). Since the ACC includes UPEI FA members, it would not function during a UPEI FA strike. The Principal Investigator (PI) of an animal use protocol (AUP) also is responsible for the implementation of the research study, its scientific and ethical conduct, the protection of each research participant, and the welfare of the animals used in the research. As such, PIs of an AUP who belong to the UPEI FA bargaining unit are considered Essential Services (MOA signed between UPEI senior management and UPEI FA, December 2022). An MOU outlines conditions and procedures for the University Veterinarian/designate to request support from University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association (UPEIFA) members for ongoing animal-based research projects or clinical support for research, teaching or service animals" If you have any questions or concerns, contact Dr. Spears.

However, the CCAC mandates that animals may not be ordered during a labour disruption. As such: 

1. Research involving animals that was already well established prior to a strike will be allowed in a limited manner by researchers who do not belong to the UPEI FA bargaining unit. Procedure to allow this: A research plan for continuation of the research involving animals under an existing AUP must be submitted and approved by the University Veterinarian. PIs need to propose what they will do to ensure that animal welfare is protected and indicate which components of their animal research are essential to occur during a job disruption. A copy of the plan is provided to the Associate Vice-President (Research) for review / approval.
2. New research projects involving animals will not be allowed to commence during a strike unless this will cause irreparable harm to a contract already executed. It can only be started with animals already at UPEI as no animals will be shipped here during a strike. Follow the same procedure as #1 above.
3. The ACC will not meet during a strike, and so no new AUPs, nor amendments and renewals to existing AUPs will be reviewed. However, these can still be submitted on Romeo and will be reviewed after the strike.  

Grant applications/proposals

Grants or contracts announced before a strike, and proposal/LOIs/RFPs currently being worked on but due during a strike, can be submitted during a strike via ROMEO. The link to UPEI Researcher Portal login page is https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

A Department Chair, who is on strike, will not be able to approve these proposals, so they will receive their Dean’s approval only.  

No new ACC, REB or biosafety proposals will be reviewed until after the labour disruption.

Research spending

Financial management of research funds is considered work. Striking FA members will not be able to access ‘Colleague’ through myUPEI to initiate or approve financial transactions unless in exceptional circumstances as approved by the AVPR. Account authority for all striking members will be transferred to the appropriate Dean or Associate Dean.

Graduate Students

Graduate students are permitted access to all campus facilities and, as a general rule, thesis-based graduate students are expected to continue conducting their research in situations where they have already received training and in which the faculty supervisor is not needed for supervision. The default supervisor for any graduate student will be the Dean (or Associate Dean) of the Faculty, or other designated member outside of the UPEI FA bargaining unit, e.g., Faculty of Business has an MBA manager and coordinator who are not part of the UPEI FA. 

Graduate courses taught by a member of the UPEI FA will not continue during a strike, nor will meetings of supervisory committees or thesis defences take place where members belong to the FA. The same goes for undergraduate research students working on existing projects where they have already received training. Research can continue as long as there are no issues regarding safety or need for direction from a UPEI FA member. Honours thesis presentations and defences will not occur.

Student/Technicians Conducting Research

Students/Technicians are permitted access to all campus facilities and are encouraged to continue conducting research, especially if they are working on existing projects where they have already received appropriate training and were deemed competent for independent activities. The UPEI Working Alone procedure is applicable in circumstances where they are the only member at that work location. Research can continue as long as there are no issues regarding safety. However, there should be no contact with UPEI FA members since they are not allowed to conduct work. Students will need to work independently and discontinue their work if they reach a point at which their faculty supervisor must provide direction. If issues arise during the strike, related to any of the following, the faculty supervisor may request special/exceptional permission to be granted access to the student for supervision: safety concerns or irreparable harm to a research program. Research funding will still be administered through payroll so students will get paid if they are already on a regular payment schedule. If student hours are approved bi-weekly, the faculty supervisor will not be allowed to do this; however, they may delegate spending authority access to an alternate approver (e.g., the Dean) and then contact payroll@upei.ca to delegate that individual as approver.

Account Authority

At the beginning of a strike, account authority for all striking faculty members’ accounts (research or otherwise) will be assigned to the appropriate Dean or Associate Dean. In many cases, there is more than one spending authority per account, such as administrative assistants or project managers, which will allow basic transactions up to approved policy limits to be processed without requiring the Dean’s approval.