An Arbitrator recently ruled that the actions of a Dean in removing the responsibility for a University exchange program from a faculty member’s assigned duties for the 2015-2016 academic year was a violation of the collective agreement, and that the Dean’s action was discriminatory and retaliatory in nature because the member had expressed her intention to possibly file a grievance over her workload assignment.

The arbitrator’s ruling also notes that there was no prior consultation with the member about the change in the assignment, nor had this been discussed at a meeting of the faculty as required by the collective agreement.