This Labour Day, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) celebrates the many achievements and contributions of the trade union movement in Canada toward improving working conditions and advancing equity and human rights.

In recent years, working people have faced significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rising cost of living, the increasing precarity of   work and the weakening of public services.

“Trade unions and employee associations play a vital role in not just protecting rights at work, but also promoting a more just and fair society for all,” said CAUT President Peter McInnis. “For our unions and associations in post-secondary education, that means fighting for professional rights like academic freedom and working to ensure that a university and college education is accessible, affordable, and of high quality.”

CAUT encourages academic staff to renew their commitment to collective action and continue to fight for fair wages, academic freedom, shared governance, manageable workloads, an end to precarity for contract staff and equity in hiring and promotion.