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CUPE 2424 Communications on Carleton University Finances
Dear members,
In light of the university’s recent communication regarding its financial situation, we want to provide you with an update from CUPE 2424.
Our CUPE 2424 President and VP Internal, along with representatives from other professional services Locals (CUPE 910, 3778) and our CUPE National Servicing Representative met with the university this week to discuss their financial challenges. During the meeting, we received more detailed information about the University’s finances and factors contributing to the challenges. We proposed that the University ought to offer information sessions to provide the same details to the broader University community. We also requested, and the Employer has agreed, to present the information to our entire Executive Board next week to give the Union another opportunity to better understand the situation and to raise questions and concerns on behalf of our members.
At this time, the university has indicated that widespread layoffs are not part of their current plans to address their financial issues. Instead, they intend to focus on other cost-containment measures, some of which are expected to be shared with staff in the upcoming week. The Collective Agreement also provides some additional protection for members against job-loss where it stipulates that “There shall be no lay-off from the bargaining unit until a reasonable attempt has been made to make the necessary reductions in the work force through attrition…”.
We caution members against listening to rumors or speculation about potential impacts. CUPE 2424 will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as soon as new information becomes available.
We also encourage members to take part in the consultation process. You can submit your ideas or concerns directly through the Provost’s website at https://carleton.ca/provost/budget/. If you’d like to share your submission with CUPE 2424 as well, please send a copy to cupe2424@carleton.ca. Please note that sharing your ideas with CUPE is entirely voluntary and separate from the university’s own consultation process, and will help us better understand your perspectives and amplify your voices in our dealings with the university.
Thank you for your engagement and solidarity. We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Zone Officer or the CUPE 2424 office if you have questions or concerns.
March 4, 2025
Dear Members,
Carleton announced in November that it was experiencing “acute and material change” in their current and projected financial status resulting in significant financial stress. We know the post-secondary sector across the province and the country is facing similar challenges.
We updated in November that we had no indication from the University of widespread layoffs, and that is still the case. There have been three redundancies in a single department since the University’s announcement in November. We have added a section on redundancies and redeployment to the FAQ on our website to summarize the rights and protections that must be observed by the Employer, and the process that needs to be followed, when a position is declared redundant.
The employer introduced a Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program (VRIP) as one measure to help manage projected deficits since their announcement in November. We are currently awaiting more information about the results, including what is planned for the open positions. While the VRIP is a benefit to members who wish to take advantage of the incentive and is a better alternative to redundancies and layoffs, it does nevertheless create a lot of concern about reductions in positions and potential workload issues for other members.
To that end, the Union has been advocating strongly for the University to commit time and resources to improving processes to address excessive workload, including tools for employees and Managers. The Union will be here to advise and support members who are struggling with their workload as a result of reductions in staffing or the reorganization of duties and positions within their department.
We continue to seek information about what additional measures the Employer expects to take to further manage the financial situation. At this time, we understand the University will be looking at reducing positions through attrition first and foremost, where they deem it necessary.
While we know the financial challenges are real, we also know that budgets are a choice and we, along with our fellow campus Unions and associations, have been clear with Carleton that the burden to solve this problem cannot be placed squarely on workers.
We are continuing to monitor the situation while continuously seeking more information about the University’s financial status and possible measures intended to address the problem. This is a standing item at the Joint Committee for the Administration of the Agreement between the Union and University which meets every month.
We have also been meeting with other campus Unions and associations through Campus United to discuss our coordinated response. You may recall our Campus United townhall meeting on this matter in December and we are currently working on another townhall meeting with our campus allies to come soon.
We know there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty within our membership and we doing our utmost to remain current on the situation and to represent the interests of our members. We are prepared to support you in all the ways necessary should you be impacted.
We encourage all of you to share your thoughts and concerns directly with our employer as well. This can send a louder, stronger, clearer message to our employer that the Union and our members are unified against extreme austerity measures. You can make your thoughts known through the Provost and VP (Academic) submission page.
Dear members,
In response to Carleton University’s recent updates on the 2025–26 Operating Budget, CUPE 2424 has sent the attached Letter of Concern to Carleton University.
Every budget is a choice; how money is allocated—and how those decisions are made and communicated — directly impacts our work and community.
CUPE 2424 has initiated research into the university’s finances and has identified initial concerns detailed in our letter. Stay tuned as we continue our research!
This is a challenging time for workers at Carleton. We encourage our members to:
- Review your Collective Agreement (contact CUPE2424 for a hard copy)
- Stay informed through CUPE 2424 updates
- Attend CUPE 2424 events and share any thoughts, concerns, and challenges about the University’s finances via the CUPE 2424 CU Finances Webpage or by email to cupe2424@carleton.ca.
Your voice matters. Stay informed, connected, and ready to advocate for fairness and transparency together. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Zone Officer or the CUPE 2424 office if you have questions or concerns.