Did you know? Archives - Page 5 of 12 - Wilfrid Laurier University Staff Association

BHM: Canada’s unions honour the past to help shape the future

February 26, 2024/in Did you know?, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

This Black History Month, Canada’s unions are celebrating the history and legacy of Black community members who have stood for justice and made Canada a more equitable country.

https://canadianlabour.ca/bhm-canadas-unions-honour-the-past-to-help-shape-the-future/?link_id=3&can_id=39b4839a6295f2461b93416b2a8c437d&source=email-3-ways-to-celebrate-black-trailblazers&email_referrer=email_2215182___subject_2741946&email_subject=3-ways-to-celebrate-black-trailblazers

Thousands of CUPE academic staff, librarians, service workers threaten to strike

February 26, 2024/in Did you know?, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

Thousands of workers across all U of T campuses and three different chapters of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are threatening to go on strike if they do not reach a new deal with the university by March 4.

https://thevarsity.ca/2024/02/24/thousands-of-cupe-academic-staff-librarians-service-workers-threaten-to-strike/

3,000 York University academic workers go on strike

February 26, 2024/in Did you know?, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

Some 3,000 academic workers at York University walked off the job Monday after the union representing them and the school failed to reach a deal on a new collective agreement.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-university-strike-1.7125523

Stacey: It’s time to shrink Ontario’s university administrations

February 5, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics/by Tracy Cochrane

Every university position should have to be justified in terms of a university’s primary mandate: to educate students and produce knowledge.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/stacey-its-time-to-shrink-ontarios-university-administrations

Young Workers

February 5, 2024/in Did you know?, Labour Movement, WRLC/by Tracy Cochrane

OFL Presents Young Workers Toolkit

The OFL has recently released a new digital resource for young workers entering unionized environments called the Young Workers Toolkit. The goal of the guide is to nurture young workers who want to be active participants in their local, unit, affiliate, and/or regional labour councils, but are unsure of what concrete steps can be taken to reach that goal. Please share widely with all the young workers in your life!

Women’s Day Lunch

February 5, 2024/in Did you know?, Social, WRLC/by Tracy Cochrane

WRLC Presents the International Women’s Day Lunch 2024

Come for the lunch, stay for the fun! The WRLC is excited to host this year’s IWD Lunch in support of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. We are thrilled to be welcoming Dr Julie Mueller, Associate Dean, Graduate and Research, and Dr Eden Hennessey, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Data Specialist, from Wilfrid Laurier University (WLUFA), as our keynote speakers. There will also be games, prizes, a raffle and more. Tickets are expected to sell out, so please visit the link below to secure your table!

Purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2024-international-womens-day-lunch-tickets-776975022207?aff=oddtdtcreator

PSAC Local 902 Organizing Conference on February 10th

January 31, 2024/in Did you know?, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

PSAC are planning a conference on Saturday, February 10th as part of the organizing drive to support the campus organizers. The conference aims to provide an overview of the big themes and skills needed to unionize the workplace. We also want to connect student workers to organizing and social movements that are happening in the broader communities.

If you are able to spread the word and share it with your network to anyone who may be interested, that would be greatly appreciated! Here are some links below:

Conference registration:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/organizing-conference-tickets-789240428367

Campaign: https://www.unionizewlu.ca/

Federal Government Institutes Cap on International Students

January 24, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

In case you missed it the Liberal Federal Government has put into place a cap on the number of international student visas they will allow. They are also going to control what parts of the country visa students are allowed to study in.

For more information go to: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/international-student-visas-1.7092512

Karen Littlewood , president of OSSTF/FEESO has spoken out about this cap and the impact it will have on post-secondary institutions and students. In addition OSSTF/FEESO has put out a statement in response.

The link to President, Karen Littlewood’s radio interview this morning with 900 CHML (Hamilton) on underfunding in the post-secondary sector (starts around 13:50 mark): https://twitter.com/AM900CHML/status/1749822661297930345

A link to the media release OSSTF/FEESO published yesterday (see attachments) in response to the announcement: https://www.osstf.on.ca/news/cap-on-international-students-exposes-ford-government-underfunding-of-universities.aspx

More or Less: Its All Being Done With Less. Or Is It?

January 12, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

Deficits and budget cuts are a systemic problem across the post-secondary sector across all of Ontario. We are all being forced to do more with less, or in our case less with less. The Ford government is doing everything it can to privatize not only our healthcare system but also education.

We can no longer sit back and think that Ford’s policies are someone else’s problem. While the next provincial election is a long way off this should not mean that we do not call out our local MPPs. This is a call to action; to stand against those are seeking to dismantle public education.

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/it-s-simply-at-a-breaking-point-universities-warn-of-dark-days-ahead-and-call-for-end-of-tuition-freeze-1.6722240

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/deficit-is-an-acute-problem-queen-s-university-eyes-drastic-cutbacks-addresses-students-1.6722358

Number of Ontario hospital emergency closures soars to new record: Health Coalition demands Ford government finally take action

December 15, 2023/in Did you know?, Wellness/by Tracy Cochrane

A new report, Unprecedented and Worsening: Ontario’s Local Hospital Closures 2023 released by the Ontario Health Coalition at Queen’s Park this morning, paints a stark picture of a health care system that has tipped into collapse.

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