STORY 59

I was a contract professor at a Canadian university for 23 years. As most contract professors know, they are not paid on par with full-time or tenured professors even though the contract professors teach a full course load. Even though my course load was made up of three courses each semester, I was still considered part-time. When I started to ask for more certainty with course loads, I was suddenly given fewer courses to teach per semester. So I went to the union to see what could be done.

The union reps suggested filing a complaint and requesting monetary compensation for income loss. I agreed, but it was stressful. In addition, during union meetings, the Dean was demeaning my qualifications and teaching as a means to undermine me and intimidate me from my union-supported challenge.

In brief, I was eventually offered a settlement, but nothing near the monies deserved from an already lesser income or losses of future income. Why? My NDA included agreeing to never speak of the agreement publicly, including never to apply to teach at the University in the future. I was told that if I breached this agreement, I would be required to pay back the settlement. I was in a difficult situation.

Because of the loss of income, I had incurred debt and needed to pay my debts. I felt signing a one-page, very general agreement that the University made me out to be the ‘bad guy’, along with the far-reaching punitive approach- basically firing me for speaking out. I had to stop teaching- a career I enjoyed. This occurred in 2018. I know many other part-time contract professors have had similar experiences.