Post-Docs Deserve the Basic Job Security Enjoyed by Other University Staff

OTTAWA, Nov. 17 /CNW/ - Students, faculty and campus workers are united in their call for full recognition of post-doctoral fellows as university academic employees. The proliferation of post-doctoral fellows conducting research on campus for sub-standard wages is another example of the casualisation of university employees.

"Post-docs are accomplished scholars who have completed their doctoral degrees—working with faculty as colleagues, not students," said James Turk, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. "We believe their pay should reflect that status and that the only way in which they are going to obtain proper pay, benefits and working conditions is through unionization, like all other academic staff."

"Last year, the federal government closed a loophole that has paved the way for post-doctoral fellows' full recognition as employees of the university in which they work," said Jesse Greener, president of the University of Toronto Post-Doctoral Association. "Post-docs can now start to access important services, such as improved health and dental benefits, maternity leave and job security, as well as earn a respected place as an important part of university research."

Students benefit from a high-quality learning environment where the working conditions of researchers are improved and protected by the presence of unionized staff. For PhD students, having available positions to continue with their research once they are finished their studies is a critical component of their academic career, putting them on the path toward life-long research and finding tenure-track faculty positions.

"Protecting university staff from exploitation in their working positions includes ensuring that all staff people are afforded job security and fair wages," said Kimalee Phillip, Chairperson of the National Graduate Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students. "PhD students need assurances that they will not be stuck working for minimum wage with no job security if they are going to choose to become a post-doc following completion of the doctorates."

"Post-doctoral fellows work up to 60 hours a week for as little as $28,000 a year with no benefits. When you work out the hourly rate it is not even minimum wage," said Mikael Swayze, representative of CUPE 3902. "Post-docs should be paid and treated like the highly skilled research staff they are."

"Unionisation is another way that we can secure better terms and condition of employment," stated Scott Uzelman, Public Service Alliance of Canada post-doc activist, Queen's University. "Many post-docs are joining together and signing union membership cards, which is challenging university administrations and labour boards alike. We are confident that justice will prevail and our rights to unionise as employees of the universities will be established."

The University of Toronto Post-Doctoral Association is the largest post-doctoral association in Canada, representing nearly 2,000 post-doctoral fellows at the University of Toronto and its affiliated research institutions.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3902 represents over 7,000 academic workers at the University of Toronto and has made an application to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to represent post-doctoral fellows at the University of Toronto.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) represents post-doctoral associates at the University of Western Ontario, one of Canada's first postdoctoral unions, and is currently sponsoring a unionisation campaign for post-docs at Queen's University.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is the national voice of more than 65,000 academic and general staff, including post-doctoral fellows, at 122 universities and colleges across Canada.

The National Graduate Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students represents over 70,000 graduate students from across the country.

For further information:

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Jesse Greener, President, UofT Post-Doctoral Association	416.301.5747
Robert Ramsay, Professional Officer, CAUT	613.726.5173
Kimalee Phillip, Chairperson, National Graduate Caucus	613.232.7394
Mikael Swayze, Staff Representative, CUPE 3902	647.221.3902
Michelle Sweeney, Ontario Organiser, PSAC	416.580.1259