Weekly Update – March 4, 2022 – Carleton University Academic Staff Association

Weekly Update – March 4, 2022

March 4, 2022

Weekly Update – March 4, 2022

CUASA Statement on the Crisis in Ukraine

The following two messages were published on both Twitter and Facebook this week:

“We, the undersigned workers, and members of a trade union, are extremely concerned at the devastating events and humanitarian crisis affecting the People of Ukraine. We call for the immediate unconditional withdrawal of the Russian military from within Ukraine so as to bring peace to the region and to the world.

Under no circumstances should colleagues and peers of Russian or Ukrainian heritage be discriminated against or ostracized based on their nationality as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, under no circumstances should anyone be discriminated against regardless of ethnic or national identity.

On behalf of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association.”

Urgent Appeal: Solidarity with Ukraine

CAUT is joining with Education International in standing in solidarity with students, teachers, academics, and the people of Ukraine to condemn Russia’s horrific invasion. We call upon the Canadian government and the international community to step up efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence, and to increase the pressure on the Russian government to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine.

Education International is working closely with its Ukrainian member organizations – the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (TUESWU) and the Free Trade Union of Education and Science of Ukraine (VPONU). Trade unions in neighbouring countries are also supporting the growing number of Ukrainian refugees, providing food and water provisions, medical supplies and hygiene items.

Those who wish to assist TUESWU and VPONU members who are in still in Ukraine or those forced to flee can send contributions to Education International’s TUESWU and VPONU Solidarity Fund to the following account:

Education International
ING Bank
24, Avenue Marnix
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Account number: 310-1006170-75
IBAN code: BE05 3101 0061 7075
Swift code: BBRUBEBB
With the following label: TUESWU and VPONU

The CAUT Executive Committee has committed an initial $5,000 to the fund and strongly encourages members to also support this important work.

COVID Coverage While Travelling

The federal government announced last month that, as of February 28, 2022, the government is no longer recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.

With this change, CUASA has asked the University to confirm that the CanadaLife benefits plan will still provide coverage for CUASA members who are travelling should they require medical care because of COVID-related issues.

The response received was that, if an employee had no symptoms of COVID and did not seek medical attention prior to leaving Canada, and they subsequently became infected with COVID, the out of country coverage would still apply.

Note that the University’s Travel Advisories webpage still lists that university-related travel, both domestic and international, remains limited until further notice.

Community Solidarity Rally and March

We are sharing the following information on a Community Solidarity Rally and March being held this Saturday, March 5:

When: Saturday March 5 at 1pm
Where: Marion Dewar Plaza (Laurier and Elgin, next to City Hall)

Organizers of the event are demanding accountability after the convoy and:

demand the police, the mayor, the premier, and the federal government be held accountable for allowing a dangerous far-right occupation to overrun our city and terrorize residents
Say no to white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all other forms of hate
Show support for frontline workers
Call to maintain and improve public health protections, especially for those most impacted by the pandemic: workers, disabled people, elders, and Indigenous, Black and Racialized people.

Constitution and Bylaws Review 2022

As announced last week, CUASA is undertaking a review of the Constitution and Bylaws this spring. Association members are invited to participate in the governance process.

The deadline for members to propose amendments to the constitution or bylaws is next Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at 10:00am. More information on the process can be found here.

Member Drop-in Sessions

Calling all folks with lived experiences of discrimination based on race, culture, ancestry, Indigeneity, or ethnicity. This one-hour drop-in will create a welcoming space for you to discuss your experiences of discrimination, your relationship to CUASA as well as what you wish CUASA could do or do better for you. This drop-in will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 1:30 pm. You can register for the session here.

The group will be closed, meaning that the discussion and attendance will remain private and at a high-level only, with actionable items brought to the CUASA leadership.

CUASA is thrilled to be developing this progressive equity-based initiative of consultation and education. We also have exciting upcoming developments including workshops on ableism, LBGTQ+ issues and caregivers during and after the pandemic.

If you have any thoughts on these initiatives, or ideas for different kinds of trainings or initiatives, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your equity officer ([email protected]) or any member of CUASA staff ([email protected]) or Steering. We are your association!

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):

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].

Academic Community Updates

OCUFA 2022 Ontario Election Advocacy

This provincial election presents a valuable opportunity to put postsecondary education on the agenda and build a better future for Ontario. Each political party is making promises and proposals that will affect university faculty, students, our families, and our communities.

For this election, OCUFA is focused on three advocacy priorities:

Fairness for contract faculty to ensure all faculty are treated with respect and shift Ontario universities away from their dependence on precarious contract labour.
Increase student financial assistance and replace OSAP loans with grants.
Strong public funding for universities is necessary to support excellence in teaching and research, especially at universities in Northern Ontario and those that offer Indigenous and bilingual programming.

To learn more, click here.

February NewsWire: #UnionStrong ULFA – AUFA – UOITFA, National Solidarity, Federal Legislative Update, New Equity Toolkit, Academic Freedom, Events

Every month CAUT sends a newsletter with the latest CAUT and post-secondary education sector news. In the February issue:

#UnionStrong: ULFA on the picket line
AUFA going strong on the picket line
UOITFA successfully wraps up job action
Solidarity as other staff unions move towards strike votes
Federal legislative update – and how you can engage with Parliament
CAUT launches new Equity Toolkit
First-ever conference on academic freedom and the law
Upcoming Events

Click here to read the NewsWire and to subscribe.

Labour Community Updates

Canada’s unions stand in solidarity with Ukraine and condemn unprovoked Russian aggression

Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released a statement on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine:

“The world is watching with horror as Russia launches an unjustified attack on Ukraine and its people. Canada’s unions condemn this unprovoked act of aggression and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine who now face violence, hardship and an uncertain future.”

To read the full statement, click here.

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario must include labour in review of union members’ human rights

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is deeply concerned that Ontario trade unions may be excluded from a high stakes review of their members’ human rights. In response to a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) is considering whether it should continue to process applications by unionized employees who make complaints about workplace-based violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

To read the full statement, click here.