On Monday, the Windsor Star published an editorial by OCUFA President Gyllian Phillips and Frankie Cachon, Chair of OCUFA’s Contract Faculty and Faculty Complement Committee.
The editorial provides background on the growing number of contract faculty being employed in Ontario’s postsecondary education system. Phillips and Cachon present faculty perspectives on Bill 148 and point to exceptions in the proposed legislation that would allow universities to continue to avoid paying their contract and part-time employees equally. The authors argue for the need to limit these exceptions and provide additional protections for contract faculty. Doing so would go a long way to meaningfully improve working conditions for contract faculty.
Now that the legislature is back in session, the coming weeks will be important for keeping these issues in the news and ensuring MPPs understand the struggles faced by Ontario’s contract faculty. For more details on OCUFA’s recommendations for improving Bill 148, click here.