YUFA
External
CAUT Council Meeting Report,
November 22 - 24, 2002, Ottawa
The
recent council meeting of the Canadian Association of University Teachers
(CAUT) was dedicated in a very special way to issues of academic freedom
and integrity. The guests of honour throughout the proceedings were
Dr. Nancy
Olivieri and her research associates, whose right to publish their
findings about the negative effects of a drug was upheld and vindicated
with the support of CAUT and the University of Toronto Faculty Association
in the face of concerted and protracted opposition by the Hospital for
Sick Children, the Administration of the University, and Apotex, the
corporation manufacturing the drug and sponsoring its trials. The
Administration apparently hoped that the fight would prove too divisive
and too costly for the faculty association, but ultimately it was not
prepared to take on CAUT, which speaks for and is funded by faculty in
colleges and universities across Canada.
Two panels were held under the title 'Privacy in the Academic
Workplace'. On one of these panels legal experts discussed the increasing
monitoring of data-bases and library use, as well as of teaching (with
threats coming from government sources as well as university
administrations and the corporate sector). They warned about the need for
protections against paper files kept by the employer and for protection of
personal and professional communications. In these area of concern
collective agreements can provide help (model clauses drawn up by CAUT
offer some guidance). The speakers strongly advocated encrypting e-mails
and using digital signatures. They noted that CAUT is working on the
problem of electronic and video surveillance (an area in which protections
are weakest), and will have a bargaining advisory on the subject in two
months. The need to be active and vigilant is particularly important
inasmuch as the courts have ruled that the Charter of Rights applies to
government institutions but not to universities.
On the day preceding the conference, there was a large demonstration of
faculty on Parliament Hill in support of increased funding for
universities. A delegation from CAUT met with some cabinet ministers. Jean
Chrétien sent a policy speech, which was read out on his behalf by Jane
Stewart, Minister of Human Resources. In his report about the meeting,
James Turk, President of CAUT, said that the government was not proposing
to provide new funding until a new 'architecture' was created (full
portability of university and college credits); the government was
proposing to double research monies in return for a 'tripling of
commercialization'; there was to be public accounting; the government
intended to change copyright and tax laws in order to support innovation;
there was to be an enhanced advisory Committee on Science and Technology;
the recognition of foreign credentials would be speeded up. James Turk
noted that CAUT was concerned that research money was going to be diverted
to 'commercially relevant' research.
To deal with issues of Occupational Health and Safety, the Executive
brought to Council a recommendation that one full- and one half-time staff positions be created. Their
responsibilities will include identifying health and safety problems faced
by faculty; educating locals and members about relevant legislation;
issuing bargaining advisories on contract language to secure strong
protections.
The fourteen policy statements and draft statements that were presented
dealt with, among other matters, retirement, academic administrators
outside the bargaining unit, academic appointments held jointly in a
university and a related institution, equal opportunity for female
academic staff, and governance of pension and benefit plans. A draft
'Policy Statement on Renewal and Retention of Academic Staff' was referred
back to committee because of the important role it wished to ascribe to
university Senates. In the motion of referral it was noted that Senates
were typically weak and that there was a need to acknowledge the role of
collective bargaining. A number of older policies were retired.
Model clauses were proposed for the accommodation of academic staff with
disabilities, legal liability, and technologically mediated courses.
In the report from the Collective Bargaining Committee it was suggested
that 4% be treated as a bare minimum (and it was noted that the University
of Alberta had done rather better). Outlines of recent settlements were
circulated.
An agreement was formally signed with the American Association of
University Professors, providing for reciprocity of rights for members of
either Association who were temporarily working in a university in the
other country.
Two conferences were announced: the Collective Bargaining Conference on
Bargaining Equity to be held in Ottawa in February; and the conference of
the Trinational Coalition for the Defence of Public Education (May 9-10 in
Toronto).
A Decima poll was circulated suggesting a consolidation of public
opinion on the issue of the importance of postsecondary education.
Two awards were made: one to Ursula Franklin (who was not able to accept
it in person, as she was attending the commemoration of the life and work
of a recently deceased friend); and the other to our own Michiel Horn (who
delivered a characteristically witty speech following the presentation at
a dinner at the National Press Club).
The caucus of NUCAUT delegates (unionized faculty associations) held a
breakfast meeting. Among the topics discussed was the question of how you
carry on a strike when a university administration threatens to ban all
picketing on university property (as the York Administration recently
indicated it would do in the event of a CUPE strike). At the conclusion of
the meeting James Turk held up the YUFA Handbook and suggested it was a
model for all faculty associations to consider.
YUFA's delegation had been charged to bring two questions to the council
meeting. 1) Did other faculty associations share YUFA's concerns that the
HRDC's move to a one-tier hiring policy was going to negatively affect the
chances of Canadian graduate students securing jobs (the question was
raised, with a request for feedback). 2) To propose a motion that CAUT
write to the Federal government urging them to oppose military action
against Iraq. As it happened, the CAUT Executive had recently issued a
statement opposing any military action that might be taken against Iraq
without the sanction of the United Nations. In private conversation James
Turk was very well disposed towards YUFA's initiative, but his fear was
that our motion would be defeated, and that the consequence would be that
even the Executive's weaker policy statement would then have to be
rescinded. In fear of this consequence, your delegate did not proceed to
put the motion to council.