An action video

An activist has posted this video on Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=931941375431

Here’s what he said about it:

DH and I wanted to show our support for our profs and the UWOFA strike.
Convocation was the perfect venue for this action as it gathered UWO administration (including president Chakma), UWO Faculty, current and former students, as well as parents and UWO staff.

We stand with our profs;

For Quality Education
For Academic Freedom
For Our Future

ON NOV.4TH SUPPORT UWOFA

University faculty are asking for community support

Dear University of Western Ontario Faculty Association supporters:

As you may know, UWOFA has been without a contract since June and, as of 12:01 a.m. on November 3, will be in a legal strike position. While negotiations are continuing, they have not yet shown enough progress to warrant optimism that a settlement can be reached before the deadline. Issues that remain under negotiation include job security for full and part-time members, centralized administrative control over teaching, research, and members’ private lives, all of which amount to a serious erosion of academic freedom and the peer-review system. Other issues that remain unresolved include equitable compensation, and respect for due process, collegial self-governance and procedural fairness. UWOFA remains committed to the collective bargaining process, but as we prepare for a possible strike, we could really use your support in our efforts to achieve a fair settlement.

What can you do to help support Western’s Faculty members?  Here are some ideas:

Targeted Email Campaign to President Chakma

[From Facebook]

Express your support for UWOFA as it fights for academic freedom, collegial self-governance, and against centralized control over faculty members’ work and private lives.

Join us on MONDAY NOVEMBER 1 between NOON AND 3 PM, as we flood the President’s office (achakma@uwo.ca) with email messages. If everyone sends an email to the president at the same time, we will send a strong collective message to the administration. Even if you have already sent an email of support, please send another. In the event that his email inbox gets too full and your message bounced back, keep trying to send it (even if you end up connecting after the 12:00 – 3:00 window). You can write your own message, or simply use the template posted below.

For more impact, when writing President Chakma you can CC the Chair of the Board of Governors Frank Angelleti: franka@filion.com

THANKS AND PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!!

Email template:

Dear President Chakma,

I write out of grave concern about the future of the University of Western Ontario in light of the threat of a possible faculty strike next week.

Western faculty members are your most valuable assets. If you cheapen them, you cheapen students’ quality of education, the quality of Western’s research output, and harm your quest to enhance Western’s reputation and rankings in Canada and abroad. I urge you to show more respect for your faculty by negotiating a fair and timely settlement on issues of tenure protection, collegial self-governance, equitable compensation and procedural
fairness.

A letter from the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario

RE: STUDENT SUPPORT FOR THE UWO FACULTY ASSOCIATION

Dear Dr. Chakma and Mr. Angeletti:

On behalf of more than 300,000 college and university students who are members of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, I am writing to call on your administration to retract any bargaining proposals that threaten collegial self-governance or the institution of tenure and to negotiate a fair settlement with the UWO Faculty Association in order to avoid a strike and protect academic freedom and quality at Western.

The bargaining position taken by your administration is unprecedented in Ontario and the overwhelming opposition of full- and part-time faculty emonstrates the degree to which they are committed to academic freedom and educational quality. The institution of tenure is vital to scholarship and education. It constitutes the primary procedural safeguard of academic freedom and is essential for the maintenance of intellectual liberty and high standards in post-secondary education and in scholarship.

Students supporting the strike

A student has set up this Facebook post to give some background, and to call people to action -

Will there be a strike? What can we do?

UWOFA and UWOSA have reached tentative agreements with the administration, but the union membership still may decide that they haven’t received a fair deal.

If there is a strike, there will be many more updates, posted here. We plan to call meetings to draw together people who want to help support campus employees, from outside of UWOFA and UWOSA.

This site is part of our preparations.

UWOFA Strike FAQ for Students

A Potential Faculty Strike at Western? Frequently Asked Questions for Students

Nobody wants a strike to happen and negotiations are continuing at this time.

Below are a set of questions designed to answer many of the questions you may have.

Remember: The administration does not ‘own’ the university.

Students, librarians and archivists, staff, and faculty; We are the university!

What is the strike about? What are the issues?

The administration has proposed a series of changes that would seriously undermine academic freedom and job security and impose centralized administrative control over both teaching and research.

UWOSA approves strike mandate

(October 13th)

Nicole Young in The Gazette

The University of Western Ontario Staff Association members voted in favour of a strike mandate last week by a margin of 95 per cent.

Staff members have been without a contract since late June.

UWOSA president Deb Novakowski said in a press release she believed a fair agreement could still be reached.

“We will continue to resist attempts to erode the benefits we’ve worked so hard to achieve for our members since we certified over a decade ago,” she said.

UWOSA Members Deliver 95% Strike Mandate

(October 6th)

720 UWOSA members turned out to vote and delivered the negotiations team a 95% Strike Mandate. Ballots were cast on Tuesday, October 5th (following an information meeting), and again on Wednesday, October 6.

UWOSA has been without a contract since June 30, 2010.

“We will continue to bargain in good faith to achieve a fair and equitable collective agreement for our members,” said Deb Novakowski, UWOSA President. “We will continue to resist attempts to erode the benefits we’ve worked so hard to achieve for our members since we certified over a decade ago.”

UWOSA filed for conciliation to help advance negotiations. The first meeting with the conciliator is Friday, October 8th. UWOSA members will not be in a legal strike position until a no-board report has been requested and 17 days have passed after its authorization by the Ontario Minister of Labour.

http://uwosa.ca/node/212

UWO Profs Vote 87% in Favour of Strike Mandate

(October 1st)

Unionized faculty members at the University of Western Ontario have voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action to back their bargaining goals, maintain collegial self-governance, and protect tenure and academic freedom.

UWOFA’s full and part-time members voted 87% in favour of authorizing their union to call a strike. Voter turnout was 57% of eligible faculty. The ballots were cast on Wed Sept 29, Thurs Sept 30, and Fri Oct 1, with advanced polls available on Tues Sept 28. UWOFA has been without a contract since June 30, 2010.

“This strong strike mandate demonstrates that our membership is firmly behind UWOFA’s Negotiating Team,” said James Compton, UWOFA President. “We will continue to bargain in good faith to achieve a fair and equitable collective agreement for our members. And we will continue to resist proposals by the administration that threaten self governance and the institution of tenure.”

Conciliation to help advance negotiations began in September. Further meetings with the conciliator are scheduled for Oct 12 and 13. UWOFA members will not be in a legal strike position until a no-board report has been requested and 17 days have passed after its authorization by the Ontario Minister of Labour

http://www.uwofa.ca/bargainingupdates/id:19