CAUT Dedicated Service Award

At the January meeting of the membership, I had the very great pleasure and honour of presenting the CAUT Dedicated Service Award to Dr. Jim Sacouman.

Jim has been active in the academic labour movement at the provincial and the national level, both with the former NSCUFA and CAUT. For AUFA, he has served on the grievance committee, numerous pre-negotiating committees, and the joint committee. He has held every position on the AUFA executive with the exceptions of secretary and treasurer, and he has served on the negotiating team for some half a dozen contracts and been Chief Negotiator for at least the last three. Anyone who has been on the negotiating team knows the work, time and stress involved; for the Chief Negotiator in particular, it is a significant personal and professional sacrifice on behalf of the Association. Under Jim's leadership, AUFA negotiated a 12th Collective Agreement that is in many ways a landmark for our Association and a model for others.

The influence Jim has had on AUFA goes far beyond the words of the collective agreements that he has negotiated. Jim's commitment to democracy and equity has been crucial in making our association one that we can be proud of and that others can emulate; one that stands up for its smallest, weakest or least privileged groups, and that derives its strength from its democratic principles and the solidarity of its diverse membership.

Jim has also had a significant influence on new members of the association who, like me, have been inspired by his activism and dedication to take on the work of the association now and into the future.

Erin Patterson

Table of Contents