University of Windsor, EECC Terms of Reference, Page 1 of 6
Approved January 2013, Updated March 2015, Revised February 2019
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY COORDINATING COMMITTEE
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Introduction
1.1 In 1995, the Employer and the Employee Groups of the University of
Windsor agreed to establish an Employment Equity Coordinating
Committee (hereafter called the “Committee”). The Employer and
Employee Groups carry out their joint Committee responsibilities in
good faith, separately from the normal collective bargaining process.
1.2 The Committee will work to ensure fair, equitable and barrier-free
employment practices in accordance with the Employment Equity Act
and its Regulations.
2. Mandate
2.1 Notwithstanding other determinations that may be made by the
Committee under Section 41 of the General Regulations of the
Employment Equity Act, the Committee shall:
(a) Inform all employees about the joint steps undertaken by the
Committee.
(b) Review workforce survey in accordance with the Act and its
Regulations.
(c) Review and provide input on all employment policies and
practices, written or unwritten, that are employer wide and do
not infringe on individual collective agreements.
(d) Ensure a coherent, coordinated approach to employment
equity throughout the University Community.
(e) Perform all other joint responsibilities as may be agreed to by
the Committee.
University of Windsor, EECC Terms of Reference, Page 2 of 6
Approved January 2013, Updated March 2015, Revised February 2019
3. Composition of the Coordinating Committee
3.1 The Committee shall have one representative plus one alternate from
each Employee Group.
The Employee Groups represented on the Committee are:
UNIFOR Local 195 Campus Community Police and Parking Services
UNIFOR Local 2458 Engineers and Refrigeration Mechanics
UNIFOR Local 2458 Full-Time Office & Clerical Staff
UNIFOR Local 2458 Part-Time Office & Clerical Staff
C.U.P.E. Local 1001 Housekeeping, Grounds and Food Services Staff
C.U.P.E. Local 1393 Technical, Trades & Professional Staff
C.U.P.E. Local 4580 Graduate Assistants & Teaching Assistants
Managerial and Professional (Non-Managerial)
Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA)
3.2 The Committee shall have Employer representatives no greater than
an equal number to the Employee Group representatives. The
inclusion of persons under 3.3 are counted within the balance
requirements of representation.
The Employer representatives will include an appointee who exercises
managerial functions from the following:
An Academic Unit (Dean or Associate Dean)
An Administrative Unit
Department of Human Resources
Faculty Relations
Libraries
Legal Services
Managerial and Professional (Managerial)
Student Affairs
Any other Employer Representative
3.3 The Committee may additionally include an appointee from each of the
following:
SWDEAC (Status of Women, Diversity, Equity, Action Committee)
Windsor University Retiree Association (WURA)
A Member(s) at Large from any administrative unit
University of Windsor, EECC Terms of Reference, Page 3 of 6
Approved January 2013, Updated March 2015, Revised February 2019
3.4 The Executive Director of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and
Accessibility (OHREA) and the Employment Equity and Human Rights
Manager of the Office of Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility (OHREA)
shall serve as voting Ex-Officio members.
3.5 Members of the Committee and alternates shall receive education and
training in the requirements of the Act and on such basis as the
Committee deems appropriate.
3.6 The Committee will have one Chair (the Executive Director of Human
Rights, Equity and Accessibility) and two Vice-Chairs (one Employer
and one Employee Group member). The Vice-Chairs will rotate annually
within each group. The two Vice-Chairs will alternate chairing meetings
where the Chair is absent.
3.7 A quorum is fifty per cent plus one (50% + 1) of the Committee
members, as long as there is at least one member from Employer
members, Employee Group members, and Ex-Officio members present.
3.8 Alternate Committee members may attend meetings of the Committee
with the appointed Committee member but will not participate in the
Committee’s decision making except in the absence of the appointed
Committee members.
3.9 The Committee, the Employer or an Employee Group, may invite
resource staff to participate in Committee meetings, as required by the
agenda. These resource staff will not be entitled to vote.
4. Compensation of the Coordinating Committee Members
4.1 Time spent by the Employee Group representative shall be considered
as time worked at the applicable rate of pay.
4.2 An employee who is representing a bargaining unit is entitled to spend
whatever time during the regular work day away from his or her regular
work that the employer and the bargaining unit agree is necessary to:
(a) Attend meetings between the employer and the bargaining
agent concerning their joint responsibilities;
(b) Prepare for any of these meetings; and
University of Windsor, EECC Terms of Reference, Page 4 of 6
Approved January 2013, Updated March 2015, Revised February 2019
(c) Carry out duties from any of those meetings.
4.3 Time that an employee of the employer spends on these activities is
deemed to be work time for which the employee shall be paid at the
regular or premium rate, as is appropriate.
4.4 These members shall continue to have all rights and privileges of the
collective agreement, including access to the grievance procedure,
promotional opportunities and salary increments to which the employee
would normally be entitled.
4.5 Committee members or their appointed alternate shall be granted leave
of absence with full compensation and without loss of service and
seniority for periods of time spent to attend training and education
sessions.
5. Structure and Operation of the Coordinating Committee
5.1 The Committee shall normally meet three times a year: typically Fall,
Winter and Spring. The meetings are to be scheduled to take place at
least two weeks prior to the President’s Committee on Diversity and
Inclusion’s quarterly meetings.
5.2 Secretary to the Committee: The Office of Human Rights, Equity &
Accessibility (OHREA) will arrange for a secretary to be present at each
meeting to take minutes. These will be the official minutes of the
meetings. The secretary shall not be a member of the Committee.
5.3 Meetings will start and end at a pre-scheduled time, unless otherwise
agreed by consensus.
6. Agendas
6.1 Except in unusual circumstances, agenda items and supporting
documentation should be forwarded to OHREA, who has the
responsibility for preparing the agenda, no later than seven (7) calendar
days prior to the meetings. Materials must be forwarded to the
committee four (4) working days prior to the meeting except in unusual
circumstances. The Chair(s) may review and approve the agenda and
agree to allow agenda items which have been submitted after the
deadline.
University of Windsor, EECC Terms of Reference, Page 5 of 6
Approved January 2013, Updated March 2015, Revised February 2019
7. Decision Making of the Coordinating Committee
7.1 Decisions will be reached by consensus. Meetings will be conducted in
accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
7.2 Further, Committee members have a duty to state their
approval/disapproval of issues/reports etc. in a timely manner. As
appropriate, telephone polling, written correspondence and/or email
correspondence will suffice in receiving this information.
7.3 In the event that the Committee is unable to reach agreement on any
matter including the mandate related to the interpretation, application or
administration of the Employment Equity Act, all concerns will be
considered, and all parties will act in good faith and agree to
demonstrate their best effort to do so in a timely manner.
8. Mandate Review
The Mandate of the Committee shall be reviewed on an annual basis.
9. Provision of Information
Any information that the Committee deems appropriate shall be posted
in each work site in accordance with the Regulations.
(Updated, November 2018) Page 6 of 6
President’s Committee on
Diversity & Inclusion (PCDI
Employment Equity
Coordinating Committee
(EECC)
Plan
and
Approve
and
Employment
Equity Recruiting
& Attraction
Employment
Equity Inclusion &
Retention
Employment
Equity Training &
Education
Workgroup
Committees