CALL FOR PAPERS: “The labour activism of post-secondary education information workers”

2023-01-24

The CAUT Journal, a refereed open access publication, is seeking articles for an upcoming special edition focusing on the work of librarians and archivists.

This special issue, edited by Jennifer Dekker of the University of Ottawa will highlight the experiences of workers organizing to achieve just labour practices in the postsecondary sector, primarily in Canada. Articles will examine issues that contributed to the formal organization of workplaces, gains realized, outstanding challenges, and improvements to be won. Although the geographic emphasis in the issue is on Canada, relevant articles exploring labour topics from a non-Canadian or comparative perspective may be included to provide insight across a broader geographical context.

Examples of topics that would be of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Collective challenges to practices that diminish, destabilize, or even dismantle collegial governance;
  • Analyses of contemporary strategies, ideas, and labour conditions that stimulate organizing and activism, including how current campaigns compare to past efforts;
  • Struggles for improved collective rights, including general working conditions, fair pay, gender and sexual orientation equity, racial justice, justice for people with disabilities; challenges to ageism, health and safety, and meaningful voice in our institutions;
  • The interconnectedness of librarian, archivist, and museum worker labour rights with other social struggles;
  • Challenges and gains with respect to collegial governance and academic freedom;
  • Case studies that provide inspiration or guidance for others in achieving labour rights;
  • Strategies for resisting corporate practices or corporate relationships that erode worker autonomy, stability, and collective values;
  • Actions that strengthen intergenerational union and labour activism, enabling new relationships, strategies, and gains;
  • Labour action or the experience of strike within the academic environment where librarians, archivists, or museum workers took part;
  • Successful labour mobilization and political strategies along with their impacts in and outside of our workplaces (example: bargaining for the common good).

If you have questions or wish to discuss a topic, please contact Jennifer Dekker, jdekker@uottawa.ca or the CAUT editorial committee journal@caut.ca.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Authors are invited to submit abstracts and proposals of 300-500 words to journal@caut.ca by April 30, 2023. Further information regarding submissions, style sheet, editorial guidelines, license agreement, peer-review guidelines etc. can be found on the CAUT Journal website. Submissions in either of Canada’s official languages are welcome.

Authors will be informed by May 1, 2023 if their proposal has been accepted. A draft manuscript ranging from 3,000-5,000 words will be due by October 15, 2023.

 

Following review, articles will be returned via e-mail for revision before final acceptance. All materials will be edited as necessary for clarity. All submissions should include at the beginning an abstract of no more than 150 words.


Proposals should include:

·        Name of author
·        Title
·        Affiliation
·        Contact information
·        200-400 word abstract.