LUFA says no to government interference in free collective bargaining

SUDBURY, Ontario, Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) announced that it is launching a Charter challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms against the Government of Ontario for interfering with its free and fair collective bargaining process.

A loan agreement in effect until 2038 signed between the Government of Ontario and the Laurentian University administration includes language that limits the possibility of bargaining the terms of the pension plan, a key issue for faculty at the institution. The fallout of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) insolvency filing in 2021 imposed a contract for faculty, which included a series of concessions that worsened their working conditions.

“Now that our university finds itself in a stable financial situation, one that should allow it to reimburse its loan to the government in full, we demand that the injustice brought on by the CCAA filing end here,” said Fabrice Colin, President of LUFA. “Our right to free and fair collective bargaining, as protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is the path to restoring the working conditions we know our members deserve.”

The 2021 CCAA proceedings put a halt to negotiations between LUFA and the administration and imposed a contract on faculty that included salary cuts, changes to the pension plan, and job losses.

“For the last four years, our members have made enormous sacrifices to ensure Laurentian University could continue to serve francophone, northern and Indigenous communities across the province,” said Colin. “It is only fair that the Government of Ontario remove any limitations to our right to bargain fully the terms of our pension, or, allow our employer be able to repay its debts so it can get back to the bargaining table and deliver on fair working conditions, comparable to those enjoyed by colleagues at other universities across the province.”

LUFA joins a wave of labour unions fighting provincial and federal governments for running interference in ongoing negotiations between unions and their employers. The federal government had passed legislation amending the CCAA to prevent another public university from filling for insolvency under the act.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations are both supporting LUFA and will seek intervenor status in this Charter challenge.

Media contact:

Anne Lecomte
alecomte@lufappul.org
647-212-8730

Katie Duklas
Katie.duklas@mediaprofile.com

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