Defence Fund Chairperson's Report to CAUT Council
Spring 2004
Since last Council, the main activities of the Defence Fund Trustees have revolved over the production of an updated brochure describing the Fund, and dealing with a few negotiations that almost ended in a strike or actually did so. Due to the continuation of the work of Trustee Serge Jolicoeur (Moncton) as Chair of the Membership Committee, a new brochure was prepared with the help of other Committee members and Trustees. It reflects the addition of new member associations as well as the increase of the overall Fund's value.
In mid-December, the Fund was approached by the University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association who was facing a breakdown of negotiations. Trustees held a teleconference on December 23rd, 2003, to authorise payments to UPEI FA in case of a strike or lock-out that could have occurred as soon as January 2, 2004. Fortunately, a settlement for a first collective agreement was obtained by the association and ratified on February 13th, 2004, without a conflict (http://www.upeifa.org/archives.html).
Then, in February, two Member Associations asked Trustees to allow for payments and flying picket visits as they also were nearing a negotiating impasse: teleconferences were held, on February 12th, 2004, in favour of Acadia University Faculty Association, and, on February 19th, 2004, at the request of the Association of Professors of Bishop's University.
To fight for its 11th. Collective agreement, Acadia went on strike for the first time in its history of 168 years on the morning of February 23rd, 2004. That day, Past Chair of the D.F. Denise Nevo (Mount St. Vincent) presented AUFA with the traditional giant cheque for $ 1 million, along with CAUT President Vic Catano. A few days later, on February 26th and 27th, I joined flying and driving pickets from several Member Associations to marches and rallyes on AUFA picket lines. As Denise Nevo often says, every strike has its own peculiarity: at Acadia, locksmiths were busy all night between February 22nd and 23rd changing the locks to every building on campus. Then, on the next day, the Administration claimed it had no idea Faculty would really go on strike! The other "originality" of that strike was a statement by the Administration that even Faculty on leave (maternity, sabbatical, sick leave, etc.) were deemed on strike and would not be paid. Students opposing the strike were also there the first day, but had disappeared altogether on Day 4 when I arrived in Wolfville, greeted by students supporting Faculty, with organised rounds of coffee and doughnuts distributions across the pickets. They even handed Valentines out to us. Denise Nevo and Bob Rosebrugh (Mount Allison) are to be credited for organising very successful and effective picket visits to Acadia. A second flying picket visit was under way of organising when the settlement occurred.
The key issues of the Acadia strike were retention and recruitment of Faculty, as well as competitive salaries and working conditions such as teaching loads. There was also a dispute as whether part-time Faculty were part of the union or not. The last offer made by the Administration in January 2004 had been rejected by 94.8% of AUFA Members. The Administration eventually agreed to go back to the bargaining table and a tentative agreement was reached on March 8th, 2004 and ratified on March 10th.
As picket signs were just being removed from the Wolfville snowbanks (the strike had started after the infamous weekend that left a meter of snow on Halifax), on that fatal day of the Ides of March, Bishop's University was seeing its first picket lines in about 160 years of history. At the source of the dispute was an about-face made by the Administration on December 23rd 2003, presenting "a new package that scuttled eight months of… collegial work. They proposed the worst recent salary settlement in Canada (2.25% a year for 4 years, down from their own previous offer of 2.5%)", according to APBU Chief Negotiator Jamie Crooks. Related to the dispute were pension and faculty complement issues as well, the latter being the result of pension contributions "holidays" decreed by the Administration during the Nineties.
In the absence of Denise Nevo, who is on sabbatical, Bob Rosebrugh volunteered again to coordinate picket visits to Bishop's, as well as delivery of the $ 1 million cheque, who was presented to APBU President Nelly Khouzam by CAUT Vice-President Loretta Czornis. I arrived in Lennoxville on Day 4, Thursday, February 18th, 2004, and the next day a group of about 20 flying and driving pickets joined a rallye organised by supporting students, marching through from strike headquarters to the picket lines in balmy weather just above freezing (Acadia had been rather colder and breezier). Similarly to Acadia, as it has become a Defence Fund tradition, there was a Friday evening social event hosted by APBU and well-attended by Members and their families. We had just returned home that weekend to hear that a settlement was reached on the evening of the Sunday.
In both strike cases, there was tremendous support from over 30 faculty associations across Canada. Many of their Presidents or Executive members wrote letters of support as well as letters asking the respective Administrations to return to the table in good faith. I am convinced that such expressions of strong solidarity are effective, prevent conflicts in some cases, and reduce their length in others, while securing our Members better contracts. All Defence Fund Trustees join me to thank you for your massive support.
I am very grateful for the assistance and support I receive from the CAUT staff, as well as for their continuing efficient work in the administration of the Defence Fund.
In solidarity, and respectfully submitted by
Jean-Charles Cachon
Chair and Trustee (Laurentian)
April 2004