Wilfrid Laurier University professors Doug and Joyce Lori­mer have each been recognized by CAUT with the Donald C. Savage Award “for outstanding achievements in the promotion of collective bargaining in Canadian universities and colleges.”

The Lorimers are the first husband and wife team to win a CAUT award in the 58-year history of the association and the fifth and sixth recipients to take home the award since its creation in 1997. They were cited both for their contributions to collective bargaining and their personal characteristics that have shaped those achievements.

Donald Savage, former executive director of CAUT and in whose name the award is given, made a special appearance during CAUT’s November Council meeting to present the Lorimers with their awards.

“To know that my name is in the same award as theirs is an honor,” Savage said. “It’s a privilege to be here to present the award to two people who have done so much in the cause of collective bargaining and whose renowned activism over more than two decades has helped academic staff associations across the country.”

Joyce Lorimer, who is described as an “outstanding academic leader” at her institution, has served on the executive committee of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association almost continuously since 1987, including multiple terms as vice-president and president. She was one of the major players during WLUFA’s successful union drive and later played a critical role in organizing and certifying the contract academic staff bargaining unit. She has represented WLUFA at the provincial level on the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association’s board and served as OCUFA’s treasurer. She has performed numerous roles at all levels of CAUT, including two terms as president (1994–1996) and past president, and as an executive committee member and later chair of the Collective Bargaining Cooperative (1993), “providing critical political leadership” at an historic moment when collective bargaining was re-integrated into the mainstream of CAUT activities.

Doug Lorimer has been active in WLUFA for more than 30 years, including serving a year as president in 1985–1986 and as chief negotiator for the association’s first collective agreement in 1990 and in every round of negotiations since then. The self-professed “collective bargaining addict” has also negotiated the three agreements for Laurier contract academic staff. At the provincial level, he has served on OCUFA’s collective bargaining committee since 1988 and as committee chair for three years. He joined CAUT’s collective bargaining and economic benefits committee in 2003 and has served as its chair since 2006.

Their contributions to furthering collective bargaining have also been recognized by OCUFA with the recent establishment of the Lorimer Award.