No Comments on Executive Working Committee Report 2022
The following is an abridged summary of the Executive Working Committee Report. Please find the complete report here.
This year we spent a significant amount of time on bargaining preparations including the faculty bargaining questionnaire, consolidating bargaining points, extensively reviewing the ECUFA Collective Agreement, meetings with our FPSE bargaining consultants, poured over numerous collective agreements of other FPSE locals and other universities including OCAD, NSCAD, and ACAD, and participating in training courses offered by CAUT. These courses included: Organizing 101, Bargaining, and Organizing 201. We drafted the protocol agreement that sets the terms of how we will be negotiating with the University and submitted that draft to HR. As many are aware, the bargaining process is a long road with many steps, but the journey has begun. We want to thank all the faculty members who served on the various pre-bargaining committees with administration that helped pave the way for our negotiations in the Fall.
We also worked on some financial upkeep (motions to move to VanCity, increase dues, increase stewards). The last COVID variance we negotiated expired in Dec 2021, but some of it applies till August 2022. Remember to access Curriculum Benefits Fund and Decolonization and Indigenization Fund by August.
We held Faculty Affairs discussions on the following topics: precious working conditions, bullying and harassment, bargaining, effect of changing university policies on faculty rights and responsibilities.
We would like to thank and acknowledge Elizabeth Mackenzie, who after 22 years of teaching, is not re-applying to teach at Emily Carr. Because of the precarious nature of this work, we know that retirement or leaving Emily Carr looks and feels different for our non-regular faculty, and can often go unnoticed. Thank you Elizabeth for your many years of service to this community, and for reminding us how important it is to connect with and celebrate each other.
We also want to acknowledge the sudden passing of our colleague, Thomas Groppi. Many of us are still in shock from the news. As Rita Wong noted in her email to the faculty about Thomas, "His candour, sense of humour, generosity of spirit, and dedication to the community was well known to so many of us, and he will be deeply missed." The Faculty Association sent condolences and a donation to the BC Children's Hospital in memory of Thomas.
Ahead of all the committee reports and summaries, we wanted to thank all of the faculty who served on the wide range of committees that are required to support our collegial governance. We are hugely grateful for your time, thoughtful consideration, tireless dedication and support. Your work is essential to our membership and to the University community. We also want to thank all of the faculty and staff who continue to show up – show up to meetings, to workshops, to training sessions, to hallway conversations that lead to new ideas and solutions that make a difference to our working lives. You have shown up in countless Zoom rooms, in person, and via email. You have shown up for each other. Thank you.
The FA Executive for 2021-2022 included:
Presidents: Rita Wong (Fall 2021), Cameron Cartiere (Spring 2022)
Vice Presidents: Ben Unterman and Lindsay McIntyre
Members at Large: Rubén Möller, Valérie D. Walker, Gilly Mah, Keith Langergraber, Magnolia Pauker
Co-Chief Stewards: Rita Wong (Fall 2021), Ana Diab (Spring 2022)
Treasurer: Maria Lantin Secretary: Sunny Nestler
No Comments on New FA President
Following the bi-election during the General Meeting held remotely on Oct 25, 2021, Cameron Cartiere was elected to be the new FA President, starting Spring 2022. It is with much gratitude that we welcome Cameron to the executive, congratulations Cameron!
The current FA Executive is as follows:
President – Rita Wong (Fall 2021), Cameron Cartiere (Spring 2022)
Co-Vice Presidents – Joe O'Brien and Lindsay McIntyre
Treasurer – Maria Lantin
Secretary – Sunny Nestler
Co-Chief Stewards – Rita Wong (Fall 2021), Ana Diab (Spring 2022)
Members at Large – Rubén Möller, Valérie D. Walker, Gilly Mah, Keith Langergraber, Magnolia Pauker
No Comments on New FA Executive Team
Following the Annual General Meeting held remotely on April 19, 2021, the new Executive Committee and Members at Large roles have been assigned.
Co-Presidents – Rita Wong (Fall 2021), Justin Langlois/Diyan Achjadi (Spring 2022)
Jay White, Alex Has, Henry Tsang, Arni Haraldsson, Gina Adams have stepped down from the Executive team – many thanks and gratitude for your service.
News Solidarity
Scholar Strike and Teach-In Sept 9 – 10, 2020
1 Comment on Scholar Strike and Teach-In Sept 9 – 10, 2020
The Emily Carr Faculty Association supports the Scholar Strike and Teach-In (https://scholarstrikecanada.ca/) scheduled for September 9-10, 2020. Professors and students are outraged at the relentless police killings of Black, Indigenous and racialized people in the US and in Canada. We understand that these violent killings result from normalizing white supremacy and that we need to work together to build a culture and society that ends the systemic racism creating the conditions for this constant devaluing of racialized lives.
In the midst of a triple pandemic – corona virus, climate crisis and the systemic racism inflicted by colonization – we realize it is important to work together with honesty, compassion and care for one another, so that we can face the challenges of our times. There are many ways to connect to the larger social movements for justice that we are part of.
Some faculty are attending and encouraging their students to attend public events posted at https://scholarstrikecanada.ca/schedule/
Some faculty will make space in their online classes for a discussion around how to contribute towards building racial justice.
Some faculty are sharing materials on how to address these topics in our different courses.
Some faculty and students may take the days to rest and reflect on these questions in whatever ways are healthy for them.
This is an evolving moment that will be whatever we collectively make of it. We are living through what could be considered growing pains, as we hopefully mature towards a culture that truly respects the lives and lived experiences of Indigenous, Black and racialized peoples.
We respect that faculty and students will do what makes sense for them in their contexts. We voice our solidarity with and gratitude for the people out in the streets refusing to accept unjust violence. We feel not only rage and grief, but also love and care for the ones who've been lost and who continue to be endangered by systemic racism. We are grateful to be living on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, the homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Sto:lo, where we strive to become better relatives with the people and the land.
Solidarity Fund for Non-Regular Faculty
No Comments on Solidarity Fund for Non-Regular Faculty
We feel a responsibility to show support for our members through these difficult times, specifically non-regular faculty who are facing increased uncertainty and stress. We have created a mutual aid fund by drawing from our Faculty Association savings to distribute up to $50,000 to faculty with the following parameters:
non-regular faculty who have taught at least one course in two of the past four academic years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-2020, 2020-2021).
non-regular faculty who are experiencing financial stress.
Maximum of $400 per disbursement.
To apply, simply fill out this editable PDF form, save with your surname added to the file name and email to ecuadfa@gmail.com.
Please note: If a digital signature is not possible, your typed name will do. If you have trouble opening or editing the form, please send a note to ecuadfa@gmail.com. We have tested the form with Acrobat and Preview.
The applications will be reviewed on August 1, 2020. After this point, applications will be reviewed on an ongoing regular basis until the funds run out.
Disbursements will be reviewed by a small committee composed of the Faculty Association executive. All disbursements are confidential, and applicants' privacy will be protected.
Statement on Anti-Blackness and Racism
2 Comments on Statement on Anti-Blackness and Racism
The Faculty Association at Emily Carr University of Art + Design joins with millions of people to voice our solidarity with Black and racialized communities in response to the unlawful killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D'Andre Campbell, and many more Black people. We situate these recent murders in the context of historical and ongoing state-sanctioned violence against Black communities in North America. We acknowledge and feel the pain and anguish caused by these murders and by the repeated denial of justice and human rights to Black Canadians, Americans and people the world over. We assert that Black lives matter.
The Faculty Association commits to dismantling the obstacles that prevent Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Colour from living full lives, and in some cases, from just living. We believe that efforts that focus on individuals, opinions, or points of view may fail to address the root of the problem that faces us. We call on the ECU community to reflect on the issues of anti-Black racism and racialized oppression on a systemic level.
Such an approach must begin with addressing and educating those within our own communities, including ourselves. We recognize that as an institution, ECU perpetuates a culture of anti-blackness and systemic racism. We recognize, with grief, that faculty have contributed to, or been complicit in, normalizing this violence in conscious and unconscious ways. This is further evidence of the systemic nature of what we are fighting, and the structural factors that prevent active change. To this point, many of us have been struggling with the contradictions between our commitments to justice and the institutional norms that have systemically obstructed these commitments.
If we are to address unjust systems, then we need to build communities and support networks grounded in respect, mutual aid, and care for one another across our differences. This includes:
Recognizing the historic settler colonial attitudes in the nation-building of Canada that pervades to this day, with structural racism practiced implicitly as well as explicitly in its governing bodies and institutions;
Building curriculum that focuses on the struggles of Black and other marginalized communities, and practicing an active pedagogy of liberation and resistance to these oppressions;
Practicing intersectional solidarity and recognizing that it takes work and dedicating resources to the dismantling of these unjust systems;
Acknowledging that this work is done on unceded Coast Salish territories, and we have a responsibility to decolonize and build better relations with one another;
In addition to these actions for which we must hold ourselves accountable, the Faculty Association supports faculty and student agency in actively planning for, and achieving comprehensive equity, diversity and inclusion. The Faculty Association understands that faculty members and students in the Social Justice Working Group (formerly the Intersectional Working Group of the past two years) have long been calling for an open community forum to build the changes we need as a community. We support this open community forum as a crucial first step.
Following the Annual General Meeting held remotely on April 20, the new Executive Committee and Members at Large roles have been assigned.
Co-Presidents – Jay White, Rita Wong
Co-Vice Presidents – Lindsay McIntyre, Alex Hass
Treasurer – Henry Tsang
Co-Steward – Jay White, Rita Wong
Members at Large – Ruben Moller, Joe O'Brien, Valerie d. Walker, Keith Langergraber, Arni Haraldsson, Gina Adams
Chris Hethrington and Daniel Drennan ElAwar have stepped down, and we would like to thank them for their service.
COVID-19: Government Support Resources
No Comments on COVID-19: Government Support Resources
Employment Insurance
The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to help Canadians facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/canadas-covid-19-economic-response-plan-support-for-canadians-and-businesses.html
If, as a sessional, you have taught 630+ hours over the last 52 weeks you are eligible for EI.*
One 3-credit studio course = 112 hours
One 3-credit academic course = 140 hours
To apply for EI, contact our Payroll department directly to request a Record of Employment (ROE). Turnaround time is pretty quick.
* It is possible to get approval for higher number of hours. There are occasions where people can report higher numbers that accurately reflect what was actually worked.
EI Application:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit.html
CERB
If you have stopped working because of COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) may provide you with temporary income support. The CERB provides $500 a week for up to 16 weeks.
CERB Application:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html
https://twitter.com/the_doodle_news
Provincial Support
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0013-000545
BC is the only province so far to provide financial relief to renters. The Temporary Renter Supplement will pay up to $500 per month (for 4 months) directly to landlords on behalf of workers who qualify for the federal CERB.
Temporary Rental Supplement Program:
https://bctrs.bchousing.org/
Other broad-based BC measures include free bus trips in Metro Vancouver via TransLink and the rest of BC Transit operations across the province.
Taking stock of COVID-19 economic policy measures in BC
Find the benefits relevant to you
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/coronavirusbenefits
Get information on what's available to: those who have lost income; renters and homeowners; families; seniors; students; businesses; Canadians abroad. There's also a personal finance section with information on tax and utility bill deferrals. This guide provides the basic benefit information you need to apply for subsidies.
Links or phone number to make a claim
If you have any questions or additional support resources, please leave a comment below or email ecuadfa@gmail.com
COVID-19: Info + Updates for Staff + Faculty
No Comments on COVID-19: Info + Updates for Staff + Faculty
https://www.ecuad.ca/about/news-and-media/covid-19/staff-faculty
A screenshot of ecuad.ca website on April 3, 2020. A lone technician working in the softshop. Go Jen!