On April 29, the Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association sent a letter to the Laurentian University Board of Governors calling for the termination of President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Haché, as well as his senior administrative team. The letter also calls for the rebuilding of the university’s Board.
On May 5, members of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association passed a motion calling for the resignation of Minister Romano and President Haché and his senior administration team. The Lakehead University Faculty Association passed a similar motion on May 7.
On May 14, the King’s University College Faculty Association (KUCFA) released a statement of solidarity in support of the Laurentian University Faculty Association. The statement calls for the provincial and federal governments to challenge the CCAA process and fully fund Laurentian University in support of its multilingual mandate that service Indigenous students and northern communities. It also calls for the protection of all universities from private insolvency proceedings like the CCAA, as well as the protection of collective bargaining rights and collective agreements.
Save our Sudbury (SOS) Coalition
For many faculty members who received termination notices or whose teaching contracts were not renewed, Saturday, May 15 was their last day of work. To mark the occasion, the SOS coalition held a solemn gathering honouring the vast contributions made by faculty and staff both to the academic community as well as the broader Sudbury community. There were powerful musical and theatrical performances that ended in participants calling out President Haché and Minister Romano on their terrible decisions and inactions. The event lasted for over three hours with faculty, staff, students, and community members sharing stories of grief, hope, and resolve to continue fighting! Click here for a list of calls to action and ways to stay involved in SOS.
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Petition
The CLC has launched a petition calling for the exclusion of public institutions like Laurentian University from accessing the CCAA. Specifically, the petition asks that the CCAA be amended to exclude publicly funded institutions from seeking bankruptcy protection from creditors.
Please sign the petition and distribute it as widely as possible.
Auditor General Investigation
On May 5, Nickel Belt NDP MPP France Gélinas received support in the Ontario legislature to have the provincial Auditor General investigate how Laurentian University became insolvent. Gélinas’ motion was passed at the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Haldimand—Norfolk Conservative MPP Toby Barrett, who sits on the Committee, said he wasn’t aware that this had happened at Laurentian prior to the vote.
Watch for more updates at www.ocufa.on.ca and www.northernsolidarity.ca.