Media Advisory - Faculty to protest closure of Lakehead University

THUNDER BAY, ON, Dec. 18 /CNW/ - On December 21, 2009 members of the Lakehead University Faculty Association (LUFA) will rally in Thunder Bay and Orillia to protest the closure of the university on December 21-24, 2009. Faculty and staff will not be paid during this forced closing, in direct violation of their collective agreements.

This move by Lakehead administration will harm research and damage the reputation of the university. Employees should not be made to suffer because administrators are unable to manage university finances.

The schedule of the day is as follows:

    
    Thunder Bay Campus

    -   9:00AM: Participants gather at the Oliver Road Community Centre
        (563 Oliver Road)
    -   9:30AM: March to Lakehead Campus begins
    -   10AM: Rally and speeches on Lakehead campus.
    -   11:30AM: Event ends

    Speeches will take place outside the Agora. Speakers include:

    -   Bruce Hyer, Member of Parliament, Thunder Bay - Superior North
    -   Mary Kozorys, on behalf John Rafferty, Member of Parliament, Thunder
        Bay - Rainy River
    -   Joey Farrell, President of the Lakehead University Faculty
        Association
    -   Mark Langer, President of the Ontario Confederation of University
        Faculty Associations
    -   Jim Turk, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of
        University Teachers
    -   Wayne Peters, Vice President of the Canadian Association of
        University Teachers

    Orillia Campus

    -   9:45AM: Participants gather at the Heritage Place, at the corner of
        Colborne and West
    -   10:00AM: Speeches

    Speeches will take place outside Heritage Place. Speakers include:

    -   Garfield Dunlop, Member of Provincial Parliament, Simcoe North
    -   Daphne Bonar, Departmental Representative for the Lakehead University
        Faculty Association
    -   Karen Wheeler, Ontario Confederation of University Faculty
        Associations
    

Speakers will be available for interviews at both locations.

For further information: or to arrange an interview, contact Joey Farrell at [phone] (office), [phone] (mobile) or [email protected]; or Graeme Stewart at [phone] x232 (office), [phone] (mobile) or [email protected]