Defence Fund President's Report to CAUT Council
Fall 2007
Normally, the summer months are a quiet time for the CAUT Defence Fund (DF). The year 2007 provided a notable exception.
In late June, the staff bargaining unit of the Association of Professors of Bishop’s University (APBU) took strike action to both support their horrendously-long first contract negotiations, and circumvent threats by the Bishop’s administration to terminate the employment of members of that group. For the DF, this strike was notable in two respects. First, it was the first time that strike benefits were provided to the general staff unit of a DF member union. Second, it was the first time that a DF member had to claim strike benefits in the early summer.
The “Flying Pickets” visited Bishop’s twice in support of the staff unit. They were spirited affairs, and showed the value of academic and non-academic university staff working together for a common cause. It was also quite amazing to be part of a flying picket in t-shirts and shorts, rather than winter woolies!
The other shoe finally fell in late July, when the administration locked out the academic staff units. It was the first employer initiated lockout of teaching faculty and librarians ever in our history, and in the summertime at that! Members of the academic staff fell in solidly behind APBU, and agreements on all three contracts were reached in early August.
The new academic year started off on a positive note when Memorial University Faculty Association (MUNFA) settled a long negotiation without having to take job action. A month later, however, Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA) found themselves on strike for the second time in three and a half years. The first DF flying picket in Wolfville was one of the largest ever! As the AUFA dispute is continuing as I write this report, more flying pickets in support of an incredibly solid and focused AUFA membership are planned.
The annual board of trustees meeting for the DF was held in Winnipeg on October 13, 2007. It was well attended, with trustees from St. Francis Xavier Association of University Teachers (StFXAUT) and University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA) present for the first time. Among the items that Trustees considered and approved were the following:
- A proposal by the Treasurer to amend the way that the value of investments are reported, in order to bring it more in line with methods used by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
- A change to the name and mandate of the “Membership Committee”. It is now the “Membership and Communication Committee” and takes on responsibility for internal DF communications (web-site, events and bargaining developments, etc).
- An affirmation that the annual meeting of the DF will move around the country to the locales of member associations, and that the annual meeting will be held in unionized hotels whenever possible.
- A change in the daily strike benefit from $75.00 to $77.00.
Some new matters were referred to the Planning and Policy Committee for detailed consideration before the next full meeting of the board in 2008.
- Financially, the DF continues to be in very good shape. With $20 million in liquidable investments, it remains a powerful bargaining asset for any member association seeking fair treatment from their employer.
- The annual meeting also held elections for a new Chairperson and Treasurer, and committee memberships. Ken Ko (Queen’s) was elected as Chairperson, and Charles Draimin (Concordia) was elected as Treasurer, each for two-year terms to 2009. The DF is grateful to Rick Blute (Ottawa) and Dennis Felbel (Manitoba) for their excellent service as Chairperson and Treasurer, respectively. The current term of the President of the DF, Lawrence Hale (UPEI), continues until the annual meeting in 2008.
- Planning and Policy Committee: Albert Katz (Western) [Chair], Mark Langer (Carleton), Denise Nevo (Mount St. Vincent) and Robert Rosebrugh (Mount Allison) [Lawrence Hale (DF President) is ex officio]
- Membership and Communication Committee: Rick Blute (Ottawa) [Chair], and Bill Schipper (Memorial) [Lawrence Hale (DF President), and Ken Ko (DF Chairperson) are ex officio].
- Investment Committee: Jean-Charles Cachon (Laurentian), Ann Bigelow (Western), Louise Ripley (York), and Linda Lequin (Moncton) [Lawrence Hale (DF President) is ex officio]
As always, the DF is grateful for the excellent work by CAUT staff in support of DF activities. I wish to welcome Peter Simpson as the new DF Secretary, who succeeds Gord Piché in that role.
Future annual meetings of the trustees will be in Fredericton in 2008, and south-western Ontario in 2009.
In solidarity, and respectfully submitted by,
Lawrence Hale
President and Trustee (UPEI)
October 23, 2007