Weekly Update – September 18
September 18, 2020
Weekly Update – September 18
Save the Date: Fall GMM
We will be holding the Fall 2020 General Membership Meeting one week from today, on Friday, September 25, from 10:00am-12:00pm. The GMM will take place online over Zoom.
The agenda and connection details will be released next week.
Update on Gender Pay Study
Your JCAA team regrets to inform you that the Gender Pay Study, as agreed to by the parties, may not be completed and may possibly be stalled. Complications arose with the contract that the University requires for retaining any expert on the subject. The team hopes to resolve this at the regular JCAA meeting on September 24, 2020.
To recap: In the 2017 collective bargaining round, CUASA identified a gender pay issue. The parties subsequently agreed to a Gender Pay Study. The parties were unable to come to an agreement on an expert and turned to Arbitrator Kaplan for assistance in late 2018. Arbitrator Kaplan, via a blind selection process, appointed Dr. Nicole Fortin from the University of British Columbia to the study. Thereafter, the parties struggled to come to a mutual agreement on the terms of reference for the study. The Association felt it critical that all the necessary data be provided for the study and that timelines for the study be adjusted appropriately. In January 2020, the parties finally reached an agreement on the terms of reference, which were provided to Dr. Fortin.
On July 21, 2020, the University first unveiled the contract it expected Dr. Fortin to sign. In the end result, Dr. Fortin has informed the parties she may not be able to begin the study and the Association respects any future decision she may make on this matter. The situation, as presented, has led the Association to believe that regardless of who Arbitrator Kaplan may appoint under the current LOU, the situation will continue to be impacted by the University’s insistence for its contract to apply. It is the understanding of the Association that the contentious passages of the contract indicate that Carleton University absolves itself from all liabilities of the study that may arise, leaving any researcher performing the work to single-handedly take on the responsibility. Naturally, the Association finds it concerning when on the one hand, the University agrees to take the matter seriously and implement recommendations arising from the study and then on the other hand, absolves itself of all liabilities of the same study. Based on the Association’s current understanding of the situation, it is the Association’s position the University’s actions may contradict the original intent of the LOU. The University agreed to the study and did not disclose the fine print of its contract process or inform the Association of the nature of the contract it wanted signed early enough in the process. This has created an untenable situation.
The parties have exchanged possible solutions to this problem with the hopes that the study may be initiated soon. In the event that these last resort options fail, your JCAA team will be making recommendations to the CUASA Council on next steps. Please watch for more updates.
CUASA Business and Events
Nominations for Steering Positions
We are still accepting nominations for the following Steering positions:
- Communications Officer
- Chair, Nominations and Elections
- Chair, Internal Affairs
- Instructor Representative
Information on the nominations process can be found on our How to Volunteer page. The work of the Association continues, despite the current environment we find ourselves in. 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.
Call for Volunteer: JCEE
We are seeking one CUASA member to serve on the Joint Committee on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JCEE). Details on the mandate of this important committee can be found here. If you are interested in serving on the JCEE, please email [email protected].
Labour Community Updates
At the September 16, 2020 regular meeting, CUASA Council unanimously approved a motion for CUASA to join the Canadian Labour Congress’ (CLC) new campaign: Forward Together – A Canadian Plan.
The campaign calling on increased investment from all levels of government to support communities, strengthen the economy and replace lost jobs with good jobs to build green infrastructure, protect Canadians, improve paid sick leave and ensure workers can get a living wage, increase investments in public health care and pharmacare, and an end to privatization in the long term care sector.
Please watch for more news and event updates about this important campaign. Members may learn more about the campaign by visiting www.canadianplan.ca or watching the campaign launch video here.
Academic Community Updates
Information about Ontario university reopening plans for fall 2020
OCUFA is collecting data and information about Ontario university and university-college reopening plans for the fall 2020 term, and has compiled a database of reopening plans. This includes mode of delivery and faculty choice over delivery mode, research recovery plans, access to research buildings and offices, library services, and COVID-19 related letters of understanding. Click here to read more.
Combatting anti-Black racism in the academy: A primer for faculty
The OCUFA Status of Women and Equity Committee is hosting a training workshop “Combatting anti-Black racism in the academy: A primer for faculty”. All CUASA members are eligible to attend. Please register for the workshop here as soon as possible.
The workshop will be facilitated by Paige Galette and will aim to give participants tools to combat anti-Black racism in their roles as faculty, in their associations, on campus, and beyond. Participants will be given time to reflect and ask questions throughout the session. In order to help Paige tailor the session to meet the needs of participants, we encourage you to register early and to fill out the short questionnaire on the registration page.
