February 27, 2026
In this statement we call on the Senior Administration of Brock University to take a number of actions. However, we are going to start with one, after which the rest would be moot: Pause the restructure and backtrack on the layoffs. Reevaluate the restructure properly in a more transparent and consultative way.
In a letter dated July 16, 2018, to then President Gervan Fearon, then BUFA President Michelle Webber wrote, “Staff tell those of our members whom they trust that they now feel afraid and unappreciated. They feel like a disposable commodity rather than a valued colleague and team member. They feel that Brock has morphed into Brock Inc. HR is no longer seen as an ally, but an adversary.” Nothing has changed. Instead, under the moniker the Office of People and Culture, Brock’s culture continues further on its path toward alienation of its workers, mistrust of management due to a growing lack of transparency, and fear. The announcement of the restructuring of academic administrative assistants is supposedly just the first in a series of waves to come. The remainder of the Brock staff and faculty community are now fearful for their own job security, for their workloads, saddened for their colleagues, and concerned for students whose experience will undoubtedly be negatively impacted with rising tuition costs rise and changes to OSAP.
In the name of “modernization,” Brock University’s Senior Administration has undertaken a restructuring of the administrative staff of academic departments with 44 OSSTF members given lay-off notices in early February, taking effect March 13, 2026. Twenty-three and a half newly developed positions—what the Senior Administration is calling a more “standardized” version of the job—were reestablished in OSSTF. An unknown number of positions outside of the bargaining unit were also created thus reducing the total number of OSSTF members. BUFA has filed a grievance asserting that the Senior Administration violated the Collective Agreement provisions of meaningful consultation laid out in Article 32.06.
We recommend the following actions:
BUFA calls for the Academic Coordinator positions to be part of OSSTF.
BUFA condemns the Senior Administration’s union busting tactics as well as its obvious stripping of protections and benefits that a union affords to those employees who are now in non-union positions for jobs that are quite similar to their former positions.
BUFA calls for the employees’ job categories to be reinstated at their previous salary bands.
BUFA also condemns the Senior Administration for a restructure that has seen OSSTF members drop salary bands, maintaining their current salary for only a year before being dropped to the lower salary band. This restructure may only result in a net loss of “12” as the Senior Administration claims, but some of Brock University’s lowest paid employees are now being paid less for a newly restructured job, where fewer people will do the same amount of work.
BUFA calls on the Senior Administration and the Board of Trustees to release both reports so that the decision making process can be clearly understood.
Whether it is 12 job losses, 200, or 2000, certain principles remain the same: the employer should engage in transparent processes. Senior Administration has not. This restructuring is based on two interrelated KPMG reviews. The first was the “Transformation of Administrative Services Project,” dating back to at least 2024, which was meant to gather information about how staff roles were defined and realized at Brock University, and how they might be improved. The second was the Ontario Government initiated Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) Review, also conducted by KPMG. The first KPMG review, which presumably shapes this restructure, has not been seen by BUFA, OSSTF, or Senate. The second KPMG report was only partially seen in an in-camera session of Senate, after the pressure of Senators. The full report has not been released.
BUFA asks for the Senior Administration to retract their statement that NDAs were not part of the packages.
At the February 25, 2026, meeting of Senate the Provost spoke from a prepared speech to counter the “misinformation” that she deemed was spread to the media. One thing that she called out as false was that employees were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA). Legal counsel for OSSTF has reviewed the paperwork that members were asked to sign and consider it an NDA, even if the Senior Administration calls it something different.
In summary, students will suffer. Departments and academic programs will suffer. The ability for faculty members to focus on collegial governance and curricular review—the very things that we have been told is necessary for the sustainability of this institution—will suffer. We do our jobs well because of the staff who support us every day. This is not just about job loss. This is also about respect, working free from fear that every day may be your last day before a lay-off, decent workloads for all, and first and foremost the quality of Brock University. Look to your own experts, those who teach and train the students who go on to become KPMG staff. We have the ability to do better and be better. Lean on those who know. Be transparent, be consultative, let us solve problems together and make a better Brock for now and for the future.
Brock University Faculty Association Executive Committee
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, MC D402
St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1
[email protected]
