THe latest FAUST Newsletter

FAUST President to Consult Members Ahead of LOU Discussions - See the full President message here.

Dear Colleagues,

These trying times have proven our resourcefulness, and shown how strong we are together. We completed a tough end of semester, and many of us are still teaching with great strength and commitment. We successfully completed our bargaining process and signed our Collective Agreements – all despite the uncertainties we continue to face. Kudos to us all for that.

COVID-19 FACULTY TASK FORCE

Did you know that there is a member-driven COVID-19 Faculty Task Force created to address faculty concerns about working conditions during the pandemic?

This Task Force was created shortly after our April AGM and has been meeting ever since. Updates are available on the FAUST website: https://www.faustnb.ca/covid-19-communications.

The members of the Task Force meet approximately once a month or as needed. Meetings are open to all Full-Time and Part-Time members of FAUST. More information can be found here.

PART-TIME FACULTY LIAISONS

Are you a Part-Time faculty member? Do you have concerns about your work in the context of the pandemic?

If so, please be informed that the FAUST Executive has created a new position entitled Part-Time Faculty Liaison. This position was created in recognition that there are special challenges facing Part-Time faculty in the transition to remote teaching in the current COVID-19 environment.

Two Part-Time faculty members at STU - Janice Harvey (Environment & Society) and Mike Fleming (Sociology & Criminology/Criminal Justice) - have been appointed to the position.

JEANNETTE GAUDET RECEIVES BERNICE SCHRANK AWARD

FAUST is delighted to announce that long-serving Senior Grievance Officer Jeannette Gaudet (Romance Languages) has been awarded the prestigious Bernice Shrank Award. This award was created by CAUT in 2013 to recognize “outstanding contributions to the enforcement of academic staff workplace rights through grievance/arbitration.” Criteria for the award include “a demonstrable history of consistent and active defense of collective agreement provisions through the grievance process over a long period of time” and “leadership within their association.” (https://www.caut.ca/about-us/awards-scholarships/lists/awards-and-scholarships/the-bernice-schrank-award )

We think that Jeannette’s leadership over the years more than exceeds these criteria, and it is high time that she won this award!

Jeannette began on the FAUST Executive as Secretary in 1998, but then steadily moved through the ranks, serving as Vice President (1999-2000), Acting President (April-May 2000), President (2002-2005), and Past President (2005-2006). Jeannette also served as the Communications Director for the FAUST Job Action Committee during the lockout and strike of 2007-2008. Her grievance work began in 2004-2008; at the end of this term she became Senior Grievance Officer, an office which she has held for 15 years.

As Senior Grievance Officer, Jeannette has led the Union through two successful arbitrations over the denial of Sabbatical and CPI (Career Progress Increment) and a judicial review of the CPI case. These victories prevented the Employer from attempting to impose standards through the back door and resulted in better employment practices at STU. They also provide significant precedents for faculty facing similar situations at other institutions. She has also been involved in pursuing recent arbitrations over the issuance of “non-disciplinary letters of expectation.”

Moreover, Jeannette was instrumental in preventing the Employer from circumventing the Collective Agreements by denying union status and benefits to Part-Time instructors teaching on reserves. This is an important issue, as the university (and union) contemplates indigenization under the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

In short, FAUST has been very fortunate to have benefited for so long from Jeannette’s knowledge and experience. Even FAUST lawyer’s has said: “I can think of no one who merits that award more than Jeannette… she is so knowledgeable, I have learned so much from her and she has made such a huge difference for FAUST over the years”.

The Bernice Shrank Award is a fitting tribute for a colleague who has dedicated so much of her professional life to helping her fellow faculty members!

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS SIGNED:

FAUST is pleased to announce that the new Full-Time and Part-Time Collective Agreements were signed by FAUST and the Employer on Friday July 3rd. View the full agreements on our Public Documents page.

JOINT COMMITTEE RECONSTITUTED

Mike Fleming, Marvin Claybourn, and Gül Çalışkan have volunteered to serve on the Joint Committee. This is a very important committee, which “shall review matters of concern arising from the application of the Agreements between St. Thomas University and the Faculty Association of the University of St. Thomas (Part-time Bargaining Unit and Full-time Bargaining Unit)…This Committee shall attempt to foster better communication and more effective working relationships between the Parties and shall attempt to maintain a spirit of cooperation and respect between the Parties. (Article 3.11.4). This is especially significant in light of FAUST’s efforts to regularizing COVID-19 pandemic-related changes to faculty working conditions. Thank you for your service Mike, Marvin and Gül!

CONGRATULATIONS TO PTSU ON THEIR FIRST COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT:

Hearty congratulations to the PTSU (Professional & Technical Staff) at UNB, who after six years without a contract, signed their first Collective Agreement on 16 July 2020! https://www.facebook.com/Professional-and-Technical-Staff-Union-218219984866191/ Solidarity works! We think that a strong showing of support from faculty and staff unions at STU and UNB helped!

COALITION FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IN NB:

FAUST, STUSAU (STU Support & Administration Union), and FNBFA (Federation on NB Faculty Associations) are amongst the founding members of a Coalition for Post-Secondary Education in New Brunswick that has been formed by unions and organizations representing students, staff and faculty in the province's colleges and universities.

The coalition, based in part on a similar association in Nova Scotia, was formed to draw the attention of all New Brunswickers, including our governments, to the state of post-secondary education in the province. As stakeholder organizations in public post-secondary education in New Brunswick, the coalition argues that "their sector is an important and essential part of the solution for a prosperous New Brunswick, during and post-Covid pandemic."

For more information, see https://www.fnbfa.ca/coalition-for-post-secondary-education-in-new-brunswick/

STAY SAFE! BE WELL! AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE GMM ON THURSDAY AUGUST 13 at 2PM

Faculty Association of the University of St. Thomas (FAUST) promotes the welfare and professional interests of the association and its members. It negotiates, obtains, and preserves employment conditions such as salary, financial security, working conditions, and all matters of employer-employee relations for members of the bargaining units. FAUST actively supports its members in attaining fair working conditions and benefits that foster quality teaching and research. FAUST also protects academic freedom, seniority, and tenure.

FAUST is a certified trade union under the Industrial Relations Act of New Brunswick. FAUST has two bargaining units: Full-time (certified in 1976) and part-time (certified in 1985).

Questions?

Our Professional Officer, Bonnie Huskins, and our Office Assistant, Adrienne Wilson preside over the FAUST office in Edmund Casey (51 Dineen Drive) , Room 211. They can help you with your questions about FAUST and your rights as a member of the bargaining unit. You are also welcome to direct questions to the FAUST President. Please contact Bonnie or Adrienne for further info.

Bonnie's Office Email

Adrienne's Office Email

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