Above watch: The association that represents academic staff across the country is speaking out about new legislation in Nova Scotia. Global’s Natasha Pace reports.
HALIFAX – University educators and the Nova Scotia government are clashing over new legislation that targets accountability at post-secondary schools.
Bill 100, also known as the Universities Accountability and Sustainability Act, was passed Tuesday despite widespread opposition locally and nationally from staff, students and faculty at universities.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), which represents 68,000 academic and general staff at 120 universities and colleges across the country, sent a letter to each of Nova Scotia’s universities. It warns that the schools could be sanctioned if they try to trigger powers of the new act.
“In the event you seek to use the powers in the legislation that take away the right to strike and grant government unprecedented powers to direct and determine research and instructional priorities, CAUT will immediately proceed with censure,” David Robinson, executive director of CAUT said in a news release.
CAUT says censure is a rarely used sanction applied when a university administration acts in a manner that undermines academic functions or compromises the quality of education.
“It is the first time to my knowledge that a province-wide censure notice has been issued in the history in the CAUT,” Furlong said.
The province says the legislation will help universities be more accountable, by helping them identify the signs of financial trouble early.
In the case of financial difficulties, there is also an option for schools to enter a revitalization plan, instead of receivership. If that happened, there would be no lockouts of strikes.
Kelly Regan, the province’s minister of labour and advanced education. said that would allow universities to continue operating normally.
“It allows the universities to function, so students keep going to class, teachers keep teaching, other employees keep working and it’s just simply an alternative to receivership,” she said.
Furlong said the bill violates teachers’ constitutional rights and their academic freedom.
Regan denied that the bill violates the rights of an individual.
“We’ve done our homework. We’re confident in the bill,” she said.
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