Over 150 students, academics and workers’ advocates rallied on April 27 against Nova Scotia’s Bill 100.
The bill, introduced by the Liberal government and Kelly Regan, the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, is called the “Act Respecting Accountability and Sustainability of Universities.”
The bill lays out several new practices for defining the relationship between the Nova Scotia government and the province’s universities.
The main content of the bill provides both for emergency grants and the formation of “revitalization plans” should it be determined that a university “has a significant operating deficiency.”
Those assembled in protest of the bill were doing so largely against certain elements of the bill – specifically, sections which would render the ability of university staff and unions to strike invalid.
The bill says that if a university has a “significant operating deficiency”, then “the trade union shall not declare, cause or continue a strike by any of the unionized employees against the university” and “none of the unionized employees shall participate in a strike against the university.”
Issue was also taken with details defined within the bill’s “revitalization plans”, where specific details would be requested for any plans submitted to the Department of Labour and Education.
A common view shared by protestors is that the province is acting in a manner that would infringe upon the academic integrity and autonomy of the university.
Protest cheers included: “So-so-so solidarity,” “Workers and students, 100% united,” “This is what democracy looks like,” and “Stephen [McNeil] – come out and play!”
Michaela Sam, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students – Nova Scotia and former president of the King’s Student Union, spoke at the rally.
“To pass this bill puts more power into the hands of the university administrators,” said Sam, “who have historically mismanaged funds.”
Dr. Alvin Comiter, the president of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University Faculty Union, also spoke.
With bill 100, Comiter explained that the worst element to be put forward would affect the way which NSCAD was able to be preserved during its tumultuous budgets of 2012, 2013, and 2014 – the union and its collective bargaining rights.
Minister Regan explained to the press that this bill would not provide an easy ability for the university to forgo the collective bargaining rights of the unions of the university — specifically citing that the admission of any university to be in a “severe operating deficiency” by the nature of such an admission.
The Minister was also confident that the format of the bill as it was currently written “will hold up to the changes to be found.”
Jason MacLean, vice president of the Nova Scotia General and Government Employees Union, equated much of the bill with what has occurred within the province earlier with regards to the labour movement.
“We hope to see a confirmation that all universities have a broader purpose,” says MacLean, “to serve the province and all Nova Scotia, not just the private sector.”
Maclean says the process outlined by Bill 100 is fundamentally unconstitutional. If such emergency measures are needed at any point, then such a discussion needs to involve the employees.
“If we’re in such dire straits,” says Maclean, “then we would collaborate to a common ground.”
Maclean also registered concern with the fact that there is simply no recognition of employees as a contributor to this process. As a partner within the university as a whole, they have as much interest in preserving it as the province and the university administrations.
The same coalition of labour and teaching unions who formed for this protest, started a website featuring a petition in protest of the bill alongside much other information with regards to 100.
At the time of publishing, the petition has over 820 signatures, and Twitter is filled with #Bill100.
As of the legislative session on April 27, the bill passed its second reading with an affirmative vote. It currently holds to stand to be passed after a third reading.
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