Dear Members,
You may have seen information around campus that on Friday, December 9th, 2022, ULFA submitted an Unfair Labour Board Complaint regarding the behaviour of the Provost and VP (Academic), in relation to what ULFA believes was harassment and intimidation of the ULFA President and other union officers at a recent meeting. ULFA is also concerned that the Provost has previously made defamatory and coercive statements to members of the academic staff in relation to his views about our President, Dr. Dan O’Donnell and ULFA’s advocacy efforts.
At a “Presidents’ Meeting” held on December 1, 2022, the Provost went on a long, loud tirade attacking ULFA’s President that left ULFA representatives shaken in disbelief and in shock. Among his allegations were that Dr. O’Donnell orchestrated the strike/lockout we went through recently for his own personal interests, and even alleged Dr. O’Donnell’s primary motivation was a personal vendetta against the University. Unfortunately, President Mahon did not attempt to intervene or stop this outburst.
ULFA is extremely concerned that this tirade revealed the contempt with which at least some members of the senior administration at the University regard ULFA and its leadership. Dr. O’Donnell has been duly elected by our academic staff to advocate resolutely on behalf of our membership. He has an obligation to advance difficult and uncomfortable conversations with the University’s senior administration, whether or not the Board is eager to consider faculty viewpoints. To be personally attacked while attempting to do so is intolerable and ULFA sees the Provost’s behaviour as an attempt to use intimidation to thwart and derail the Association’s efforts on your behalf.
If you have had interactions with the Provost where he has either expressly or implicitly undermined the integrity of the ULFA President or other elected officers of the Association, or otherwise attempted to malign the Association’s efforts to represent your interests, we would very much appreciate hearing from you.
Please contact myself, eo@ulfa.ca.
On behalf of the ULFA Executive,
Aaron Chubb
ULFA Executive Officer
