15.01
a. Teaching Assistants (TAS)
- Where there are more TA positions available in a Department or College than there are qualified graduate students in that Department or College, the University will post notice of the availability of all remaining TA position(s) in the Department or College for no less than seven (7) days.
- The Employer shall make every reasonable effort to post all remaining TA positions in a Department or College at the same time. Where identical positions are available, a single posting indicating the number of identical positions is sufficient. Positions shall be posted as early as possible in the academic term prior to the term of employment, but in no case shall the postings be later than twenty-one (21) days before the beginning of the academic term. Exceptions to this shall follow the provisions outlined in Article 15.05.
- A TA assignment totaling twenty (20) hours or less per appointment is not required to be posted. Assignments will be reported to the Union at the end of each academic term. Article 16.09 Letters of Offer shall apply, and such appointments shall be distributed equitably amongst qualified employees.
- The Employer will invite students to express their preferences for assignments. Students applying for posted positions may indicate preferences at the time of application. The Employer will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests consistent with the student's skills, abilities and experience.
The expression of preferences or application, in the case of a multiple job posting, shall indicate how many positions the applicant wishes to fill (subject to Article 14 – Hours of Work) as well as any information that may assist in the selection process (e.g. academic merit, relevant experience including the number of prior TA appointments, the classes completed in the discipline and the grades obtained in those relevant classes, etc.).
b. Research Assistants (RAs) and Student Assistants (SAs)
- RA positions offered by a student’s academic supervisor or any member of the student’s advisory committee are not required to be posted.
- A RA or SA assignment totaling twenty (20) hours or less per appointment are not required to be posted, but Article 16.09 Letters of Offer shall apply.
- All other RA and SA positions shall be posted for at least seven (7) days.
- Where identical positions are available, a single posting indicating the number of identical positions is sufficient.
15.02
All postings shall be made on the University employment opportunities website. Each department or college may display its own postings on its own bulletin boards or in another place designated for that purpose. The Employer shall provide a weekly report to the Union on all job postings for positions in the bargaining unit.
15.03
The posting shall contain a brief description of the duties, the supervisor (if known), the skills and abilities required, the rate of pay, the required number of hours, the duration of the employment and to whom the application must be submitted.
15.04
- All postings where registration in a graduate program is a requirement for appointment shall indicate the position will be in-scope of PSAC.
- All other postings shall note: “Where a graduate student is appointed to this position, it will be in-scope of PSAC.”
15.05 Urgency Provisions
The Employer shall make every reasonable effort to meet the posting timeline as per 15.01. Where, for urgent or other bona fide reasons, it is not possible to respect the timelines identified in clause 15.01, every reasonable effort shall be made to post the position(s) for a shortened period. Where a shortened posting process is not possible, the posting period shall be waived. In either circumstance above, the Employer shall inform the Union of the rationale for the shortened period or the waiver. The Employer may fill such positions without posting but will make reasonable efforts to follow the appointment procedure.
15.06
Candidates who decline an offer of appointment shall not prejudice an Employee’s future appointment opportunities in any way.
Letters of Offer
15.07
All successful candidates shall receive a letter of offer that shall contain, as a minimum, the following information: course (if applicable), general location of work, start date, end date, total hours of employment, name of Supervisor, rate of pay, average hours of work per day and/or week, and a general outline of duties and responsibilities. The letter shall also include the web address of the current Collective Agreement, the web address of the current University policies and procedure, the web address of the PSAC Local 400004 website and a statement encouraging the candidate to provide a copy of the letter of offer to PSAC Local 40004.
15.08
The Employer shall ensure all successful candidates receive letters of offer before their appointment begins.