The Communiqué: Volume 47, No. 4. November 6, 2024
In This Issue:
- CUASA Bargaining News
- CUASA GMM
- OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award – Congratulations Heather MacDonald!
- Fair Employment Week
- Call for Nominations: Chair, Nominations and Elections
- Other News and Events
- Updates from OCUFA and CAUT
- Get involved! 2SLBGTQIA+ Pride Caucus and Disability Caucus
Bargaining News
CUASA’s Negotiating Team met with the Employer on November 4th. At this session Carleton’s Associate Vice-President of Financial Services – Angela Marcotte gave a presentation on the finances of the University which included explanations of the Employer’s planning and budgeting frameworks. When asked the Employer confirmed a commitment to continue to consult with Faculty Boards and on Campus unions in financial planning. CUASA and the Employer exchanged lists of articles, Letters of Understanding and appendices to be opened in bargaining. CUASA presented a partial list of proposed non-financial amendments to articles. Remaining non-financials will be presented at the next bargaining session scheduled for November 18th.
Watch your email and the CUASA website for bargaining updates going forward!
The 2021-24 Collective Agreement remains in force until a new agreement is concluded by both parties, or until a lockout or strike. CUASA will continue to regularly inform its members on collective bargaining.
CUASA General Membership Meeting (GMM)
The CUASA Fall General Membership Meeting on October 31st had record attendance! Thanks to all who came out and participated. Reports were given by the President, and the Collective Bargaining, Grievance, Finance and Internal Affairs committees. A round table on Strike Action was led CUASA’s External Relations Officer, Mayurika Chakravorty and featured guest presenters from Faculty unions from McGill (AMPL) and the University of Ontario (UOITFA). The “Motion in defense of Palestinian human rights and international law” forwarded by Council to the General Membership was debated and passed by of vote of 128 for, 65 opposed, and 1 noted abstention. The next GMM is scheduled for Thursday, January 30th at 3pm.
Congratulations!
CUASA member Heather MacDonald has been awarded the OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award. Heather was honoured for her support of academic programs and research, her design and delivery of information literacy programs, her curriculum development, course design, and academic publications. Read more about Heather’s accomplishments
Fair Employment Week
On October 30th CUASA was out with CUPE 4600 for Fair Employment Week on the Carleton Campus. There was coffee and donuts and solidarity. All academic staff deserve fair compensation for teaching, research, and service and CUASA is dedicated to the fight for better for all members of our Carleton community. Thanks to all who stopped by!
Call for Nominations on CUASA’s Steering Committee: Chair, Nominations and Elections
We are currently accepting nominations for the position of Chair, Nominations and Elections.
The Nominations and Elections Committee duties include managing the process of elections for vacant positions on CUASA bodies and notifying CUASA members of elections in which they are elegible to vote. The Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee is a voting member of the CUASA Steering Committee and an Ex officio voting member of CUASA Council. The term is of two years. They receive the equivalent of 0.5 course release in compensation annually.
Nominations must be made using the form found here. All nomination forms must include the signatures of the nominee and two Association members as nominators. Please send completed forms to [email protected].
Other News
Remembrance Day on Carleton Campus
CUASA President Dominique Marshall will join with representatives from CUPE 2024, CUSA and the GSA to lay wreaths at the Flagpoles on Library Road at 10:55 on Monday November 11th in remembrance of Canadians who have served throughout the nation’s history.
CUPW Strike
CUPW Ottawa Local 580’s President Naveed Khan is requesting support on Thursday November 7th, 2024, at 12:00pm at the Prime Minister’s offices located at Elgin and Wellington. Join workers demanding a fair contract with Canada Post.
The Ottawa and District Labour Council
In response to the local impacts of the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, United for All and United Way East Ontario hosted a conversation with scholars Mira Sucharov and Omar Dajani on identity, solidarity, and how we talk about Israel-Palestine. Omar Dajani, a Palestinian-American law professor and Mira Sucharov, a Canadian-Jewish political scientist, have been working together intensively for three years, including traveling together six times to Israel/Palestine as they write a book and develop a podcast on Diaspora attachments and a search for equality. In this moderated panel discussion, they discuss challenges facing North American communities in the current moment. In addition to providing analysis of the events in Israel/Palestine since the attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing brutal war in Gaza, Dajani and Sucharov will focus on ways we can better support one another here in Canada against the backdrop of rising antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and Islamophobia. This conversation took place on October 1, 2024. You can watch the full recording of the session here.
Updates from OCUFA and CAUT
OCUFA’s Third Annual Awards of Distinction
Approximately 100 guests – including faculty members; university leaders and administrators; law firm allies; friends in the labour movement – gathered to celebrate and honour members of the university community […] Read the full update from OCUFA
OCUFA at 60: Protecting good jobs and public education
Researcher Carol Anderson looks back at a tumultuous decade in the history of Ontario’s universities—and OCUFA’s role in its ups and downs. Read the full article
Call for Nominations for the Bernice Schrank Award
CAUT is soliciting nominations for the Bernice Schrank Award. The Award was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding contributions to the enforcement of academic staff workplace rights through grievance/arbitration. The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2025. More Information and Nomination Forms
Call for Nominations for the CAUT Equity Award
CAUT is soliciting nominations for the CAUT Equity Award. The Award was established in 2010 to recognize post-secondary academic staff and groups who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to challenging exclusionary behaviours and practices such as racism and homophobia and by so doing have made post-secondary education in Canada more inclusive.The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2025. More Information and Nomination Forms
Get involved!
CUASA’s 2SLBGTQIA+ Pride Caucus and Disability Caucus are now meeting regularly, and are happy to welcome new members. These caucus groups are intended to be an informal 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. Groups usually meet once a month.
If you are interested in participating in these caucus groups, please contact CUASA’s Equity and Member Services Officer, Max López, at [email protected] for more details.
The Communiqué is published by the Carleton University Academic Staff Association.
Past issues are archived on our website at CUASA.ca. The Communiqué publishes CUASA and community related news and information for our members. We want to hear from you! Get in touch, by email, social media, phone, or by scheduling a meeting. We read everything you send, and thank all of those who have contributed suggestions.
