Following last November Council's direction to make occupational health and safety a priority, CAUT has posted a new position of health and safety officer.

"The principal responsibility of the health and safety officer will be to assist local associations in protecting the health and safety of their members," said James Turk, executive director of CAUT.

Duties will include preparing fact sheets and other material on health and safety problems in academic workplaces, developing CAUT training programs for local health and safety committee members, liaising with experts on specific occupational health and safety issues and raising public awareness about health and safety concerns in universities and colleges.

The health and safety officer will represent CAUT at meetings of advisory groups, liaise with occupational health and safety officials in the labour movement and in the academic community, monitor occupational health and safety legislation and provide bargaining advice.

"We are looking for someone who has demonstrated expertise in occupational health and safety issues and in assisting workers protect their rights to healthy and safe workplaces," Turk said. "Also essential is experience in collective bargaining and dispute resolution - preferably in a post-secondary education context."