Congratulations on receiving an interview, or an offer, for an academic position at Carleton University. Full-time academic staff at Carleton are represented by the Carleton University Academic Staff Association, Ontario’s oldest academic staff union. This page is designed to introduce you to Carleton and some of the terms and conditions of employment for its academic staff.

Certified under the Ontario Labour Relations Act in 1975, CUASA is the oldest academic staff union in Ontario. The primary purposes of the Association are to promote the well-being of the academic community, to defend academic freedom and to promote the individual interests of its members, as well as to maintain the quality and integrity of the University as an academic institution.

Once you have been hired, you are required by law to pay union dues. You have a choice about joining the Association and participating in the democratic processes of CUASA. Whether you join or not, CUASA represents you.

CUASA’s full-time staff members are always available to assist you:

• Jaye Horton, Executive Director
• Alex Aucoin, Grievance & Arbitration Officer
• Max López, Equity & Member Services Officer
• Hanan Mankal, Grievance & Arbitration Officer
• Liala Swayty, Office Manager

You can find information on how to contact us here.

Your negotiation for a starting salary is vitally important. It determines your career earnings and your final pension.

Management will make a salary offer based on parameters such as your experience, the department/unit you’re being hired into, market factors, and budgetary considerations. You have the freedom to negotiate your starting salary.

Other things to keep in mind:

• Each position has a salary floor set in the collective agreement, which is the minimum required salary for that position. However, salary floors are not a good indicator of the offer you will receive.
• There is no firm hiring rate for CUASA positions.
• A salary offer denotes the point at which you start your negotiations for your entry salary.
• The point of initial hire on a preliminary appointment is the only time you get to negotiate your salary. Future salary increases are what the Union negotiates on your behalf in collective bargaining.
• You may also need to negotiate the employer’s contribution to relocation costs.

We can make suggestions for your salary negotiation. You are free to ignore these suggestions and negotiate whatever you can.

A comprehensive set of health and dental benefits has been negotiated for our members. These include prescription drugs, vision, dental, life insurance, travel insurance and long term disability coverage.

More information on the benefits offered to CUASA members is available here.

In addition to health and dental benefits, members are provided with:

• A Professional Expense Reimbursement account for expenses related to your duties. For the 2021-2024 collective agreement, the PER sum is $2,200 per year.
• All new CUASA hires receive $1,500 toward the purchase of a laptop or desktop computer of their choice. This is in addition to the PER fund or any negotiated start-up research funds.
• A hybrid defined benefit/money purchase pension plan.
• Free tuition for yourself, your spouse and your dependents under 26 years of age.
• Parental (maternity, parental and adoption) leave at 95% of salary for up to 52 weeks (depending on employment insurance eligibility). Employees on maternity leave have the option of taking extended parental leave up to 61 weeks (for 76 weeks total), during which the supplemental income benefits will be pro-rated and extended for the leave period.
• Access to the campus clinic and athletic facilities.

Sabbatical leave is a right at Carleton. The first sabbatical is at 100% of your nominal salary. After that, full year sabbaticals are compensated at 85% of your nominal salary. Those who have taught elsewhere may be eligible for up to two years sabbatical credit.

Tenure or confirmation is the final step of the preliminary appointment for academic staff. As there are significant differences in these processes, it is best to speak with a CUASA representative for personalized advice. Feel free to contact us for more information.

As a CUASA member, you will also be a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Founded in 1951, CAUT is the national voice for academic staff representing 70,000 teachers, librarians, researchers, general staff and other academic professionals at some 123 universities and colleges across the country.

There are many benefits to CAUT membership including discounted insurance rates, health coverage, and a subscription to the CAUT Bulletin. For more information visit www.caut.ca.

For additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact the CUASA Office. Other resources include:

• CAUT Handbook for New Faculty: Negotiating Starting Salaries
• Carleton Academic Jobs
• CAUBO Moving and Relocation Services
• CUASA Housing Listings