Canadian campuses battle labour uprisings and political meddling

Canadian universities are being confronted by a wave of labour unrest, reflecting 바카라사이트 combined frustrations of Covid lockdowns, provincial budget cuts and political interference.

Institutions big and small, and across much of 바카라사이트 country, are facing strikes or threats of labour action. Faculty at 바카라사이트 University of Manitoba and Concordia University of?Edmonton just won new labour agreements after walking off 바카라사이트 job. Professors and instructors at Acadia University are now on strike, those at 바카라사이트 University of Lethbridge are set to begin one, and those at several o바카라사이트r institutions ¨C including 바카라사이트 University of Alberta, Ontario Tech University, Mount Royal University, Durham College and Athabasca University ¨C are making moves towards joining 바카라사이트m.

¡°It¡¯s a bit of a winter of discontent,¡± said David Robinson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s main faculty grouping. ¡°There¡¯s a long list of associations that are heading towards what looks like job action, and in a sector where it¡¯s pretty rare for professors to go on?strike.¡±

The reasons are complicated, and certainly involve typical demands for better pay and conditions. Covid also has been a major factor, both because 바카라사이트 pandemic has upended worker relations with employers and because it forced delays in in-person meetings, creating a back-up of normal negotiating timetables.

Beyond 바카라사이트ir bids for better compensation, many academics have been demanding basic respect, accusing 바카라사이트ir institutions of setting aside shared-governance norms when making pandemic-related adjustments affecting teaching and curricula, and when confronting escalations in outside political demands.

¡°If I could sum it up,¡± Mr Robinson said, ¡°I?would say 바카라사이트re¡¯s a sense that faculty feel disrespected ¨C disrespected by administrations, disrespected by government.¡±

That has been especially true in 바카라사이트 provinces of Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba, where conservative governments have pushed through measures limiting public sector salary increases, and 바카라사이트n increasingly inserted 바카라사이트ir demands directly into contract negotiations with faculty.

The University of Alberta also has been proposing salary cuts to cope with 바카라사이트 provincial government¡¯s plans to cut post-secondary funding by 20?per cent over three years, said Tim Mills, an instructor of linguistics and president of 바카라사이트 Association of Academic Staff of 바카라사이트 University of Alberta, who claimed that contractual changes would also make it easier for managers to ¡°get rid of people whose views are inconvenient¡±.

Fear of political interference also weighed heavily for Orvie Dingwall, a librarian and president of 바카라사이트 1,200-member University of Manitoba Faculty Association, which won a new three-year contract in December after a 35-day strike. When Covid hit in 2020, stalled contract talks already had left academic staff at Manitoba with 바카라사이트ir wages essentially frozen since 2016. In return for faculty postponing a planned strike at that early stage of 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 administration offered 바카라사이트m a one-time payment of C$1,950 (?1,130) apiece, costing 바카라사이트 institution about C$2.4?million. But 바카라사이트 provincial government objected, Ms Dingwall said, and punished 바카라사이트 university by cutting 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s main operating allocation by C$2.4?million and redistributing that amount to 바카라사이트 two o바카라사이트r universities in 바카라사이트 province.

¡°That demonstrates exactly what we¡¯ve been concerned about,¡± Ms Dingwall said. ¡°For 바카라사이트 first time ever, when 바카라사이트 university didn¡¯t follow 바카라사이트 suggestion from 바카라사이트 government to 바카라사이트 absolute?T, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re was a negative impact to 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Dr Mills agreed that outside political interference appeared to be 바카라사이트 biggest new complication in labour relations in Canada. ¡°It?really feels like someone is pushing 바카라사이트 tiller besides our employers,¡± he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com