2020
18 March
Fabrice Colin is reelected as LUFA president.
11 March
COVID-19 Pandemic – Laurentian University courses are switched to alternate forms of delivery.
Membership as of March 2020:
Laurentian University: 361 Full Time (FT), 280 Sessionals (including Clinicians, Online and Centre for Continuing Education).
Federated universities: 28 FT, 38 Sessionals (excluding Thorneloe, where Sessional members are represented by another union).
Huntington: 9 FT and 8 Sessionals.
Thorneloe: 8 FT.
Sudbury: 13 FT and 30 Sessionals.
Total: 389 FT, 318 Sessionals (double counts not included).
2019
30 November
Linda St-Pierre receives the CAUT Bernice Schrank Award, established in 2013 to recognize outstanding contributions to the enforcement of academic staff workplace rights through grievance/arbitration.
6 November
LUFA wins an important legal battle for academic freedom. In December 2015, Dr. Michael Persinger was abruptly removed from teaching a psychology course after the administration received a student complaint. However, arbitrator Kevin Burkett concluded that the administration violated the late professor’s rights. “This is an important and precedent-setting award for academic staff across the country,” said CAUT Executive Director David Robinson. “Academic freedom is a necessary condition for the free pursuit of knowledge and understanding.”
2018
5 October
University of Sudbury faculty ratify their sixth collective agreement for 2018-2021.
15 May
Jean-Charles Cachon receives the OCUFA Service Award, established to honour individuals who have done, or continue to do, exceptional work on behalf of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and its Members.
29 March
Fabrice Colin elected as LUFA president.
3 February
Linda St-Pierre receives the OCUFA Lorimer Award. Established in honour of Joyce and Doug Lorimer of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association, the award was instituted to honour and recognize outstanding contributions to improving the terms and conditions of employment of Ontario university faculty through bargaining.
2017
22 December
The tenth collective agreement is signed at Thorneloe University for 2017-2020.
6 October
The sixteenth collective agreement for 2017-2020 is signed following an eight-day strike (September 28-October 5).
2016
3 November
Clinicians ratify their first Collective Agreement. The highlights of the agreement include parity with music sessionals for compensation by 1 July 2017; parity with all sessional members on rights such as professional allowance and tuition fee exemption; and retroactive recognition of establishment and seniority. Bargaining Team: Sylvie Larocque (Nursing) and Linda St-Pierre (Chief Negotiator).
June
The Memorandum of Settlement for the 2016-2020 Collective Agreement with the Board of Regents of Huntington University is ratified unanimously by the membership at Huntington University.
29 April
Ashley Thomson receives the CAUT Academic Librarians’ and Archivists’ Distinguished Service Award at the 80th CAUT Council Meeting in Ottawa. The photo above is of Mr. Thomson giving his acceptance speech. (Photo courtesy of Paul Jones, CAUT)
29 March
Jim Ketchen is elected by acclamation as President from 2016 to 2018.
16 March
CAUT publishes the report of its Ad Hoc Investigatory Committee on allegations of improper conduct within the Faculty of Arts at Laurentian University. The report documents serious violations of academic freedom and interference with collegial governance; it also concludes that university officials have acted outside the accepted norms and practices of the university sector. Media coverage of the report is extensive including CBC Radio Sudbury (French and English), local newspapers (Sudbury Star, Northern Life, and Le Voyageur), student newspapers (Lambda and The Ontarion), the Globe and Mail, and CTV News. It is also Number 1 of the Academica Top 10 on March 18.
February
Clinicians are certified by the Ontario Labour Relations Board following an affirmative vote (95 percent in favour). Linda St-Pierre has helped them to organize over the previous months.
2015
November
Anis Farah announces his intention to step down as President. Jim Ketchen is elected by acclamation as President for the remainder of Farah’s term, i.e., from January 1 to June 30, 2016.
October
Membership as of October 2015:
Laurentian University: 368 Full Time (FT), 218 Sessionals (including Online and Centre for Continuing Education)
Federated universities: 32 FT, 38 Sessionals (excluding Thorneloe, where sessional members are represented by another union)
Huntington: 9 FT and 4 sessionals
Thorneloe: 10 FT
Sudbury: 13 FT and 34 sessionals
Total: 400 FT, 256 Sessionals (double counts not included)
September
The LUFA office moves from its temporary location in a portable (where it was housed from April to August) to Room L-628 on the sixth floor of the Parker Building.
August
University of Sudbury faculty ratify the fifth collective agreement for 2015-2018.
April
Thorneloe faculty ratify the 2014-2017 collective agreement.
2014
Anis Farah is elected President for a third term. The fifteenth collective agreement is signed for 2014-2017. The settlement was reached within 48 hours of a strike deadline.
2012
Anis Farah is elected President for a second term. The third collective agreement for 2012-2016 is signed at Huntington University. The fourth collective agreement for 2012-2015 is signed at the University of Sudbury.
July
Linda St-Pierre is hired as full-time Chief Grievance Officer.
May
Nicole Collette is hired as part-time Office Assistant.
2011
The fourteenth collective agreement is signed for 2011-2014. Certification of the Centre for Continuing Education’s instructors: Linda St-Pierre (sessional member, Psychology) plays an instrumental role.
Membership: 413 full time, 174 sessionals.
2010
Anis Farah (Engineering) is elected the LUFA President.
Membership: 415 full time, 158 sessionals.
2009
Dominic Giroux is appointed President of Laurentian University.
Membership: 428 full time, 148 sessionals.
2008
The thirteenth collective agreement is signed for 2008-2011. University of Sudbury faculty members are on strike for nine days from August 18 to 26 before signing their 3rd collective agreement for 2008-2012.. Judith Woodsworth leaves Laurentian to become President of Concordia University. The second collective agreement at Huntington is signed for 2008-2011.
Membership: 428 full time, 150 sessionals.
2007
March
On 1 March 2007, the LUFA office relocates from Room L-234 in the Parker Building to C-105 in the Classroom Building. The new location has more working space and visibility to the university community.
Membership: 401 full time, 150 sessionals.
2006
Jim Ketchen is elected President of LUFA.
Membership: 364 full time, 127 sessionals.
2005
October
Anis Farah is Chief Negotiator for the third time. The twelfth collective agreement is signed for 2005-2008. Highlights include significant movement to the provincial average as well as a 2.5 workload for all faculties except Science and Engineering, which remains at 2.0 Peter Simpson leaves Sudbury to become Associate Executive Director of CAUT. Jim Ketchen (Law and Justice) becomes President. Huntington members sign their first collective agreement for 2005-08.
Membership: 371 full time, 118 sessionals.
2004
December
The Huntington University faculty certify. Robert Hall (Music) coordinates with Peter Simpson to lead the certification drive.
November
Éliette Portelance resigns and is replaced by Lee Ann Fielding. Peter Simpson (Philosophy) is President of LUFA, 2004-2005. The bargaining unit includes 312 full time and 95 part-time members at Laurentian, and 25 full time and 13 part-time members at Sudbury and Thorneloe.
2003
December
Darlene McIntosh retires.
November
Éliette Portelance becomes LUFA’s Office Administrator.
2002
Judith Woodsworth becomes President of LU. Jean-Charles Cachon is reelected as president of LUFA.
September
Anis Farah is Chief Negotiator for the second time. Negotiation of the eleventh collective agreement, signed for 2002-2005. LUFA comes within 36 hours of a strike. Strike vote was 98.5%. Certification of the University of Sudbury. Peter Simpson, Chief Negotiator.
February
LUFA joins the Sudbury and District Labour Council.
Left to right: John Filo (former Chair, Sudbury and District Labour Council, Jean-Charles Cachon, David Leadbeater, Sandy Bass (Chair, SDLC). Photo: 28 February 2002.
2001
Jean Watters quits LU and Hermann Falter becomes Acting President.
2000
Jean-Charles Cachon (Commerce) is elected President of LUFA.
1999
Anis Farah (Engineering) is Chief Negotiator of the tenth collective agreement, signed for 1999-2002. LUFA comes within 2 hours of a strike. Laurentian President Jean Watters defends right of faculty for better pay and loses the confidence of key members of the Board of Governors. LUFA Members’ salaries are $10,000 below the provincial average. Thorneloe signs its collective agreement for 1999-2002.
1998
Wendy Jerome (Human Kinetics) is President of LUFA. Jean Watters becomes President of LU.
1997-1998
Ross Paul leaves; Geoff Tesson (Sociology) is Acting President of Laurentian.
1997
August
North Bay Days of Action – LUFA is represented in the Sunday march by Pat Tobin (Social Work), David Leadbeater (Economics) and Jean-Charles Cachon (Commerce).
June
Chief Negotiator Douglas Goldsack (Chemistry and former Dean of Science and Engineering) signs the collective agreement for 1997-1999.
March 21-23
Sudbury Days of Action – Celebration of Resistance. Over fifty LUFA members help to organize and participate in the twenty-two events held over three days, including dances, shows and marches. LUFA members whose names appear on the organizer lists include Jennifer Keck (Social Work), Laurie McGauley (leader of the Group of Action against Poverty) and René Fortin (a well-known CUPE staffer associated with the Labour Studies program).
Left to right: Bobbie Cascanette (holding the banner pole with black glove), Mick Lowe, René Fortin (looking to his right), Jean-Charles Cachon, unidentified, and Suzanne Lascelles (a school teacher representing one of the local unions). Photo by David Wiewel for Northern Life, published 26 March 1997.
February
Preparation for the Days of Action: Jean-Charles Cachon (Commerce) and David Leadbeater (Economics) create the LUFA banner. The three circles symbolize the anglophone (red), francophone (blue) and Indigenous (green) communities that comprise LUFA. Mary Ann Corbiere (Native Studies, University of Sudbury) provides the Anishinabek language version of both the LUFA banner, as well as the banner and flyers for the Days of Action. Mercedes Steedman (Sociology) suggests the Kokopelli dancer that becomes the event’s symbol. Gary Kinsman (Sociology) and Kirstin Parry write to LUFA asking for its participation in the Days of Action. (LUFA was already involved in the event planning.) Kinsman is elected to represent the Laurentian University Coalition for Social Justice on the Steering Committee. Community groups elect Bobbie Cascanette, a Laurentian social work student, as co-president of the Days of Action. Steedman and Cachon are elected with union leaders from various other locals at a joint meeting of the unions on February 3. René Fortin (CUPE) is elected as co-president of the Days of Action. Sudbury author and journalist Mick Lowe is appointed Executive Director for the event from February until early April 1997.
January
LUFA joins over thirty other unions in Sudbury to fund, plan and organize the Sudbury Days of Action – Celebration of Resistance to be held in March. Donations are received from across the province. The budget is nearly $70,000 for the three-day event, for which Jean-Charles Cachon is elected as Treasurer by the coalition of unions and community groups. An agreement is signed to establish a Steering Committee for the Days of Action that would include union and community leaders.
1996
Richard (Dick) Schell (English) is President of LUFA.
September-December
Preliminary discussions for a joint event comprised of unions and community groups begin at the Labour Day picnic in 1996. The community groups include the Group of Action against Poverty, People for Education, and the Sudbury Women’s Centre, as well as social activists such as Joan Kuyek.
1993
October 31
Certification of sessional faculty. “Social contract” legislation is imposed by the Ontario NDP government. Unlike other university administrations in Ontario, the Laurentian Administration refuses to negotiate the progress-through-the-ranks increment (PTR). LUFA Members receive no PTRs from 1992 to 1997.
1992
Wendy Jerome (Human Kinetics) is President of LUFA. Chief Negotiator Angus Gilbert (History and former Acting Vice-President Academic) signs the collective agreement for 1992-1995. Thorneloe members ratify their first collective agreement for 1992-1995.
1991
November
Darlene McIntosh is hired as full-time Office Manager of LUFA.
September
Harriet McMorran retires.
1990
September
Certification of full-time faculty members of Thorneloe University. Peter Simpson (Philosophy) is Chief Negotiator. Lucien Cortis (Commerce) is President of LUFA. Ross Paul is President of LU.
1989
September
Lucien Cortis (Commerce) is Chief Negotiator. Second strike during the John Daniel administration lasts 22 days. Sixth collective agreement signed for 1989-1992. Salaries rise above the provincial average.
1987
Chief Negotiator John Church (Commerce) signs the agreement for 1987-1989.
1986
Bernadette H. Schell (Commerce) is President of LUFA.
1985
End Oct.- Nov. 1985
LUSU is on strike for four and a half weeks.
September
Richard Carrière (Social Work) is Chief Negotiator. The first strike during the John Daniel administration lasts three days. The fourth collective agreement is signed for 1985-1987.
1984
Oiva Saarinen (Geography) is President of LUFA. John Daniel becomes President of LU. Robert Segsworth (Political Science) signs the third collective agreement for 1984-1985.
1982
Lloyd Wagner (Political Science) is President of LUFA. Louis Zanibbi (Commerce) signs the second collective agreement for 1982-1983.
1981
September
First issue of the LUFA Bulletin. Harriet McMorran is hired as part-time Executive Assistant for LUFA.
1980
November
The first collective agreement is signed for 1980-1982.
April
LUFA joins the CAUT Defence Fund. Hermann Falter (Chemistry) is President of LUFA. Ashley Thomson (Library) succeeds Dieter Buse (History) as Chief Negotiator. The bargaining unit includes 215 full-time members.
1979
July 9
Certification of LUFA by the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Roy Kari (Chemistry) is the LUFA President (since 1978). Henry Best is President of Laurentian University.