Weekly Update – March 11, 2022

March 11, 2022

Weekly Update – March 11, 2022

 

CUASA Website Issues

We are currently experiencing some issues with the CUASA website where some content is not loading as it should. We are working on the issue and hope to have the website restored as soon as possible. Should any members require assistance regarding any topics usually found on the website, please don’t hesitate to contact the CUASA Office at [email protected].

 

Constitution and Bylaws Review 2022

As previously announced, CUASA is undertaking a review of the Constitution and Bylaws this spring. Following the deadline this week, a number of recommended amendments have been suggested and will now be placed before CUASA Council for consideration at its next meeting on March 24.

As required under Article XIV of the CUASA Constitution, any proposed amendments shall first be passed by a majority of Council members in order for it to be put to a membership referendum. Please continue to watch for future updates on review process, including official notices for referendum if Council determines one to be necessary.

Only CUASA members, meaning those who have signed their union cards, may participate in the internal administration of the union. Please make sure that you have completed your union card. To verify your membership status, please email [email protected].

 

Nominations for Steering Positions

We are accepting nominations for the following Steering Committee positions for terms beginning on July 1, 2022 (click on the position title to view the description):

• President
• Treasurer
• External Relations Officer
• Chair, Grievance Policy and Administration
• Instructor Representative
• Librarian Representative

Nominations for President are due to the virtual CUASA Office by Thursday, March 31, 2022. Nominations for all other positions are due by Friday, April 29, 2022. All nominations must be made using the form found here (PDF) or here (Word).

Information on the nominations process can be found on our How to Volunteer page. Remember that our Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time and commitment of our members to achieve our goals. Some of these positions come with a course release subject to the availability of funds (please ask if interested).

If you have any questions about the positions or the process, please contact CUASA’s Chair, Nominations and Elections, Marylynn Steckley, at [email protected].

 

Number of weeks in the term

This question period item from the Senate meeting in January was brought to CUASA’s attention and it may be of interest to some members:

“The following question was submitted in advance by Senator Jeff Dawson, on behalf of a colleague in the Faculty of Science:

During Fall 2021, why did Monday, Tuesday, and Friday classes meet 12 times, as is standard, but Wednesday and Thursday classes met 13 times?

Professor Howard Nemiroff, Chair of SCCASP confirmed that the length of the term, as defined in the Senate guidelines, is 62 days, which results in 12 full weeks of classes plus 2 extra days. The extra days are required to satisfy the accreditation system in Engineering. For non-engineering programs, there is no requirement to hold classes on the two extra days at the end of the term, however, many professors use the extra time for optional review sessions ahead of the exam period.”

 

Tuition should be free. Anything else imposes a regressive barrier to accessing higher education

CUASA’s External Relations Officer, Raj Singh, has written an op-ed in the Toronto Star advocating for increased public investment in higher education, and in particular for the elimination of tuition entirely.

Here is a brief excerpt:

“Tuition pushes low-income students into loans, and hence prevents them from contributing to the economy, starting a family, founding a business, and pursuing meaningful work even if it means accepting lower pay (e.g., public interest versus corporate law), among other harmful consequences of being shackled with gargantuan debt at a young age. When a student graduates with debt, it’s not just them that pays — Ontario does, too.”

You can read the full op-ed here.

 

Academic Community Updates

CUASA and OCUFA united in solidarity with striking faculty at the Université Sainte-Anne

CUASA joins OCUFA in extending a message of solidarity to the striking faculty and academic librarians at the Association des professeurs, professeures et bibliothécaires de l’Université Sainte-Anne (APPBUSA) in Nova Scotia. Members of the APPBUSA have been on strike since March 9 as they pressure the administration to negotiate an agreement that provides fair and equitable working conditions for professors and librarians, and which creates the conditions for a more constructive working relationship between the administration and the APPBUSA’s members.

To read OCUFA’s full statement, click here.

 

Access to Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario vital for both unionized and non-unionized workers

OCUFA believes that preventing unionized workers from taking claims of discrimination and harassment to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) will strip union members of fundamental rights and undermine work to build more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces. Further, the exceptionally short time-frame that the HRTO provided for input on this important decision effectively excluded members of the public, including those members most likely to be impacted by the outcome, from having any input into the Tribunal’s deliberations.

To read OCUFA’s full statement, click here.

 

University equity work must include job security, equal pay, and benefits for contract staff

Universities across Ontario have increased their focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives in recent years. However, without commitments to improve job security, pay, and benefits for contract faculty and other precariously employed campus workers, these initiatives will fall short. Contract faculty, who routinely make less than their securely employed colleagues when doing work of equal value, are disproportionately women and individuals from equity-deserving groups.

To read OCUFA’s full statement, click here.

 

Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association passes motion of non-confidence in administration

The Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association (TRUFA) passed a motion of non-confidence in the University leadership on February 11 over the mishandling of complaints made against two senior administrators.

To read the full update from CAUT, click here.