Lakehead Faculty protest closure of university

THUNDER BAY, ON, Dec. 21 /CNW/ - The Lakehead University Faculty Association (LUFA) is rallying today in Thunder Bay and Orillia to protest the closure of the university from December 21-24, 2009. Faculty will not be paid for this effective lockout, in clear violation of their collective agreement.

"Lakehead's administration - without a hint of consultation - is attempting to correct their own financial mismanagement on the back of its employees," said Joey Farrell , president of LUFA. "Their actions will harm Lakehead's reputation and damage its ability to deliver a high quality education."

The closure is a futile gesture. It will deliver negligible savings at the cost of poisoning the workplace and hurting students by denying them access to libraries, learning resources, and support services.

"The closure betrays an astonishing contempt for the students and faculty of Lakehead," said Daphne Bonar , LUFA representative for the Orillia campus.

Faculty representatives from across the country will be converging on Thunder Bay and Orillia to stand in solidarity with their colleagues at Lakehead. If the university administration is able to carry out the closure, there are serious implications for academic staff across Canada . Workers everywhere should be concerned about the ability of employers to arbitrarily abandon their contractual obligations and not pay their employees.

"On December 21 , we are rallying for our rights as employees and the health of our university," said Farrell. "If you are worried about the actions of Lakehead's administration, please join us in decrying their unfair and bad-faith management."

For further information: Joey Farrell at [phone] (office), [phone] (mobile) or [email protected], or Graeme Stewart at [phone] x232 (office), [phone] (mobile) or [email protected].