TORONTO, February 6, 2020 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce that Northern Ontario School of Medicine Associate Professor Geoffrey Hudson is the recipient of the 2019 Lorimer Award. This honour recognizes individuals who have worked to protect and promote the interests of Ontario’s academic staff through collective bargaining.
“Geoff has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving the working conditions of faculty and staff members at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine,” said Rahul Sapra, President of OCUFA. “His contributions have been an inspiration to his colleagues at NOSM and across Ontario.”
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.
For more than three decades, Hudson has fought to improve the working conditions of his academic colleagues. During his tenure as Chief Negotiator for the NOSM Faculty and Staff Association, he has helped negotiate five collective agreements, including the association’s first; substantively improved part-time faculty promotion and appointment policies; and actively supported the successful effort to organize a new support staff bargaining unit at the school as part of NOSMFSA/OPSEU 677.
“OCUFA is very proud to recognize those exceptional individuals whose commitment to collective bargaining advances the interests of faculty and other academic professionals,” said Sapra. “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 that faculty and academic librarians have the protections and resources they need to thrive.”
Hudson will receive his award at a ceremony hosted by OCUFA in Toronto on February 8, 2020.
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 30 faculty associations across Ontario.
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To arrange interviews or for more information, please contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead
416-306-6033 | communications@ocufa.on.ca