FPSE
34th AGM and Convention
May 13-16th
Notes from Doug Short, ACIFA President [Any and all questions welcome]
Our counterparts in B.C. run an excellent convention, this year titled “The Right to Learn” and were very
welcoming to guests from across the country, including ACIFA.
Their AGM is spread over 4 days during which they have extensive reports from executive members and
numerous resolutions are presented which have percolated up from the membership, local associations
and committee discussion to be debated on the floor. One resolution called for the development of a
climate survey similar to ACIFA’s. FPSE has an annual budget of approximately $4 million, with a
strike/defense fund of over $9 million.
Some themes that I discerned included the increasing administrative costs in the system, great concern
with decreased funding and the commitment to post-secondary education particularly ESL instruction
[with consequences in the broader economy], initiatives on academic freedom and workload concerns
Government post-secondary sector initiatives included; institutional letters of expectation, suggestions
to consolidate functions across institutions, increasing international students, core reviews of
programming and a review at the Industry Training Authority [ITA]. There was also the decision at
Northwest Community College [NCC], who’s former President is now at Medicine Hat College, to layoff
all faculty and then make them reapply for their jobs. An arbitrator found NCC’s actions violated the
terms and conditions of its collective agreement.
There are 22 institutions in FPSE with approximately 8,000 FTEs [the largest Kwantlen has 992].
Notes from selected sessions:
Lessons from the War on Science (Thomas Duck, Dalhousie)
 Evidence of the War on Science:
o Muzzling of scientists ( Kristi Miller, David Tarasick, Marley Waiser, Scott Dallimore)
o A closure of science libraries ( exhibits culled)
o Elimination of science capacity (experimental lakes, marine contaminants, ozone
science, climate science) (cuts: NRC, Stats Canada, etc)
 Observations:
o Assault on science's capacity to inform public debate
 Response:
o "Death of evidence" March: July 10, 2012 (humor worked)
o Coalition to save ELA - multimedia, petitions, concrete proposals
o Simple messages that resonate with public
o PIPSC, CAUT alliance
 polled the individuals that cannot speak freely ******
 Analysis:
o Action, but not enough
o Be proactive rather than reactive
o Unions and associations play vital role
 The War final comments
 Canada First Research Fund for post-secondary institutions
1
o
o
o
o
o
Focus is becoming on economic advantages not public interest science
The world's best PS institutions (Toronto, McGill, UBC, Alberta, Montreal) seemingly get
the bulk of funds
Things Ministers say
 distribution of funds independently from tri-councils
Move to reshape higher education to focus on industrial research
"Science allows us to see over the horizon"
Special purpose teaching universities
Vicki Grieve (University of Fraser Valley)
o History of scarcity, increases in class sizes, less staff
o Less collegiality, more hierarchies, divisions
o Administrative growth, non-academic people
Marni Stanley (Vancouver Island University
o Faculty resistance to rank
o Funding of research chairs - fancy research, promoting particular agendas
o Scopes trial at UBC library, backdrop for restricting debate on pipeline
Terri Van Steinburg (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)
o Sold as marketing ploy
o Senate suggested it could render null and void a provision in CA
o 16 to 12 hrs reduction in CCPs, arbitrarily
o Not all faculty represented, faculty minority on senate
o Rank and advancement committee
Joanne Quirk (Capilano University)
o Promised funding for degrees, but did not come
o Senate has faculty at less than 50%
o Attempts to marginize the CBA
Rita Wong (Emily Carr University)
o Neo liberalism at play
o Promise of increased funding, yet no resources, increased bureaucracy, divisions amongst
faculty
o Trying to become research university without resources
o Snobs, insecurity, competition, elitism
o Lack of academic freedom in CA
o "decolonization of education"
Jason Brown (Thompson Rivers University)
o Buildings, administration, open learning growth
o Culture of research and scholarship
o Comprehensiveness of institution has frayed around the edges
o Salaries up to $137,000 at full professor
o Growing accumulated surplus
2
Changes to College Pension Plan (Weldon Cowan, FPSE staff)
o Accrual rate moving to 2%
o Early retirement at 3% from 65, 60 before
o 1/20th of salary increase will be contributed to IAA, employees to match
o No guarantee on inflation adjustments
o $7083 is maximum salary, $85,000 approximately
o Contribution rates: a little over 9%
College.pensionsbc.ca
Attacks Against Labour Rights (Sylvian Schetagne, CLC)
o We are playing against employer and government
o The crowd is cheering for those the two players
Unions strive to:
o Improve working conditions
o Improve society in which we work
Power effects change and power comes from people and money
Attacks:
o BIll C-525 card check to mandatory vote
o Bill C-377 limit unions on how to spend money (all funds over $5,000)
o Eliminate Rand formula
o Bargaining process and outcomes
o Private members bills but government takes it through
o When unions lose cases, management can sell them as irrelevant
Fairness works: CLC commercials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhInxpMMqk0
Fairness, choice are important
3