Please send a message of support for the 844 workers who are being forced to take strike action to protect their pensions here: https://nsgeu.ca/home_page/protect-dals-pension-send-a-message-of-suppo…
Education and Training
The Education for All campaign, of which NUPGE is a part, has made available an online letter-writing tool to call on the federal government to provide stable, long-term funding for the university: https://www.educationforall.ca/lufa_tool.
"While it may not have been what the federal government intended, the way CEWS is set up effectively subsidizes privatization" — Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
“A high-quality and accessible post-secondary education system will be crucial to meeting the challenges of today and to a more equitable, more sustainable future. We need our colleges and universities, more than ever, to train workers who design, build, and maintain green infrastructure, who perform care work, including child care and long-term care, and the numerous other skills that contribute to our society.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
NUPGE Annual Report: 2020 in Review is a look back on what NUPGE accomplished in 2020.
Education International has started a campaign via LabourStart. Individuals can add their voices to those condemning the death threats and the broader trend of violence, intimidation, and repression.
This ongoing pandemic is deepening the mental health crisis. Action is needed now to provide support to people in need. This World Mental Health Day we are raising the alarm and calling for governments to immediately invest in mental health supports ― Larry Brown, NUPGE President
While families with children in public schools have to hope for the best, wealthy families who are sending their children to private schools will be able to avoid the effect of the Progressive Conservatives decision to cut the number of classes.
“A legislated raise limited to 1% comes to less than $8 a week, far less than the $60 a day the government is spinning through its propaganda machine doubling as our education minister. The government should abandon this cruel and ham-fisted legislation and get serious about bargaining right now." — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
While mandatory e-learning may not be good for high school students, it may end up being very good for companies selling e-learning services.
"We stand in solidarity with Ontario teachers and education workers today and every day. They deserve to be shown respect at the bargaining table." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“We stood with the students because it was the right thing to do" — OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas
Most of the political parties have a drastically different approach to post-secondary education. In this election, Canadians will be able to choose which promise is worth supporting for the future of the country.
“Like most front-line public service workers, the last thing our members want to do is go on strike or endure a lockout. What we want is simple: a fair deal that puts students ahead of irresponsible slashing of services." ― Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
NBU/NUPGE encourages instructors to reach out to discuss joining the NBU/NUPGE so they will have someone standing up for them and defending their rights in the workplace.
Unless the Minister completely rejects the idea that the Social Finance Fund will be used to "bring private funding, incentives and discipline into social services," past experience shows we need to assume that it will be used to subsidize the privatization of social services.
Kennedy said he's concerned that the government will use the legislated wage cuts as an excuse to further cut college funding.
It is not a coincidence that supporters of ISAs include people with a history of supporting cuts to public services to pay for tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthy.
Thomas notes there is a lot of stress in higher education and many students with mental health concerns depend on the counselling.