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Academics Make History at National Union Conventions

15 Aug 02 - June brought two historic firsts for YUFA and 12 other Canadian academic unions. The 13 unions, representing more than 10 000 Canadian faculty and librarians, participated in the first Convention of the National Union of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (NUCAUT) and, for the first time, in the national Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

YUFA was ably represented at both events by Norene Pupo (Sociology/Arts) and Harry Smaller (Education).

NUCAUT sets sail

YUFA was front and centre at NUCAUT, held in Vancouver on 8 & 9 June 2002 to establish the direction of the new organisation over the next three years.

YUFA's proposed amendments to the Constitution turned what  could otherwise have been a perfunctory business meeting into a debate about the National Union's purpose. YUFA's resolutions aimed to broaden the fledgling organisation's mandate and governance.

Delegates articulated several different visions for the National Union. Most agreed that, while it could eventually become an activist organisation in its own right, for the time being its main purpose is to allow members to work in local labour councils, provincial labour federations, and the CLC to promote policies and actions of interest to post-secondary academic staff.

The Convention eventually endorsed a resolution encapsulating the National Union’s objectives "to promote within the Canadian Labour Congress the interests of academic staff, to seek to improve the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada, to oppose harassment and discrimination of any sort and on any basis and to strive for equality of treatment, and to build and unify the labour movement by working with labour councils, provincial federations of labour and other national unions as an affiliate of the Canadian Labour Congress."

Also at YUFA's initiative, the Convention voted to give medium-sized locals such as YUFA, Carleton, and Memorial more delegates, bringing representation in the governance of NUCAUT closer to proportionality.

Delegates approved a small operating budget of about $6000/year for NUCAUT. It will be financed by locals through a payment of 60 cents per member.

The three-member National Executive Board was elected for a three-year term--President Maureen Shaw of the College Institute Educators Association of BC, Vice President Brian Brown of Windsor, and Treasurer Don MacGillivray of Cape Breton. The Board is the National Union's decision-making body between the triennial Conventions.

The full two-day agenda also included a visit from CLC President Ken Georgetti, a briefing about the structure of the CLC, and a discussion of NUCAUT's participation in the CLC Convention and policy committees.

CLC meets NUCAUT, curves left

NUCAUT delegates made their presence felt during their inaugural CLC Convention, held on 10-14 June in Vancouver.

More than 3000 delegates representing more than 2 million workers gathered for the week-long series of meetings held every third year.

On day one, CLC President Ken Georgetti introduced the faculty & librarians of NUCAUT as the Congress's newest members, drawing a warm ovation from the huge hall.

The most significant development saw NUCAUT President Maureen Shaw elected the CLC's governing national Executive Council. Shaw will be one of four representatives of the CLC's 40 "smaller" affiliates. NUCAUT delegates also contributed to several important economic, social, and political debates on the Convention floor.

The election of CLC officers was the Convention's most anticipated event. Georgetti (USWA) was returned to the presidency by acclamation. But three progressive activists prevailed in election for the other three positions: Hassan Yussuff (CAW), Barb Byers (Saskatchewan Federation of Labour), and Marie Clarke Walker (CUPE).

Clarke Walker, a member of the union representing Toronto Board of Education employees, is the first woman of colour to hold a national officer position in the CLC.

The results may herald a significant move to the left by the national labour body.

The Convention also approved a 2-cent increase in the monthly membership dues.

For more information on the CLC Convention, check out: