The Teaching Assistants’ Union of Memorial University of Newfoundland (TAUMUN) provided mattbarter.ca with a copy of its Financial Investigation Committee (FIC) report to help raise awareness of its findings and increase transparency and accountability. The report identified serious breaches of financial protocol and issued recommendations for reform and possible expulsions.
Excessive Honorarium Payments
The FIC was struck following concerns raised by the president during a March 31, 2025, Semi-Annual AGM, specifically regarding honorariums and financial reimbursements. The committee was also tasked with investigating any related financial misconduct.
The investigation found that the protocol of distribution was not consistently followed, leading to abuse. During the 2023-24 fiscal year, $22,239.08 was distributed among six executives, which was significantly more than what was budgeted for that expense.
The October 2024 honorarium was $7,271.89, breaching policies. With only $5,983.20 budgeted per semester, this payment exceeded the limit.
Former President and Treasurer at the Centre of Misconduct
The 2023-24 president was the largest offender, receiving a total of $5,684.25 through four separate payments. He allocated 47.49 per cent of the Union’s administration budget to his personal compensation and received 25.56 per cent of all honorarium received during that fiscal year.
His final and largest payment, $1,737.10, covered just one month of work in October 2024. By comparison, when he served as Secretary, he made $639.94 for his six-month term and received only one payment.
The treasurer, who served from 2022 to 2024, was the second largest offender. He received $7,412.02 over six payments, accounting for 31.26 per cent of all allocated administration funds. The treasurer and the president were the only cheque signers for these transactions.
The 2023-24 TAUMUN executive board also did not release a 2024 financial report.
A Path Forward
TAUMUN’s lawyer advised that the October 2024 Honorarium was neither constitutionally nor ethically distributed. However, the lawyer recommended against pursuing repayment due to the legal costs. The chair of the investigation committee recommended focusing on the prevention of future breaches.
The lawyer also recommended implementing the proposed stipend policy, which includes strict guidelines for executive compensation.
The committee additionally recommended the expulsion of all previous 2023-24 executive members from the Union for breach of duties. It also recommended the adoption of an audit policy mandating an external audit every year, the adoption of stronger whistleblower, transparency, and accountability measures for monetary distribution by the executives, and a code of conduct agreement.
Download the report and policy proposal files below:
Matt Barter is a graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, holding a degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, taking walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
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