We've been receiving a lot of questions about CAUT and OCUFA, which we are all currently members of. How are these players related to the ongoing Lecturer certification drive? Read our "Fact Checker" below to find out, where we address this question and more.
CAUT is the Canadian Association of University Teachers which assembles university Faculty Associations across Canada. “CAUT advances equity and human rights within our profession. We fight for fair working conditions, compensation and benefits that foster quality teaching and innovative research. CAUT works for collegial institutional governance that is publicly accountable and gives the academic community its proper voice.”
OCUFA is the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations which assembles university Faculty Associations across Ontario. “OCUFA seeks to maintain and enhance the quality of higher education in Ontario, and to advance the professional and economic interests of teachers, researchers, and librarians in Ontario universities. OCUFA works to ensure that the views of its member associations are communicated to government policy makers, the public, and those concerned with the quality and accessibility of postsecondary education.”
1. The Lecturers Connect group has been operating without any public knowledge or awareness.
FALSE. The Lecturers Connect website has been operational and publicly available since summer 2022, and the inaugural Lecturers Connect Blog was published on September 29, 2022. Our mailing list subscribers include members of the FAUW Board, and we received communications from a member of the FAUW Executive Committee in October 2022. In other words, our efforts have been on the FAUW radar since at least that time.
Certification drives are generally a confidential process to protect those who sign cards. You’ve probably already been approached by some of your colleagues about the certification drive; the drive is all about organizing in an organic, collegial way and working collectively towards improving our working conditions.
2. The FAUW Board opposes an independent Lecturers union.
FALSE. On April 20th, the FAUW Board unanimously approved the motion:
To “[allow] Lecturers to obtain CAUT and OCUFA resources and support about certification and will not actively oppose the establishment of an independent Lecturers’ association if that is the democratic will of its Lecturer members”.
The full motion from the Lecturers Committee is attached in the file below, which outlines the long history of motions at the FAUW Board that have led up to the formation of an independent Lecturers’ association.
Why then is the FAUW President going against this motion?
3. The FAUW Board rejects working with an independent Lecturers union.
FALSE. On June 8th, the FAUW Board voted to approve the following motion:
“Should Lecturers democratically support an independent Lecturers’ association as their certified (i.e., unionized) bargaining agent, the FAUW Board agrees in principle with providing such an association with affiliate FAUW membership status in the form of a service agreement (similar to that established with RAAS) with the purpose of strengthening ties and collectively advancing the professional and economic interests of members of both respective parties at UW.”
The full motion from the Lecturers Committee is attached below.
This means that the Board is open to providing an independent Lecturers’ association with affiliate FAUW membership status. This would be the best for all parties, where Lecturers would have autonomy within a certified union, while still being affiliate members of FAUW. If and when FAUW certifies in the future, it will also be easier to potentially merge units.
4. CAUT and OCUFA are not able to work with an independent Lecturers union.
FALSE. The April 20th FAUW Board motion is clear on the fact that both CAUT and OCUFA can assist an independent Lecturer’s union; however, at the FAUW President’s request, CAUT and OCUFA have been instructed not to do so. As such, these resources are currently unavailable in spite of the April 20th motion. It is our understanding that in order for an independent Lecturers union to have access to CAUT and OCUFA support, the FAUW President needs to abide by the April 20th motion.
Further, the FAUW President suddenly announced a certification drive for Lecturers to stay "within FAUW" on June 9th, which is currently backed by CAUT and OCUFA resources.
5. The FAUW Board is legally obligated to oppose an independent Lecturers union.
FALSE. Lecturers Connect is aware that FAUW received a legal opinion on May 26, 2022 indicating that:
"FAUW is not legally obligated to oppose the establishment of an independent lecturers' association."
"To the contrary, FAUW may openly support the establishment and operation of such an association. However, the decision whether FAUW will or will not support an independent lecturers' association, to the extent it is not made by the membership, ought to be made by officers and directors who do not have a direct interest in the establishment of such an association. In general, FAUW is limited in its response to the establishment of an independent lecturers' association only in so far as it is required to act in its members' best interests. So long as FAUW does not interfere with the bargaining rights of the independent lecturers' association, and does not seek by intimidation or coercion to compel a person to become or not become a member of the independent lecturers' association, the Act is largely silent on inter-union cooperation. FAUW will have to decide early on whether it believes that the establishment of an independent lecturers' association is in the best interest of FAUW members, including lecturers. The decision will not be reached on the basis of legal precedent or reasoning; it will be reached on the basis of, among other things, economic, moral and political assessments."
If FAUW disagrees with this statement, we request that FAUW share the legal opinion in full with its membership.
6. Lecturers Connect is disrupting Policy 76/77 negotiations and arbitration.
FALSE. Lecturers Connect has no role in current Policy 76/77 negotiations, which are solely between FAUW and the employer; only FAUW and the employer have direct influence in the P76/77 negotiations. Changes in the status of either of these two parties are likely to result in a suspension of arbitration. The announcement of a certification drive of members by FAUW is likely to be considered by the arbitrator as such a change, and the arbitrator may advise both parties to put negotiations on pause while a potential certification drive is on the table.
7. Lecturers Connect has access to external funding or is funded by a large union.
FALSE. Our core organizing group has about a dozen Lecturers (including many DTLs). We are completely independent and have no external affiliations and therefore no external funding. Our volunteer organizers have an impressive range of skills and make Lecturers Connect happen!
Furthermore, our membership cards indicate that signatories are signing up for the association called WatTSFA (University of Waterloo Teaching Stream Faculty Association) and not signing with any other union organization. Simply put, this association is by Lecturers, for Lecturers.
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