28 Jan FP-CSN News: January 2022

Posted at 19:57h in CSN by
January Newsletter Universities (FP-CSN)

Successful Meeting with Minister McCann

The Fédération des professionnèles (FP–CSN), which represents over 2000 unionized professors and professionals in the university network, recently met with Minister of Higher Education Danielle McCann, to share its concerns and obtain clarifications about a number of priority issues. Some of the subjects discussed on November 22, 2021, were academic freedom, university funding and autonomy, distance teaching, the virtual campus, work organization in the context of the pandemic, and Bill 96.
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Faculty job cuts
UQO’s union wins this round
The Syndicat des professeures et professeurs de l’Université du Québec en Outaouais (SPUQO), affiliated with the FP–CSN, recently fought a battle (article available in French only) to reverse the plan to eliminate three faculty positions next year due to a drop in enrolment. SPUQO sent a letter questioning the decision to the members of the board of directors before the budget was adopted and sent out a press release that received strong media coverage in the Outaouais region. Initially, the board of directors reversed the recommendation of the studies commission. Subsequently, the UQO administration called a special meeting of the board of directors on December 21, which adopted the recommendation of the studies commission. The issue of the distribution of positions will be part of the next negotiations of the collective agreement. Continued on the website (in French).
 
Graduate student supervision
Université du Québec network interfering

The Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (SPUQ) is denouncing the UQ network’s decision to conduct a survey about graduate student supervision. The survey comes as we approach the renewal of the SPUQ, SPUQO, and SPPUQTR collective agreements. It may lead employers to reduce professors’ autonomy by setting benchmarks for the entire network. “Before they complete the survey, SPUQ would like its members to be aware of the possible impacts, since university administrations will use the findings in the next round of bargaining,” said Geneviève Hervieux, SPUQ President. The survey could influence our working conditions. Unfortunately, it was prepared unilaterally by the UQ network.

Fifty years of SPUQ: An occasion to celebrate

The Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (SPUQ) will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Although SPUQ was certified in 1971, the pandemic prevented the celebrations from occurring last year. They were postponed to April 2022, and we are crossing our fingers and hoping that they will still be able to happen as scheduled.
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