Every fall, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and its member associations including the UBC Faculty Association, organize and host a week-long celebration of contract academic staff. The events and activities during this week are designed to highlight issues affecting contract faculty on campus and, in particular, how contract academic faculty working conditions are far more precarious than they should be. 
In previous years, the Faculty Association has sponsored a lunch for Contract Faculty during Fair Employment Week and we continued the tradition in 2023 by holding a luncheon for Contract Faculty at the Vancouver and Okanagan campus’. Committee members, FA Executive and Staff also attended both events to talk about Contract Faculty issues.
Toward the end of the week, UBC contract academics and their counterparts at other post-secondary institutions in the lower mainland were invited to attend a special Pub Social. The Social was a great opportunity to share information and find out about what’s happening at similar organizations.
Although Fair Employment Week events are important, equally so is the opportunity to remind our university decision-makers of the critical role contract faculty academics play in the life of the University. We once again distributed postcards addressed to UBC’s president, highlighting just how important contract faculty are to the institution. These postcards were signed by both faculty and students and delivered throughout the week (and we have more postcards which can be sent throughout the year – because Every Week is Fair Employment Week!) The Association also sent letters to UBC’s President, and Provost and Vice-President Academic, reminding them of some of the difficulties faced by contingent academics.
The UBC Faculty Association remains committed to working on behalf of our Contract Faculty members. Fair Employment Week is a means to bring to the attention of the university administration, faculty and students just how important Contract Academics are to the functioning of UBC, and a way for us to continue our efforts to bring fairness to our workplace.
(Photo: CFC Volunteers at the Fair Employment Booth at The NEST, UBC Vancouver Campus, October 2019)
