Union leaders say UWindsor budget town hall leaves more questions for members

Two unions representing workers at the University of Windsor say Wednesday's town hall meeting by senior leadership announcing massive budget deficits leave them with more questions than answers. 

University President Robert Gordon announced Wednesday the university was facing a $10-million shortfall in tuition this year and a $30-million deficit next year.

It came with a sober warning: No one is coming to help the university balance the budget, and tough decisions are ahead. The full impact of the budget crunch, including how many staff could be laid off, is still unknown. 

"While these budget challenges don't define us, our work defines us. Our passions define us," said Kristen Siapas, acting president of CUPE Local 1393, referencing remarks made by Gordon.

"If the impact of these budget challenges is going to be taking away our ability to contribute to the campus community in a meaningful way, doing the work that we came here to do, then there is a sense that we're under attack."

Siapas said that with this year's budget deficit, eight jobs have been eliminated from among the members she represents and a bumping process is currently ongoing. While no one is losing their job directly, she estimates those eight jobs will impact the work of about 30 people. 

And to her members, she says the "do less with less" message from the administration rings hollow. 

"The challenge of doing less with less, you know, we're certainly up to the challenge," she said. "We're innovative, we're hard working, we'll find a way, we'll make it happen, we'll work together. But it's just what we've been doing this entire time." 

The university has already made cuts to some programs over the last six months, including closing the University Players, the EPI entrepreneurship centre and a lab developing alternatives to some kinds of animal testing. 

In the town hall with staff and other senior leadership, Gordon said the expected deficit is due to compounding pressures from a domestic tuition freeze, international student cap and rising costs. While the university has reserve funding, it's dedicated to one-time costs, and selling other assets isn't a long-term solution, he said. 

It means layoffs, a hiring freeze and salary freezes for administration and non-union staff. 

Gordon also noted several union collective agreements with the university will need to be negotiated in 2025 and said the majority of the university's operating budget is in salaries and benefits — that has another union president questioning the timing. 

"They're negotiating with, I think, four unions in 2025," said Pierre Boulos, president of the University of Windsor Faculty Association, which represents full- and part-time faculty as well as other education professionals, like librarians. 

"It's interesting that usually when the university's going into a bargaining year with various unions on campus, we hear things like this."