Defence Fund President's Report to CAUT Council
Spring 2006
Fifteen Days in Charlottetown
After a rather uneventful Winter, Spring was a blast as the University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association (UPEIFA) found itself in a strike position as of March 21, 2006. The issues at stake were numerous, but the most disputed ones regarded workload and salary parity with other Universities in the Maritimes. Even with a strike vote of 85% in hand, UPEIFA negotiators were not able to get the Administration to move towards an acceptable settlement and a strike started on the morning of Tuesday, March 21, 2006.
I immediately sent a support letter on behalf of the Defence Fund, of which I provide here a few excerpts:
"Today, you are taking a major step in affirming your rights as union members. My colleagues and I have been twice in your position, the first time for three days, the second time for twenty-two days. This was a long time ago and in those days there was almost no strike pay. Now, at $60 a day - that, to me, is a pretty good reason to be on strike isn't it? Sadly, how can it possibly be that people with the kind of training we have can be so grossly underpaid? How much longer can this be let unchecked?
Moreover, we are all fighting for working conditions that need tremendous improvement. Students, their parents, and the community wonder why we are on strike today - are they aware that faculty's working conditions are the students' learning conditions? Do they really want… not having faculty replaced for lack of up to par working conditions?
…Rest assured that I and everyone in the CAUT Defence Fund will do their utmost so that UPEIFA prevails in this legal, just and fair strike.
…I congratulate the fact that you had a very strong strike vote which will take you a long way. …I strongly believe that you deserve a fair settlement. I am confident that our support will help you achieve it as we did everywhere else."
On Thursday, March 23, and Friday, March 24, I was joined by a number of Trustees and supporters from twelve Universities acting as Flying and Driving Pickets. We walked the picket lines and attended a rally on Friday afternoon where we handed over a number of cheques from our unions. UPEIFA Trustee Larry Hale had unveiled the Defence Fund's traditional "Giant Cheque" for one million dollars at noon on Day 1 of the strike.
Defence Fund Trustees were pleased to find UPEIFA members in high spirits and confident that obtaining parity should be the result of this struggle.
I wish to thank those who help make our visit a success, Larry Hale and Wayne Peters of UPEIFA, Denise Nevo from Mount St. Vincent, who took care of transportation logistics in Charlottetown, and visiting pickets Paul Anderson (Ottawa), Paul Berry (Mount Allison), Brian Brown (Windsor), Larry Haiven (St. Mary's), Mark Langer (Carleton), Linda Lequin (Moncton), Roger Moore (St. Thomas), John Neilson (U. of New Brunswick), Yalla Sangaré (Ste. Anne), Bill Schipper (Memorial), Steven Smith (St. Mary's), and Jorge Virchez (Laurentian).
After over ten days of strike and the rejection by 96% of UPEIFA members of yet another "final offer", the UPEI Administration agreed to the appointment of a mediator who had already been involved in settling strikes at Dalhousie and UCCB. Mediation started in the afternoon of April 2 and concluded in the wee hours of April 5. The tentative settlement was ratified by 98% of UPEIFA members later that day.
Interested readers will find details about the strike and related issues on the UPEIFA web site: www.upeifa.org
The Union at NOSM
Another official unionization took place recently at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Faculty Association and I intend to propose them to join the Defence Fund as soon as it will be possible. It is to be noted that, in the absence of a collective agreement, members of NOSMFA are not allowed to communicate for union purposes while at work.
The certification drive was reportedly most difficult due to the attitude of the Administration of NOSM.
End of Mandate
This is the last report from this President of the Fund, whose mandate ends in mid-October 2006.
I thank everyone involved in assisting the Defence Fund among the CAUT staff.
In solidarity, and respectfully submitted by
Jean-Charles Cachon
President and Trustee (Laurentian)
April 2006