As part of our ongoing election activities, OCUFA has met with experts on issues important to faculty to talk about how they will figure into the 2014 provincial election. Videos of these conversations are available under the “Resources” tab of our election webpage.
Professor Larry Savage, Director of the Centre for Labour Studies at Brock University, weighed in on labour issues in the campaign, noting that “everything that can be won at the bargaining table can be lost at the ballot box.”
In a series of videos he speaks about what’s at stake in this provincial election.
The campaign’s focus on jobs and the economy will present the opportunity for labour issues to be addressed.
During the election, professors and academic librarians should be on the lookout for proposals and campaign promises that would undermine the ability of faculty associations to promote their members’ interests through collective bargaining and political action.
Academic freedom, collegial governance, the quality of higher education and the core academic mission of the university can all be seriously affected by the outcome of the election.
Professors and academic librarians should ask their political candidates about their positions on wage freezes in the broader public sector, the right to strike, and labour law reforms.
University underfunding, austerity measures, program reviews and prioritization processes will continue to be issues that professors and academic librarians will face following the election, regardless of the outcome.
Watch the full 4 1/2 min video here: