It is time for the federal government to become a stronger partner for PSE to foster a high quality, affordable, and accessible system for all. A bolder vision is needed to ensure the sustainability of Canada’s post-secondary education system in order to promote the economic, social and cultural success of our country.
Briefs & Reports
The Parliament of Canada is currently reviewing the Copyright Act, legislation that has a profound effect on the creation, ownership and use of literary and artistic works. In addition to appearing before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU), and meeting with individual MPs and senior public servants, CAUT has also advanced the copyright position of academic staff by submitting a brief directly to INDU.
Starting salaries and other terms for many academic positions are often negotiated on an individual basis. This can put some candidates at a disadvantage and perpetuate inequities in the academy. The newly-updated Handbook for Negotiating Starting Salaries is intended to supplement the assistance provided by academic staff associations and help candidates negotiate a fair deal.
In its Budget 2018, the federal government announced a new Parental Leave Sharing Benefit. It also made permanent the Working While on a Claim pilot project, which allows persons collecting EI to retain a portion of their benefits to supplement income earned from employment. The purpose of this advisory is to provide background and details on the changes to EI benefits to assist CAUT’s member associations when dealing with the matter.
Respectful Workplace policies can present a significant threat to academic freedom. These policies typically go well beyond what is required by anti-harassment law by requiring all members of the university community to act in accordance with poorly-defined notions of “civility” and “politeness”. This Advisory replaces an earlier discussion paper and provides an overview of the development and implementation of these policies, the damage they may cause, and steps that associations can take to negate their harmful impact.