Defence Fund President's Report to CAUT Council – Spring Council 2014

Defence Fund President's Report to CAUT Council
Spring Council, 2014

I am completing my fourth and final year as President of the Defence Fund and this will be my last report to CAUT Council. Thank you to the CAUT staff, Nancy Gordon, Gord Piche, Chantal Sundaram and Anik Godbout, they have all assisted in making my term as president a much calmer undertaking.

The Fund has had seven requests from member unions for strike support since November 2013.

Associations who have requested strike benefits:

  • November 19, 2013 – Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers and Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association
  • December 19, 2013 – Mount Allison Faculty Association
  • January 20, 2014 – Cape Breton University Faculty Association
  • January 28, 2014 – University of Winnipeg Faculty Association
  • March 13, 2014 – Saint-Boniface
  • April 16, 2014 – Algoma University Faculty Association

Two member unions were forced to take job action:

  • January 13 to February 2 (21 days) – Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers
  • January 27 to February 16 (21 days) – Mount Allison Faculty Association

I would like to thank all the Flying and Driving Pickets who volunteered for strike support at both, AUNBT and MAFA. The Defence Fund visits are extremely important to a striking member union in their fight to achieve a collective agreement. Defence Fund Trustees walking a picket line far from home, instils a real feeling of solidarity with our colleagues on the picket line.

I travelled to British Columbia twice this winter, one to participate on a panel discussing the merits of union certification and the role of the Defence Fund at the University of Northern British Columbia. The other visit was to speak once again about the role of the Defence Fund at the Spring AGM of CUFA/BC. Last Fall 2013 I participated on a panel presentation on the merits of union certification at Simon Fraser University. The successful certification drive at the University of Victoria and the possibility of two more could result in three new member unions joining the Defence Fund.

The Policy & Planning Committee communicated by email and conference call and is scheduled to meet in Toronto May 13-14 to discus and make possible recommendations to our Constitution and Bylaw of the Fund. Thank you to the members of this Committee, Sue Wurtele, Albert Katz (Chair), Larry Hale, John Kingma and Chantal Sundaram, Secretary of the Fund.

The last four years as President of the Fund have been very rewarding for me; I met many wonderful colleagues in my travels and look forward to continue serving as a Trustee.

Respectfully submitted in Solidarity,

Brian E. Brown
President, CAUT Defence Fund