More than 100 participants gathered at the University of Western Ontario in June for CAUT’s second contract academic staff conference. "Moving Forward: Achieving Equity for Contract Academic Staff" brought together per-course, limited-term and full-time academic staff from universities and colleges across Canada to discuss issues affecting academics who work on a temporary or part-time basis.

"Our goal was to help build on recent organizing successes and develop possible solutions to the many challenges contract academic staff face at the negotiating table and in the workplace," said Michael Piva, chair of CAUT’s contract academic staff committee.

"The conference also provided a space for full-time and contract academic staff to discuss common interests and understand that the problems caused by casualization are systemwide."

In one plenary session, Paddy Musson, chair of the college academic division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, described the challenges faced by part-time contract academic staff in the college sector, particularly in Ontario where they are prevented by law from unionizing.

Former Laurentian University Faculty Association president Peter Simpson examined how employers get around collective agreements by having employees outside of the bargaining unit deliver courses.

Maureen Shaw, past president of the Federation of Post-secondary Educators of British Columbia, described a method of moving out of the stipendiary trap toward a full pro-rata model. She outlined some of the challenges her members have encountered since their successful campaign to regularize contract academic staff.

Four concurrent workshops allowed participants to develop strategies for realizing gains in negotiations and address key challenges, including the protection of intellectual property and the need to resist concession bargaining.

There was considerable interest in a workshop on mobilizing members. "After a short discussion of the barriers to mobilizing contract academic staff members, we brainstormed over how to overcome them," workshop facilitator Brenda McLean said. "People had great ideas to help promote the achievements of contract academic staff and their role on campus, and to combat the fear that prevents many of these staff members from getting involved in their associations."

Keynote speaker Deena Ladd, from the Toronto-based Workers’ Action Centre, helped link the day’s discussions to the broader issue of precarious employment in Canada. The centre is a worker-based organization committed to improving the lives and working conditions of people in low-wage and unstable employment.

She described how grassroots organizing has helped contingent workers in the garment, hotel and other industries build strong, supportive networks and achieve justice for many exploited workers.

"Full-time, tenure stream academic staff need to recognize that all academics must work together toward equitable treatment for contract academic staff," Piva said. "It’s important for the profession as a whole, and the only way we will move forward is by making fairness a priority when we negotiate."

Fair Employment Week, Oct. 24–28, offers all academic staff an opportunity to raise awareness about the overuse and exploitation of contract academic staff.