Mount Allison faculty and librarians have voted 96% in favour of new part-time and full-time collective agreements in a November 25-27 ballot.

The new collective agreements run for three years retroactive from July 1, 2024.  The ratification vote followed a negotiated tentative settlement that was achieved after nineteen meetings between the two sides’ bargaining teams. Members of the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) had been working without new collective agreements for five months.

Notable changes in the new agreements include improvements in the language on equity in hiring processes, a process to confirm Indigenous identity, indigenization of the tenure and promotion criteria, workload improvements for those with external research grants, and economic adjustments that begin to compensate members for high inflation during the pandemic.

Dr. Karen Bamford, MAFA President, said that she was pleased that the Employer agreed to replicate what the collective agreements would look like based on the sector bargaining pattern, and to do this without going through provincial conciliation or threats of lockout or job action.

“This agreement certainly has the potential to improve the relationship between our members and the Employer but there are still irritants to address before we can say with confidence that we are on a path towards a better atmosphere,” she said.

MAFA represents around 215 full- and part-time faculty members and librarians.

Media Release, December 20, 2024

            The Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) has announced its 2024 donations to local charities.

            “Every year the Mount Allison Faculty Association makes donations to local charities and organizations, as a way of supporting the good work going on in and around Tantramar,” says MAFA President Laurie Ricker.

            This holiday season MAFA is donating $7500 to fifteen groups supporting our community. Earlier in the year, MAFA donated $3700 in support of a Mount Allison refugee student through World University Services of Canada.

“Because food insecurity is once again one of our biggest current issues we decided to single this out and make our largest donation, to the Sackville Food Bank,” Ricker said.    

            The other fourteen organizations receiving support are the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Cumberland Health Care Foundation, Festival by the Marsh, Marshlight Theatre Company, NB Media Co-op, New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation, Sackville Music Festival, Sackville Public Library, Sexual Health Center of Cumberland County, South East Adult Education, Tantramar Heritage Trust, Tantramar Seniors’ College,  and the 3006 Dieppe Army Cadets.

“As is often the case our members decided to support a mix of organizations that provide help to those in need, as well as educational and cultural initiatives in the local and regional communities,” Ricker says.

            MAFA is the bargaining agent for 210 full-time and part-time professors and librarians at Mount Allison University.

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For more information, call Geoff Martin, (506) 364-2289.

December 21, 2023

Media Release

Faculty Association makes annual holiday season donations

            The Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) has announced its 2023 donations to local charities.

            “Every year the Mount Allison Faculty Association makes donations to local charities and non-profit organizations: it’s way of supporting the good work going on in and around Sackville,” says MAFA President Karen Bamford.

            This holiday season MAFA is donating $7500 to eighteen local groups. Earlier in the year, MAFA donated $3600 in support of a Mount Allison refugee student through World University Services of Canada.

“Because food insecurity seems to be one of our biggest current issues we decided to single this out and make our largest donation to the Sackville Food Bank,” Bamford said.    

            The other twelve organizations receiving support are Autumn House, Canadian Sea Turtle Network, Common Front for Social Justice, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Cumberland Health Care Foundation, NB Media Co-Op, New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, R Peace, Sackville Music Festival, Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation, Sexual Health Centre of Cumberland County, and South East Adult Education.

“As is often the case our members decided to support a mix of organizations that provide help to those in need, as well as educational and cultural initiatives in the local and regional communities,” Bamford says.  Organizations that wish to be considered for a donation in 2024 should contact MAFA ([email protected]) by next October 31st.       MAFA is the bargaining agent for 200 full-time and part-time professors and librarians at Mount Allison University.

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For more information, call Geoff Martin, (506) 364-2289.

November 10, 2023

In the month since the Hamas attack on October 7th, the crisis in the Middle East has escalated alarmingly, and humanity seems to be at a dangerous moment: revenge and permanent retaliation have become normalized. Last week the UN issued an urgent warning that “time is running out to prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza” as Israeli government officials have advocated death and forcible displacement of civilians in Gaza, the intentional bombing of Palestinian educational, health and religious institutions, and the collective punishment of the population via the current blockade of goods, including fuel, electricity and water. This is happening in the context of on-going Western (and Canadian) condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russian military conduct in that war; and after decades of the destruction of Palestinian homes and livelihoods and gradual, illegal expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank, that may well be a harbinger of what will come in Gaza.

Therefore, MAFA joins the voices of our colleagues from other Canadian universities, and Canadian civil society organizations demanding the Canadian government 1) call for an immediate ceasefire; 2) end all forms of Canadian military and financial aid, including arms sales, to Israel; 3) call for talks under the auspices of the United Nations to find a durable and just political solution to this conflict; 4) call for the release of all hostages and the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli prisons; 5) pressure Israel to lift the unlawful blockade on Gaza, 6) condemn Israel’s violation of international humanitarian law and laws of war and support investigation by the International Criminal Court; and 7) pressure the Israeli government to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.

Sources in original document:

Gaza is ‘running out of time’ UN experts warn, demanding a ceasefire to prevent genocide — https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/11/gaza-running-out-time-un-experts-warn-demanding-ceasefire-prevent-genocide

Open letter to PM Justin Trudeau – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lH6dlpMGMmHjsWiiOowneevVzv7xr8pSZyXzS7J1Vho/edit

Resignation Letter from Craig Mokhiber, Director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – 28/10/2023 — https://iaffairscanada.com/resignation-letter-from-craig-mokhiber-director-of-the-new-york-office-of-the-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-28-10-2023/

Israel: Unlawful Gaza Blockade Deadly for Children — https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/18/israel-unlawful-gaza-blockade-deadly-children

In light of the current wave of protests against gender inclusive education, MAFA affirms its solidarity with, and support for, the 2SLGBTQI community, as well as its support of inclusive school policies in New Brunswick and nationally. We stand with the courageous students, parents, educators, unions, and activists among others who have made their voices heard and made it clear that school should be a safe place for all. 

For more information and resources see:

New Brunswick’s Changes To 2SLGBTQ+ Policy Limits Children’s Rights, Violates Human Rights Act: Report – Canadian Anti-Hate Network (antihate.ca)

Home – Egale

Statement from Bea Bruske: Canada’s unions reaffirm support for 2SLGBTQI+ community | Canadian Labour Congress

In solidarity, 

Karen Bamford

President, Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA)

P. O. Box 6314, Sackville, NB  E4L 1G6
Email: [email protected] 

web site: www.mafa.ca  Twitter: @MAFA_MTA

Facebook: Mount Allison Faculty Association​

December 22, 2022

Media Release

            The Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) has announced its 2022 donations to local charities.

            “Every year the Mount Allison Faculty Association makes donations to local charities and organizations, as a way of supporting the good work going on in and around Sackville,” says MAFA President Karen Bamford.

            This holiday season MAFA is donating $6500 to eighteen groups supporting our community. Earlier in the year, MAFA donated $3400 in support of a Mount Allison refugee student through World University Services of Canada.    

            Local organizations receiving support include the  Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick, Autumn House, Common Front for Social Justice, Cumberland Health Care Foundation, Equity Enterprises, Festival by the Marsh, Kavana Wa Kiele Bursary at Mount Allison University, Live Bait Theatre, NB Media Co-Op, New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, R Peace, Sackville Food Bank, Sackville Music Festival, Sackville Playschool, Sackville Public Library, South East Adult Education, Tantramar Heritage Trust and Tantramar Regional High School Pantry Initiative  .

“As is often the case our members decided to support a mix of organizations that provide help to those in need, as well as educational and cultural initiatives in the local and regional communities,” Bamford says. “In particular we focused on the Sackville Food Bank because we are concerned about the escalating cost of basic grocery items,” she says. 

            MAFA is the bargaining agent for 200 full-time and part-time professors and librarians at Mount Allison University.

For more information, call Geoff Martin, (506) 364-2289.

Friday, April 8, 2022

Joint Statement

Mount Allison University, the Mount Allison Faculty Association and Professor Rima Azar (the “Parties”) are announcing today that all matters in dispute between them have been resolved.

The University received student complaints and took these complaints seriously pursuant to the Policy on Workplace Harassment and the Anti-Racism Policy. The Parties agree that these processes are important and complaints of this nature from our students need to be taken seriously.

Where all parties have agreed that fostering a respectful and inclusive learning environment – one which also recognizes academic freedom – is of the utmost importance, we consider all outstanding issues in dispute resolved, and no further commentary will be offered.

January 10, 2022
The Mount Allison Faculty Association calls on the Government of New Brunswick to preserve and enhance the role of the Sackville Memorial Hospital and supports wholeheartedly the social movement that is working to draw attention to the current cuts being imposed on our health care in Sackville and Tantramar.

The Sackville Memorial Hospital is very important to the people of Sackville and Tantramar more broadly, and to the future of Mount Allison University, which hosts over 2000 students each year. High-quality, local health care is essential to attract and retain faculty and librarians and other university employees, including once they retire. Over the years many cuts have been made to the hospital, such as in the area of bed reduction and services such as obstetrics and outpatient care. This has often been based on the flawed belief that moving medical services to Moncton and other centres is the only way to offer these services.

The centralization of health care provision is also inequitable. Not everyone can afford or has access to travel to Amherst or Moncton, often to face long waits for service, and these trips in the winter can be hazardous in their own right. Not everyone has good health insurance that covers the cost of ambulance trips. Patients are often isolated from their families if they cannot be treated in their own community.

We are concerned that when governments divest from a community, others will follow this lead and divest as well. With this in mind, over the years the community has also generated many ideas to make Sackville Memorial Hospital thrive, but governments have persisted in moving in the opposite direction. It is time for the provincial government to work with our communities to rebuild health care in the Sackville area.

Media Release                                                  For Immediate Release

December 16, 2021

MAFA Ratifies Collective Agreement extension

(Sackville, NB) – The Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) announces that the full-time and part-time faculty and librarians of Mount Allison University have approved a two-year extension of the full-time and part-time collective agreements. The agreement with the Employer was signed today.

Over 90% of the members voting supported the proposal, in which the two collective agreements now run until June 30, 2024. Seventy percent of all members participated in the on-line vote. All employees get pay increases over the term of the extension and there is increased seniority pay for part-time members as well as a significant improvement in workload.

MAFA president Erin Steuter says that she is “very pleased with the level of participation in the vote late in the term during the pandemic, and I want to thank our Executive and the membership for their work and engagement on these issues.”

She also said that making progress on workload has been important to members for a number of years. “Providing long-term assurance of replacement of faculty members and librarians on sabbatical leave is not only good for our members but for our academic programs and the students who rely on them,” she said.

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For more information contact:

Erin Steuter, [email protected]

August 10, 2021

The Mount Allison Faculty Association believes that all members of the university community should be strongly encouraged to vaccinate for personal and community protection, even in the absence of public health regulations or government orders mandating vaccines. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons some members of our community cannot or will not be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Vaccination is part of the tool kit that will help keep our community safe in what we hope are the late stages of this pandemic. Some of these tools are for individuals, such as vaccination and continuing to distance physically as well as wearing a mask or other personal protective equipment when appropriate. But some measures are for the employer, such as ensuring that enclosed spaces like labs and classrooms meet ventilation standards and that this is done in a transparent fashion. MAFA expects that the Employer’s future plans should be worked out in consultation with faculty through the representative body that exists for this purpose—the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

However, the core role of MAFA is to defend our members’ rights under the collective agreement. Whether or not the employer mandates vaccination, MAFA will work with members to ensure that they are accommodated in their particular situations, and to defend their rights under our collective agreements. If mandatory vaccination is implemented, it must be done by balancing health and safety legislation requirements (that employers take every reasonable precaution to protect employees) with the privacy and human rights provisions of relevant New Brunswick legislation.