On May 23, 2012, OCUFA held a member mobilization workshop at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. Attended by over 60 faculty association representatives from across Ontario, the goal of the workshop was to develop the skills needed to effectively communicate with and engage faculty association members. The workshop was led by Rob Fairley and Mike Balkwill of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council.
Faculty associations, as with all public sector unions, are coming under increasing pressure. From government austerity to media criticism of pension benefits, associations are facing new and difficult challenges. To meet these challenges head on, it is vital that associations are able to connect with and mobilize their membership. Organized under the auspices of OCUFA’s Collective Bargaining Committee, the Building Solidarity workshop is part of our ongoing work to ensure that Ontario’s professors and academic librarians have the tools they need to support robust local bargaining.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.