CAUT Council – At a Glance

• AAU attended CAUT Council to gather information and assess the value of potential membership
• Other associations highlighted legal expertise and bargaining support as key benefits
• A new Representative-at-Large for Colleges & Institutes was elected to CAUT’s Executive
• There is a growing shift toward coordinated, cross-sector bargaining strategies
• Many of the issues CAUT is addressing—funding, workload, job stability—are relevant to AAU members

AAU was represented in Ottawa this week by Director C. Culberson at the 100th CAUT Council Meeting. The purpose of attending was to better understand CAUT and the services it provides as we consider potential membership.

Here are the key takeaways:

Regional Collaboration is Growing

Discussions began with the proposed Atlantic Council, focused on aligning bargaining approaches, coordinating communications, and strengthening a shared regional voice. This reflects a broader shift toward more collaboration across institutions and sectors.

Common Challenges Across the Sector

Council sessions highlighted shared issues across post-secondary education, including:

• Ongoing underfunding
• Pressure on collegial governance
• Increasing challenges related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

These are not isolated concerns and are being addressed nationally.

What Other Associations Value

In speaking with other member associations, two CAUT supports came up consistently:

• Access to legal expertise
• Support during collective bargaining

These were described as practical and important, particularly during difficult negotiations.

Stronger Voice for Colleges and Institutes

A new development this year is the election of a Representative-at-Large for Colleges & Institutes to the CAUT Executive Committee. Shauna MacDonald (ACIFA) was elected to this role.

This creates a clearer path for issues affecting our sector to be raised at the national level. It is supported by a Colleges and Institutes Committee that advises the Executive on sector-specific concerns.

Shift Toward Coordinated Bargaining

There was a clear message that bargaining is changing. Strong proposals are still important, but success increasingly depends on coordination, shared strategy, and collective pressure.

Relevance to AAU Members

CAUT’s work on Contract Academic Staff (CAS) focuses on issues such as job stability, workload, and fair compensation. While the terminology differs in our context, many of these concerns are familiar and relevant to our members.

What This Means for AAU

This visit provided useful insight into how CAUT supports its members.

Beyond the defence fund, legal expertise, bargaining support, and national coordination appear to offer meaningful value. At the same time, it is important to consider how these supports align with AAU’s structure and priorities.

This information will help guide ongoing discussions about CAUT membership and what it could mean for AAU moving forward. Read the full report here.