Canada’s previous Finance Minister, the Honourable Bill Morneau, made headlines in 2016 when he asserted that Canadian workers will simply have to get used to precarious work, or the “job churn” as he called it. His comments sparked significant public debate on the state of precarious work in Canada, and whether increasing levels of precarious work are an inevitable reality.
Research on the subject often points to the difficulty of properly defining the concept of “precariousness.” As a result, estimates of the number of Canadians in precarious employment vary according to the breadth of the definition. It is generally agreed, however, that precarious working conditions are characterized by factors such as low wages, few or no benefits, and contractual, seasonal or part-time employment, when the employee wishes to work full-time.
A 2018 report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, titled “Navigating Precarious Employment in Canada: Who Is Really at Risk?”, argues that while the overall share of part-time work has remained roughly stable since the 1990s, there have been notable increases in a few key sectors: information, culture and recreation; accommodation and food services; and education. Unfortunately, New Brunswick’s public universities have not been spared.
To say that this is ironic would be an understatement. Why is it that institutions dedicated to improving the future prospects of our young people offer fewer and fewer fair opportunities to their own employees, our country’s educators?
Precarious working conditions in our public universities are, sadly, not exempt from this trend. As a result of the chronic underfunding of our public universities that has persisted since the 1980s, more and more professors and librarians are trapped in short-term contract or part-time jobs for their entire careers, and this trend affects a disproportionate number of women and ethnic minority groups. These teachers and librarians are deprived of job security, and most have to reapply every six months to get their jobs back. They are also deprived of the opportunity to participate fully in research and service to the institution which, along with teaching, form the pillars of academic work. Many earn less than a living wage, and all earn less than their full-time colleagues doing the same work.
The situation is fraught with consequences, not only for our contract academic staff, but also for students, full-time academic staff and the integrity of our universities. Contract and part-time academic staff are often faced with poor working conditions, such as the lack of office space to meet students. What’s more, these employees sometimes receive their teaching contracts just a few days before the start of the semester, leaving them little time to prepare. Most of them find it very difficult to continue their research while teaching a high number of courses, especially when they have to create and teach new courses every year because those of previous years have been cancelled, sometimes even at the last minute. They receive no remuneration for their service tasks, such as advising students or spending time on committee work, and much of this work ends up falling on the shoulders of full-time faculty members. In short, the job insecurity in public universities are undermining the overall quality of our institutions as they pursue their dual mission of teaching and research.
The Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations asserts the right of contract academic staff to fair opportunities, safety and respect in the workplace. Educational institutions must lead the way and set the example for fair working conditions. It’s about the health of our employees, the strength of our communities and the quality of opportunities for future generations.
Join the FNBFA this provincial election and call for strong public universities – an investment in New Brunswick’s future.
