TORONTO – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce that Linda St. Pierre is the recipient of the 2017 Lorimer Award. This honour recognizes individuals who have worked to protect and promote the interests of Ontario’s academic staff through collective bargaining.
“Linda has played a pivotal role in advancing faculty rights at Laurentian,” said Rahul Sapra, Vice-President of OCUFA. “She has spent countless hours fighting for fairness, equity, and better working conditions for both full-time and contract faculty. Her years of experience and keen strategic instincts have made her an extraordinarily effective advocate for her members.”
The Lorimer Award was established in honour of Doug and Joyce Lorimer, who were instrumental in advancing faculty association collective bargaining in Ontario. Winners of the award all share the Lorimers’ commitment to advancing Ontario’s university system through strong faculty associations and fair collective agreements.
In her time as Chief Steward and Chief Grievance Office for the Laurentian University Faculty Association, Linda has negotiated seven collective agreements and made major gains in academic freedom, workload reduction, collegial governance, compensation, and privacy protections.
“OCUFA is extremely proud to recognize the exceptional individuals whose commitment to the bargaining process is improving the working conditions of professors and academic librarians,” said Gyllian Phillips, President of OCUFA. “High-quality education and vibrant campus communities are built on the foundations established by these collective agreements. Through the Lorimer Award, we recognize the outstanding contributions and leadership of those who work tirelessly to ensure faculty have the protections and resources they need to thrive.”
Linda St. Pierre will receive her award at a ceremony hosted by OCUFA in Toronto on February 3, 2018.
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 28 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Ben Lewis, Communications Lead at 416-979-2117 x232 or communications@ocufa.on.ca
OR Mark Rosenfeld, Executive Director at 416-979-2117 x229 or mrosenfeld@ocufa.on.ca