News Items
Academic staff from across Canada to lobby for more funding
Academic staff associations from across Canada will be meeting with their Members of Parliament this Thursday for CAUT’s annual Parliament Hill Day. They will be calling on MPs to support CAUT’s demand to boost funding through the granting councils for untargeted, peer-reviewed basic research. “These meetings are particularly important now, because increased investments in post-secondary education and research are vital in aiding the economic recovery and promoting long-term social development,” said CAUT executive director James Turk. MPs will be pressed to support increased transfer payments for post-secondary education to the provinces and to make education more accessible by lowering tuition fees and creating more student places
“Top five” universities spark anger with call for bigger share of funding
The presidents of Canada’s so-called “top five” universities have sparked anger across the country with their call for a bigger piece of the already small post-secondary education funding pie. The leaders of the universities of Toronto, British Columbia, Alberta and Montreal, and of McGill University say a new national strategy for post-secondary education should direct more of the available money for research to their institutions. [more]
Minister Goodyear Tampers With Conference
CAUT has called upon Minister Goodyear to resign after learning that that the latter had attempted to persuade SSHRC president to withdraw the granting agency's support from a conference at York University because of its politically sensitive nature. Attached is an open letter that was sent to the President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council regarding SSHRC's capitulation to Minster of Science and Technology Gary Goodyear's intervention regarding the York University conference on Israel/Palestine to be held June 22-24. [CAUT Open Letter to SSHRC President (2009-06-12)]
Call for Boycott
THIS BOYCOTT HAS ENDED! Ken Georgetti, President of the Canadian Labour Congress is calling for a boycott of Old Dutch Snack Foods Ltd at the request of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Local 401. According to UFCW President, on March 29, 2009, the company locked out 170 members in Calgary, Alberta. Their Collective Agreement had expired more than a year ago. Extenuating circumstances which have prompted this call for a boycott include the facts that the company did not agree to have all union members pay dues, and they have refused to negotiate the rand formula as part of the Collective Agreement with the union. [more]
Stimulus package must include money for post-secondary education/research
In a presentation to Conservative members of the Parliamentary Finance Committee on January 8, CAUT called on the federal government to implement a fiscal stimulus package that boosts Canada’s research and development capacity, invests in universities and colleges, and makes post-secondary education more accessible. “The current economic crisis demands measures that provide both immediate stimulus and long-term benefits that will strengthen our economy and society,” said CAUT’s associate executive director David Robinson. “Key investments in research and education and training are absolutely vital for their immediate impact, but also for laying the foundation for the future economic and social security of all Canadians.” [more]
Copyright bill hurts education and research
The federal government's new copyright legislation will restrict teachers' and students' access to electronic documents and on-line material, CAUT is warning. "We are deeply disappointed that the Harper government caved into the demands of the American entertainment industry and is limiting the rights of Canadians to access information and entertainment," said executive director James Turk. [more]
WLU collective agreement ratified
The Contract Academic Staff (CAS) bargaining unit has ratified the collective agreement as negotiated between the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) and the University Administration. “The ratification vote reflects the faith that our members have in their negotiating team,” Dr. Judy Bates said. “Everyone over the course of the three year period will be paid more per course and the rates are approaching the levels being paid by our competitors. Those who have seniority will enjoy a higher rate of pay for all courses that they teach.” [more]
Trent Faculty Association deplores Court’s treatment of Member
On February 15th Professor Paula Sherman, a Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) member, was charged with contempt of court, sentenced to six months in jail and fined $15,000 by Superior Court Justice, Douglas Cunningham. Her colleague, Robert Lovelace, a Queen’s Professor, was also jailed for six months and fined $25,000.[more]
Federal budget: little on offer for post-secondary education
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) says the 2008 federal budget lacks any coherent vision for post-secondary education and research. CAUT executive director Jim Turk says that aside from the creation of the Canada Student Grant Program, the budget ignores the most pressing needs of universities and colleges. “The new grant program announced today is a step in the right direction, but by simply consolidating money from existing programs it means there’s no real new support for students in the current year.” Turk emphasizes that the government is providing no new money for post-secondary education through the Canada Social Transfer. [more]
Strike ends at St. Thomas University
Classes are set to resume this week at St. Thomas University after striking professors and the administration agreed to binding arbitration. Dawn Morgan, spokesperson for the faculty union, said that while progress was being made at the bargaining table, significant differences remained, and that allowing an arbitrator to resolve the final issues was the best way to ensure classes could resume. “We had reached this serious impasse and we could evaluate that we weren’t going to get any further through the negotiation route,” said Morgan. “We don’t have to give up the fight, but we can go back to the classroom.” [more]