The Communiqué – Volume 46, No. 9 – Jan. 19, 2024 – Carleton University Academic Staff Association

The Communiqué – Volume 46, No. 9 – Jan. 19, 2024

In this Issue:

CUASA Winter 2024 General Membership Meeting, February 1
Solidarity with CUPE 2424
Get involved: Volunteer with CUASA
Disability Caucus and 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Caucus Upcoming Meetings
Updates from OCUFA and CAUT

CUASA Winter 2024 General Membership Meeting, February 1

CUASA’s Winter 2024 General Membership Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 1, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

The GMM will take place over Zoom. Advance registration is required. Members can find the registration link in their emails (contact [email protected] if you can’t find it).

The full agenda and other materials will be released closer to the date. Members can expect the GMM to include updates on the preparations for collective bargaining, what’s happening with Bill 124, and discussions on the upcoming Instructor conversion to Teaching Faculty. We hope you can attend to hear and discuss these and other important updates from your CUASA representatives.

Note: Only Association members, meaning those who have returned a completed membership form, may participate in the internal administration of CUASA. Staff will be checking GMM registrations against the membership list and will contact any registrants who have not completed a membership form to ask them to do so before their registration will be approved. If you have any questions or wish to verify your membership status, please contact [email protected].

CUASA has started a practice of asking for volunteers to give land acknowledgements for Association meetings. Accordingly, we are seeking a volunteer from the membership to give a land acknowledgement at the start of the GMM. If interested, please email [email protected].

Solidarity with CUPE 2424

CUASA stands in solidarity with the members of CUPE 2424, who are currently in bargaining with the University. CUPE 2424 represents over 1,000 administrative, technical, and library workers at Carleton. We wish them good luck in their negotiations!

Click here for more and regularly updated information on CUPE 2424’s bargaining.

Get involved: Volunteer with CUASA

The Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time, ideas and commitment of members to achieve and update CUASA’s goals. If you’d like to contribute to CUASA’s work and positions, here are some ways you can help:

… join CUASA’s leadership with a role on the Steering Committee

The Steering Committee helps to set direction for the union, and administers Association policies. This committee meets once a month during the academic year, and roles on Steering typically include teaching releases in exchange for your service. We’re still looking for a volunteer to serve as CUASA’s Vice President.

… serve as a member of Anti-Racism Working Group

This Working Group is open to any CUASA member interested in addressing the issue of racism at Carleton. It usually meets once a month during the academic year.

… join the new Mobilization Committee

This new Committee, approved by Council in May, is responsible for member mobilization and possible strike preparation as CUASA enters negotiations for a new collective agreement next spring 2024. The committee will likely meet once a month during the academic year.

For more information, or to volunteer for any of these positions, please contact the CUASA’s Chair, Nominations and Elections, Wasiu Raji, at [email protected].

Disability Caucus and 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Caucus Upcoming Meetings

CUASA’s 2SLBGTQIA+ Pride Caucus and Disability Caucus are now meeting regularly, and we are happy to welcome new members. If you are interested in participating in either caucus group, please contact Equity Officer Max López at [email protected] for more details. These caucus groups are intended to be a way for people from equity-seeking groups to find community connections, socialize, organize, support one another, and share ideas with each other and with CUASA. These groups typically meet once or twice a term, with the potential to meet more frequently if the members would prefer.

Updates from OCUFA and CAUT

New federal security restrictions: CAUT warns of negative impact on research and researchers

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) says the federal government’s new research security restrictions raise concerns about academic freedom and international scientific collaboration.

“Restrictions on university research and academic freedom can only be justified in rare cases,” said CAUT Executive Director David Robinson. “It is important that any restrictions be specific and not broadly defined, be based on fact and not conjecture, and do not target specific communities.”

See the full statement from CAUT.

Application Portal open for 2023-2024 OCUFA Awards of Distinction

OCUFA is now accepting nominations and applications for the 2023-2024 OCUFA Awards of Distinction.

Nomination and application deadline: March 8, 2024

The following awards are open for nominations:

Nominate someone for the Equity and Social Justice Award
Nominate someone for the OCUFA Service Award
Nominate someone for the Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award
Nominate someone for a Teaching and Academic Librarianship Award

The following fellowships are open for applications:

Read more about the purpose and guidelines for the OCUFA Awards of Distinction and past winners.

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