CAUT | ACPPU
Canadian Association of University Teachers
| CAUT Statement on Labour Day |
| (Wednesday, August 29, 2012)
- On Canada’s 139th Labour Day, it is vital that we renew our commitment to work for social justice, economic equality, and human rights. Gains in these areas over the past fifty years are under renewed assault. The federal Conservative government has aggressively intervened in collective bargaining to the disadvantage of workers and unions. Its economic policies have led to a loss of good paying, unionized jobs and a growth of insecure, poorly paid positions. It has further weakened Employment Insurance — punishing unemployed workers. It is increasing the age of retirement, cutting Canada’s social safety net, and eliminating vital community-based programs and services. Under the guise of transparency, it is supporting Bill 377 which will impose unprecedented burdens on unions and employee associations and require the disclosure of confidential financial information. It has eliminated funding for hundreds of community, seniors, women’s, environmental, and social justice organizations that have made Canada a better place to live. Many of the same things are happening provincially where provincial governments are undermining collective bargaining, freezing wages, weakening labour legislation and putting the interests of corporations ahead of the public. The post-secondary education sector in Canada has achieved a high rate of unionizations – both among academic and support staff. This has been crucial to Canada’s university and college system being one of the best in the world. Significant gains are being made to strengthen the working conditions for post-doctoral fellows and contract academic staff through unionization. In the face of this proud tradition and the threat to workers’ rights in Canada, we must use this Labour Day to rededicate ourselves to joining with workers and students across the country to defend the hard-won gains and protections that unionization and labour laws provide, to protect the integrity and quality of education as a public good, and to build a society based on peace, equity and social justice for all. |
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