Immediate Pause and Backtrack of Staff Layoffs and Major Restructuring

The Issue

Students at Brock University: We need your voices and support. Please sign and share this petition calling for an immediate pause and a backtrack on the major restructuring involving staff layoffs.

https://www.change.org/p/immediate-pause-and-backtrack-of-staff-layoffs-and-major-restructuring

The lack of consultation and transparency regarding the upper administration’s decision to undertake a major restructuring involving staff layoffs has silenced students and removed our perspectives from deliberations.

We are seeing/have seen significant layoffs across all departments and programs, beginning with administrative assistants, academic coordinators, and some academic advisors.

Many students can name staff members who have provided crucial and vital support when distressed and/or played crucial roles in funding, food programs, housing referrals, student events, and mental health services.

These layoffs also come at a time of OSAP cuts; not only are students being asked to bear greater financial burdens, but the student experience is also being weakened by the reduction of beloved staff. These changes may influence our degree timelines and even negatively impact retention and graduation rates.

We, as students at Brock University, stand in solidarity with affected staff members and join others in the university community in asking for:

  1. An immediate pause on the restructuring and a backtrack on layoffs
  2. Revaluation of the restructure based on meaningful consultation with students to determine the impacts on student experience and related next steps.

Unit 4 Reaches Tentative Agreement – Ratification Presentation & Vote

The Unit 4 (Clinical Nursing Instructors) Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with the employer.

There will be two Ratification Vote Presentations for Unit 4 Members.

Wednesday, April 1st at 10 am on Zoom

Register HERE.

Wednesday, April 1st at 4pm on Zoom.

Register HERE:

The Ratification vote will begin after the second presentation.

Unit 4 Clinical Nursing Instructors Strike Mandate Results

Unit 4 Clinical Nursing Instructors have spoken!
The strike mandate vote results are in!

95.1% voted ‘yes’!
We’re serious. We’re united. We need real movement at the table.

Our strong strike mandate vote result shows that WE are ready to fight for a fair deal: TOGETHER.

*Fair & Comparable Wages!
*Health Care Spending Account!
*Union administration Stipend!

NOW!

We won’t be overlooked anymore. We won’t be nickled and dimed anymore. Our work is vital to the future of healthcare. Nurses matter – and so do the people that teach them. Pay them what they’re worth!

Protect Our Water!

Water is a Human Right, not a Commodity. Tell Niagara’s Mayor and Council that privatizing Niagara’s water is a terrible idea with proven horrendous impacts on the community and environment.

WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER WALKERTON INCIDENT HERE IN NIAGARA.

Why are Niagara leaders putting our health, safety and environment at risk – for what? For profit. It’s always about money and never about the people and community. It’s time to take a stand. It’s time to say NO!

OUR WATER IS NOT FOR SALE!!

Hands Off Our Education Rally!!

A message from The Canadian Federation of Students Ontario, CUPE Ontario and OPSEU:

The Ford government recently announced sweeping changes to Ontario’s public post-secondary education system, including changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and an end to the tuition freeze introducing a 2% annual increase in tuition fees for the next three years.

Under the new changes to OSAP, non re-payable grants which previously made up as much as 85% dropped to a maximum of 25% while OSAP loans increased to a minimum of 75%. This forces students to take on more debt than ever before. It means more debt, higher costs, more barriers for students who are already struggling with the high cost of living, rent, food, and housing.

We’ve seen these attacks before. From the passing of Bill 33 in 2025, to the 2019 cuts to OSAP and the persistent underfunding of post-secondary education – the very cause of the current crisis in the sector. Students and workers continue to bear the burden of provincial failures.

Join students and workers across the province in saying NO to OSAP cuts and tuition fee increases! Tell the Ford Government: Hands Off Our Education! Hands Off Our OSAP!

The Canadian Federation of Students Ontario, CUPE Ontario and OPSEU are organizing a rally on March 24th:
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
1:30 PM
Queens Park

These changes not only hurt students but workers and members across the province.
Students and Workers United! Bring your CUPE flags and voices, see you there!

In solidarity,
CUPE Ontario

An Open Letter to Brock University Leadership

To:  Dr. Lesley Rigg, Brock University President and Vice Chancellor
      Dr. Arja Vainio, Provost and Vice President, Academic, Brock University
      Ms. Anne McCourt, Brock University Board of Trustees Chair
      

From: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4207 Executive


17 March 2026

On Friday, March 13, a number of Brock University employees had their last day of work at Brock University or had their last day of work before moving on to a new position under the guise of “restructuring”.

The CUPE 4207 Executive demands that Brock University:

– Release all Sustainability Reviews (in unredacted format) that were conducted by KPMG for Brock University and upload them to Brock University’s Sustainability Reviews section of the Brock University website by the end of March 31, 2026.

https://brocku.ca/sustainability-reviews/

– Release the number of non-union positions that were eliminated due to “restructuring” to the Brock University community via the Sustainability Review section of the website.

-Voluntarily recognize all full-time Academic Coordinators in all Faculties as being unionized members of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) 35 bargaining unit at Brock University. Not doing so would be akin to union busting techniques.

– Put an immediate pause on any workplace restructuring, recognizing that the first phase of restructuring involved the elimination of workers who were mostly women.

– Consult with each campus trade union during the pause on restructuring. This includes allowing each union to present alternatives to job losses / reductions of work at the university.

– Provide an explanation of how increasing Senior Administrative salaries during a period of job losses for others serves Brock University students.

The CUPE 4207 Executive looks forward to hearing from you by March 31. Correspondence should be sent to:   info@cupe4207.org 

The CUPE 4207 Executive Committee

Unit 4 Clinical Nursing Instructors – Strike Mandate Vote Presentations

Unit 4 Clinical Nursing Instructors Strike Mandate Vote Presentations!

What is a strike mandate vote?
A vote that gives bargaining power. Not a vote to strike.

Why now?
The employer is refusing movement on Wages, Health Care Spending Account for members, & an annual stipend to the union for administration of the Collective Agreement.

Why YES?
A strong mandate forces employer movement and help avoid strikes.

Strike Mandate Presentations:

Tuesday, March 17th at Noon on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WrMeaH5KRvKC78L9MznhcA#/registration

Thursday, March 19th at Noon on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/CQvPlu9QTXG0AzTaacgYug#/registration

Unit 4 Members will be emailed a ballot.

Voting opens on March 19th at 1pm & closes on March 23rd at 1pm.

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!

Labour Social!

Labour Social

Saturday, March 7th from 3-5pm at Brass Monkey in St. Catharines, 67 St. Paul Street.

This event is hosted by CUPE Ontario and Brock Labour Studies.