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This piece was originally published in the April 2022 Newsletter.

Larissa Atkison

In early April 2022, a few of us participated in supplemental interviews for the next President of Mount Saint Vincent University. In response to a question on part-time precarity, one of the candidates exclaimed, “no one could expect to make a living stringing together part-time teaching contracts, it’s impossible!”

This statement was not meant to be cruel or ironic. The candidate was quick to admit that part-time per course compensation is terrible. This had just not struck them as particularly problematic, because they believed (coming from a business background) that most contract academics have full-time careers and therefore accept low stipends as a “way of giving back to the community.”

This episode warrants unpacking.

Doctoral programs across North America accept far more students than could ever be employed on the academic job market. Between 2002 and 2017, the number of students admitted to PhD programs in Canada more than doubled, yet the number of academic jobs has remained constant. Moreover, only one third of those who complete their PhDs typically find full-time academic positions. As is often the case, these numbers are even worse for women, who earn 19 percent less than their male counterparts, and are more likely to end up in precarious academia. This is no accident. University administrators have come to rely on an overabundance of unplaced (in tenure-track positions) academics to deliver undergraduate instruction at discount rates.[1] This cost- saving measure has allowed universities to continue to invest in new buildings, infrastructure, and administrative raises, even at a time of decreasing provincial funding.

The term “part-time instructor,” used at all three institutions in the HRM to describe precarious teaching, is designed to belie this undignified reality. Part-time terminology signals an arms-length relationship between universities and precarious faculty, where the latter are categorized as occasional and dispensable workers. It allows university administrators to shirk their responsibility to provide precarious academics full-time supports, including benefits, pensions, office space, paid leave, access to meaningful professional development, and a voice in university governance.

Sure, some CUPE 3912 members do fit the Mount candidate’s description. Those who teach in professional faculties such as business, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, law, and so on, often do teach as a side gig to supplement full careers. Some also teach part-time at the end of their careers, whether they be retired faculty or other professionals.

But the reality is that most contract faculty in our union and across the country do strive to string together enough contract teaching to equal a full-time job.

In this sense, the Mount candidate was insightful. Making a living wage as precarious faculty is incredibly difficult. In the HRM, an entry- level instructor would have to string together at least nine CUPE 3912 teaching contracts (4.5 full credits) each year to achieve a living wage. So much for research! Senior CUPE 3912 instructors would likewise need to teach seven courses a year to earn the same. The bar here is low. We are talking about the amount of work that is required to make ends meet month to month – we are not talking about compensation that adequately reflects years of professional training and expertise or that corresponds to the hours of (research-supported) work that university level teaching involves.

The situation is particularly bad in our local.

True, CUPE 3912 members have access to three universities in the HRM, all of which heavily rely on cheap part-time teaching. But the market is bloated and there is simply not enough contract teaching work to go around. In this context, the old tenet that achieving precedence is a matter of waiting one’s turn no longer holds true. It is not uncommon for new members to land only one contract a year at each institution – if they are lucky. At this rate it would (and often does) take years to gain precedence and the accompanying pay increases and minimal security that go with it. In most cases, it is simply not possible for a junior CUPE 3912 member to earn a living wage as a university instructor.

Moreover, because our compensation is so incredibly low, those who are at the top end of the seniority scale are incentivized to take on excessive teaching loads to establish a basic degree of financial security (in the absence of pensions, benefits, paid leave, and so on). Members who have precedence at multiple institutions could, theoretically, teach as many as 24 courses a year to offset terrible per course compensation. Of course, the prospect of teaching 24 courses a year sounds absurd — it is! But it is not unheard of for CUPE 3912 members to teach 15-18 courses a year. Who can blame them, when bulk teaching is the only mechanism available to increase their meagre income year over year?

Both situations are untenable and mutually compounding. The excessive teaching burden that some members are driven to accept to secure basic financial stability means that there are fewer jobs to go around. This makes it very difficult for new members to make ends meet, let alone earn anything close to a living wage. Excessive teaching also sets a bad precedent with our employers. It conveys to administrators that teaching 5-6 courses a term is doable. This, in turn, allows employers to rest satisfied that we are fairly compensated for our work. Ultimately, it undermines our capacity to advocate for fair compensation based on realistic assessments of the time it takes to teach a university-level course well.The standard rule of thumb for undergraduate teaching is that each hour of teaching should involve approximately three hours of prep time. This does not include time spent with students in office hours, it does not include grading, or emailing, or any of the other increasingly time-consuming technological aspects of our job. If these numbers are reliable, which personal experience and anecdotal reporting support, then a 3-credit course with three hours of class time per week, would require anywhere from 12 to 20 hours per/week, depending on whether teaching it is a new or established prep.

In other words, if we assume a  standard 40-hour work-week for our “full-time” teaching members, then an ideal teaching load should be no more than three courses a term, give or take, based on experience, subject matter, enrollment numbers, and assignment structure.

As we’ve already established, it’s not only difficult for junior CUPE 3912 members to secure work, they will also work more hours for each new contract — this is especially true for women and minorities. If teaching nine courses is impossible due to limited availability of work and unadvisable given the time each required for each new prep, a more feasible full-time workload of 6-8 courses a year for junior faculty would be only marginally easier to secure and result in an annual income that is significantly less than a living wage.

Likewise, if senior members were to limit themselves to a realistic full-time teaching load of 9-10 courses a year including the semester break for professional development, restoration, research etc., that is available to full-time teachers in all education sectors (elementary, secondary, and post-secondary), they would max out their earning potential at just over a living wage.

In no way is the above scenario acceptable, yet somehow this is the reality that many of us have accepted.

One response to these disturbing facts, implied by the Mount presidential candidate, is that junior faculty should cut their losses and move on. This does seem like the only option when the alternative is to wait years for sufficient teaching credits to get by. But leaving academia is not as easy as it sounds — for most of us. Recent studies from CAUT and CAS report that contract faculty hang on, despite terrible work conditions, because they love teaching and feel a commitment to their students; others see themselves as biding time as they wait for the rare golden egg (even as this tenure-track employment becomes increasingly unlikely the longer one remains in precarious employment). There are also extraneous factors, such as family and geography that require academics to stay put in a given location. Sunk costs play a role too: academics typically spend more than a decade training to work in universities.

Why should they give up the work they’re highly trained to do and love just because academic administrators are greedy? This may be an impossible bind but it’s one many precarious academics choose to endure for reasons that run deeper than their financial interests.

What about senior part-timers? Why should those who have spent their time rising through a system which rewards endurance choose to give up their course loads, even if the work is exhausting? After all, those who have been around long enough, know that we’ve made very little progress in pushing our base stipend above $5,000/course, despite advocating for pay increases on par with the rest of Atlantic Canada and other comparable institutions since the mid 1990s. A realistic assessment of our limited progress in increasing per course compensation over the past 25 years, would almost certainly support a strategy of accumulating as much available work as possible.

I would like to suggest, however, that we do not have to choose between protecting seniority and advancing employment equity and living wages. As I see it, the end game is clear: we need full- time positions (including  stability and benefits) for full-time work, and reasonable per course compensation for those who do not desire to teach full- time. We also require a clear and defensible account of the amount of work that goes into a single course from which we can advocate for reasonable part and full-time teaching course-loads and supporting benefits.

We do not need to accept the double bind that has been imposed on us by institutional

actors who stand to benefit from our division and inequity. We are at an important moment in the struggle for labour equity across the nation and within our local. How we organize to establish and achieve our demands is up to our members; let’s just not let this moment go to waste.

Wenceslao Amezcua

In 2023, at the Faculty of Communication at MSVU, we lost one of our most remarkable professors, Wade Kenny. He was a unique individual—sometimes deep and profound, yet at other times light-hearted, funny, and entertaining. Without a doubt, he was a brilliant man.

His passing was both surprising and deeply saddening, but remembering his legacy at the University will always be a source of joy and thought-provoking reflection. We will all miss him greatly.

I had the privilege of being his student in the Master’s program in Public Relations. I witnessed firsthand his extensive knowledge in communication, sociology, and popular culture, as well as his kindness and respect for his role as a professor. 

In light of this, I would like to share with you, my dear colleagues, the final paper I wrote for his course. It explores a topic we both cherished: the world of wrestling and its spectacle of exaggeration and excess. I hope you enjoy it.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the largest wrestling promoter in the world. Its history can be traced back to 1952 when Jess McMahon founded the Capital Wrestling Corporation (CWC). After undergoing several name changes, the company adopted the name WWE in 1999. Throughout its history, the brand has always remained within the McMahon family, and it has been traded on the New York Stock Exchange as WWE ever since (Street, 2017). According to its official website, WWE reported a 10% increase in revenue to $801.0 million in 2017, marking the highest in the company’s history (Financials, n.d.). Indeed, WWE operates within the amusement industry and not in the sport business. Not surprisingly, WWE is a spectacle of excess, much like successful freak shows that have become rare scientific spectacles (Brigham, 2007).

WWE is not only an example of popular culture but also a powerful media product capable of creating and reinforcing stereotypes and archetypes. Analyzing the freak shows presented in WWE using a structural method is relevant for understanding a significant aspect of our spectacle-driven civilization, where everyone is invited as a spectator and participants range from athletes to freaks to even potential Presidents of the United States.

I will analyze the inclusion of sideshows in WWE as symbols of this spectacle. The analysis will be conducted through the theoretical lens proposed by Roland Barthes in his essay “The World of Wrestling.” One of the key parallels between the freak show and wrestling, viewed through structural principles, is the use of wrestling as a spectacle based on immediate pantomime—gestures aimed at appearing authentic. Throughout this process, many clichés emerge: aesthetics, suffering, justice, fear, pride, and more. In WWE, much like in the freak show, pantomime is animated with anecdotes, discourses, and stories. Here, one encounters the good, the bad, the ugly, the hero, the villain, and the powerful. Extreme characterization, simulated brutality, public humiliation, absurd storylines, cruelty, and comedy—all are ingredients shared by pro-wrestling and freak shows alike.

Another important point regarding these spectacles as profitable business, as Steinberg (2012) points out, is that within this industry there are both heroes and villains, and even more unscrupulous characters in suits. Wrestlers, entertainers, and promoters alike have chosen to build their lives around this profession. The performers and fighters are individuals seeking employment, not just victory, often for their very survival. Like anyone else, their careers and pride are not assured. WWE understands the pulse of its American male audience, craving excess, and provides shows that tap into conflicts they uniquely comprehend.

Definitions of Freaks    

Human curiosities, rarities, sideshows, oddities, biological anomalies, misfits, natural malformations, strange beings, abnormalities, phenomena, acts of God, monsters, and very special people… There are many terms to describe “Freaks.” I will use the word “freaks” as it has been commonly used in several fields.

According to the British Library, the term “freak” has been used to describe people born with ‘abnormal’ features or those who can perform extraordinary physical acts by contorting or misshaping their bodies (Victorian freak shows, p. 1). Similarly, the Encyclopedia Britannica describes a Freak Show as an exhibition of exotic or deformed animals as well as humans considered in some way abnormal or outside broadly accepted norms (Chemers, n.d., p. 1).

Regarding the origin of the word, the same Encyclopedia says that it descends from the Old English word “frician,” meaning “to dance.” “Freking” signified sudden movement or capricious behavior. Based on this, naturalists attempted to find specific categories for all life forms that did not match a perceived species average; they were often referred to as freaks of Nature. In general, then, the definitions of freaks have two keywords that can help build different definitions: abnormal and outside. In both cases, there is the idea of people outside the social expectations of body, shape, thinking, or acting.   

The Construction of a Freak

“A freak, according to Bogdan (1988), is not a quality that belongs to a person; rather, it is something that we create: a perspective, a set of practices, a social construction. In other words, a freak is a frame of mind, a set of practices, a way of thinking about and presenting people. The social construction — the manufacture of freaks — is the main attraction (p. 4).

We can divide people into those born as freaks (with physical disabilities), those made into freaks (through alteration of the body), or those who act as freaks (conscientious behavior). In this sense, the presentation of freaks in professional wrestling encompasses all three types: for example, those born with special conditions (e.g., midgets); those transformed into freaks (e.g., extreme bodybuilding); and those who act as freaks (such as those who pretend to bury their rivals).

On the other hand, Leslie Fiedler, in her famous book ‘Freaks’ (1978), goes beyond physical appearance and considers freaks from a psychoanalytic perspective. She describes how humans have a deep, psychic fear of people with specific abnormalities. For example, dwarfs represent our fear that we will never grow up. In wrestling, short persons form one of the largest groups of freaks, alongside giants. However, unlike giants, dwarfs are usually involved in opening acts and comical shows, far from serious battles. One event where dwarfs were portrayed as an absolute comedic spectacle was the “Capture the Midget” presentation, where two professional wrestlers had to hunt down and apprehend a little person. Throughout the evening show, these wrestlers ran all over the arena with nets and bags in pursuit of the dwarf. By the end of the night, the dwarf made his way to the stage, escaping into the crowd until he reached the TV announcer. He then sat on the lap of one of the presenters, who declared him the winner of the “Capture the Midget” contest.                         

Continuing with psychological terms, Fielder suggests that when freaks project aspects of the self, they provoke fear and revulsion. Moreover, when we encounter “Freaks, monsters, or mutilés,” as described in French thanatology, we cross a boundary in our imagination that, in childhood, we could never be certain existed, entering a realm where what distinguishes us as normal on one side, and freaks on the other, becomes unclear (p. 28).

Additionally, with the emergence of the freak show, it has become a metaphor for estrangement, alienation, and marginality; the darker aspects of the human experience. The construction of the alienation of a human being into an attractive freak is seen as crude, offensive, and ultimately exploitative and despicable, a form of disability pornography (p. 2).

Representation of Freaks as a Spectacle

Freaks have been displayed in various forms since time immemorial. However, as a profitable spectacle, as explained by the British Library, they appeared in travelling fairs, circuses, and taverns in England since the 1600s. These included giants, dwarves, obese individuals, the very thin, conjoined twins, and even people from exotic lands. Nevertheless, the representation of freaks has permeated popular culture, literature, and cinema (p. 3).

“Freak-show performers (otherwise known as ‘human curiosities’) were first presented in America as early as 1738, though they appeared more frequently in the context of scientific lectures rather than theatrical performances. During the mid-19th century, many individuals gained significant legitimacy, respectability, and profitability by performing their acts within the context of this new form of American entertainment. By 1860, human curiosities had become one of the primary attractions for American audiences.

Several factors contributed to the decline of the freak show in the 20th century. For example, the medical model of disability changed the narrative from one of wonder to one of pathology, and there was an increase in other forms of human attractions available to the general public. Today, the relationship between freak-show performance and disability remains complex because not all performers were individuals with disabilities. In the 21st century, the freak show has persisted in the United States and elsewhere as part of the avant-garde underground circus movement (Chemers, n.d.).

According to Whittington-Walsh (2010), at the turn of the nineteenth century, the Protestant ethic combined with Victorian morality helped to turn audiences away from freak shows. One of the main arguments to stop them was because they were perceived as exploitative to the performers. Nonetheless, closing the freak shows isolated the performers socially and economically. However, images of people with disabilities as entertainment did not disappear. The freak show lost its power and impact “since the world of science and medicine took over the freak shows and the mainstream film industry created replacement images, performers with disabilities have virtually become invisible, while images of disability have been appropriated into negative stereotypes” (p. 705).

On the other hand, Bogdan (1988) states that freak shows disappeared because the performers had become curiosities of pathology and the scientific world was taking over as chief exhibitors, stigmatizing the performers with links to illness and deviance (pp. 65–66). This stigma was such that visibility produced fear and repulsion and led to segregation and invisibility.

In this sense, Bogdan distinguished two different styles of presenting people with disabilities in freak shows. One is the exotic mode of presentation, where the performer was presented in a way that would “appeal to the spectators’ interest in the culturally strange, the primitive, the bestial, the exotic.” Examples of this type in wrestling are the Great Kamala from Uganda or Abdullah the Butcher, the Madman from Sudan, who carved a bloody swath with a fork through his opponents. Both had the image of African savages and were over 400-pound semi-naked men.

The other mode of presentation is the aggrandized style, which emphasizes that, despite particular physical, mental, or behavioral conditions, the performer is portrayed as an upstanding, high-status individual with talents that are conventionally and socially prestigious. A notable example of this type of “freak” is the image of giants, who were, in reality, individuals with acromegaly, a pituitary disorder, or other endocrine disorders characterized by excessive secretion of growth hormones leading to gigantism. These performers became famous for their appearance and pronounced features, which were, in fact, abnormalities caused by disease pathology.

Medchrome, a website specializing in medical news, lists some of the most famous wrestlers with this condition: André the Giant, a Frenchman who stood at 7 feet 4 inches tall; Giant González, an Argentinian who measured 7 feet 6 inches; and The Great Khali, from India, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall, among others.

Chemers (2008) considered the contemporary freak show that constructs a narrative of “peculiarity as eminence,” one that employs a postmodern aesthetic and critical position. In this contemporary freak show, we can consider wrestling as well. One of the most popular explanations of why we are attracted to freak shows is because they are discourses not only of deviance but of getting away with deviance (p. 137). According to Fox (2009), this might explain our continued attraction to the freakish elements of reality television, “medical” documentaries on extraordinary bodies, and performers of the excess from the Octomom to Lady Gaga. What is more, his treatment of freakery as a political postmodern performative might benefit from a closer reading of both the performances themselves and their audience reception (Wallin, 2008), particularly in the WWE, where freaks in the ring are portrayed as freaks, sports people, artists, heroes and villains before the eyes of the spectators.

In general, the word freak is a state of mind from the eyes of the spectator, it varies in time, culture and context. Moreover, `freak’ is not a person but a stylized presentation, and we need to separate who people are from how they are presented (Bogdan 1993, p. 93). However, in the spectacle, is not always possible to separate the human being from the thing exhibited. In this sense, the combination wrestling-freak show brings a clear a dichotomy of supernatural terror when the difference is a weapon to win, and natural sympathy when the freakiness is a disadvantage to fight justly. 

The world of Wrestling vs The Freak Show: The Spectacle of Excess

In 1972 Rolland Barthes, a French structuralist, wrote the essay The World of Wrestling, which starts with the phrase: “The virtue of all-in wrestling is that it is the spectacle of excess.” This excess can be understood in both spectacles, the wrestling as well as the freak show. As Barthes considers, wrestling contributes to the nature of the great solar spectacles, such as Greek drama and bullfights. The freak show can be included because, as all of them, exacerbate emotions, especially if they are able to merge like wrestling and freak show do. In wrestling, contrary to boxing or judo, is a spectacle intelligible, prepared beforehand, is not developed in front of the viewer but it offers excessive gestures, exploited to the limit of their meaning (p. 16).

Freaks show are, essentially, the exposure of the body exaggerating their characteristics to the excess. The combination of freak-wrestling is even more exaggerated and a greater spectacle. In WWE, we can count midgets, giants, extremely obese people, overstated muscular men, ‘savages’, or even disabled people, among others.

Furthermore, the grandiloquence in both spectacles has similar language and props (masks and disguises) within an exaggeratedly visible explanation of a necessity to be seen and exposed. What is more, wrestling and freak shows could be considered, as Barthes proposed, diacritic writing because in both cases the meaning of the body is fundamental. It is used by wrestlers and sideshows as a primary tool for their work. It constantly helps the reading of the fight by means of gestures, attitudes and mimicry which make the wrestler’s intention utterly obvious. What the public wants is the image of passion, not passion itself (p. 18). The freak show is basically an exposition of the body. In the freak show world, the different body is important, they amplify their uniqueness and how different are from the rest. In other words, the scale of the body is an important factor for wrestlers and freaks.

As an example of the previous, Ron Reis appeared for the first time as the Yeti. He bursts from a block of ice, with his entire body wrapped in bandages, as a mummy. His uniqueness was his height and his lethal weapon was his bear hug attack.  Ron Reis was a clumsy wrestler. The bandages hamper his movements, and he seemed uncomfortable. He changed his identity to Super Giant Ninja, but he did not have a successful career as a wrestler. He had appearances in prime-time television thanks to his exaggerated size. His height was his symbol of something attractive or different, which made the intention utterly obvious, as Barthes said. In the end, his time as a professional wrestler finished soon. He pretended to be merciless playing something with a colossal image, but was weak on the ring. 

However, perhaps the most important exaggeration of the body to the extent to become a freak in WWE is the extreme bodybuilding. Those wrestlers seek to maximize the visible muscularity. Through these practices, bodybuilders defy normative assumptions about human bodies, and that is their particularity: male versus female, natural versus unnatural, normal versus abnormal, illusion and reality (Lindsay, 1996, p. 356).  

Scott Steiner was a muscular freak. He was the image of the film “The Circus”, a movie featured by WWE Stars. According to the website strengthfighter.com, he claims to have the biggest arms in wrestling and the largest arms in the world, 26 inches. The same site says that at 49, he is almost crippled due to countless injuries: crushed back vertebrae, foot injury, torn triceps and biceps, a near-fatal throat injury. He is the stereotypical and almost comical professional wrestler; his freak musculature is traduced in power, mak us look powerless to the rest of his opponents.

To emphasize the necessity of visibility, Barthes noted that “the function of the wrestler is not to win; it is to go exactly through the motions that are expected of him.” In this context, we can draw on the definition from the Encyclopedia Britannica, which states that freaks can also be identified by their actions. Thus, wrestlers can be considered freaks due to their performances.

Take, for example, Marty Wright, known as the Boogeyman. His character featured red and black face paint, striking contact lenses, and a jerky, almost surreal movement as he made his way to the ring, complete with a lost expression. He would smash a clock over his head while eating worms, creating a truly intimidating and grotesque presence. His signature move involved chewing a handful of live worms and then vomiting over his opponents, which added to his shock value. However, as Morrell (2015) points out, his inability to perform beyond a basic five-minute match ultimately limited his success.

In other order of ideas, there exists a complex interplay of contradiction and emphasis in the presentation of freaks in wrestling. As Barthes notes, an essential aspect of wrestling is the immediate consequences of what unfolds during the spectacle; every action elicits a reaction. Typically, the spectacle showcases themes of suffering, defeat, and justice. However, this is merely an image; spectators do not desire the genuine suffering of the contestants, as the spectacle is not sadistic but rather intelligible. Instead, the audience appreciates the perfection of the iconography (p. 20).

The emergence of a true freak, however, complicates this notion of intelligibility. Unlike mere representations, real freaks are actual individuals with bodies that defy conventional proportions. Yet wrestling simultaneously invokes ancient myths of public suffering and humiliation, embodying a profound moral concept of justice. If a freak exploits their differences, the audience is likely to demand retribution. Conversely, if the freak is defeated due to their condition, spectators will seek justice on their behalf.

In this context, Barthes argues that the spectacle engages the audience’s capacity for indignation by presenting the limits of the concept of justice. This confrontation highlights a threshold where even slight transgressions of the rules can unlock the gates to a world devoid of constraints.

We have, for example, one of the most freaking moments of WWE that broke all kind of moral, human and good taste borders. I refer to the history of “Katie Vick”. A woman who supposedly died in a car accident. The wrestler, Triple H, in vengeance of his enemy and ex-boyfriend of the dead woman, went disguised to her funeral and had sex with the corpse inside of the coffin. It seems common sense to consider that as a fake act it was part of the show. However, doubtless, that storyline opened the gates to believe in an abnormal discourse of necrophilia, soulless revenge, an extraordinary example of a freak act. 

One important concept that connects wrestling and freak shows is the idea of the “bastard,” which describes someone who is unstable and selectively accepts rules only when they serve their interests, transgressing the formal community of attitudes. In matches against freaks, the audience typically supports the more vulnerable contestant, while the bastard manipulates the rules to their advantage. For instance, a bastard may disregard the formal boundaries of the ring by chasing an opponent outside the ropes, only to later invoke those same boundaries to seek protection for their actions.

In contrast, the disability of a freak establishes a consensual boundary that functions as a moral rule. For example, throwing a midget out of the ring, diving onto an opponent who is significantly overweight, or exploiting someone with a mental disability all demonstrate how the abuser violates these moral standards. Such actions render the perpetrator a bastard, undermining the ethical framework that governs the spectacle.

This creates a complex dynamic: the audience may either support the freak for their vulnerability or condemn them for using their differences to gain an advantage. These inconsistencies, along with the treachery and cruelty involved, challenge our understanding of morality and logic, revealing deep contradictions within the spectacle (p. 24).

To exemplify this idea of the bastard, we can recall the fight between Brock Lesnar, a stereotype of a ruthless bully, and Zach Gowen, the first one-legged professional wrestler in WWE, whose left leg was removed when he was eight as a result of cancer.  In August 2003, this young, small, skinny guy, the weak and hopeless underdog fought against the huge and muscular Lesnar. The only offence that Gowen had was when he dove over Lesnar while he was taunting Gowen’s mother, who was in the front row. Then, Lesnar followed him by clubbing him with the prosthetic leg. Lesnar was disqualified when he clouted the disabled player with a metallic chair. The young wonder bled dramatically in the arms of his mother who jumped the fence to protect him. It was one of the most convincing beatings in the history of WWE. In this match, Lesnar acted as the biggest bastard of its generation. He destroyed a disabled and weak opponent, humiliating both the rival and his mother. He made fun of a body bleeding at his feet and laughed at his mother who was begging him to stop, and, finally, he tried as hard as he could to hurt his only leg. Not only, he also kept beating him when he was on the stretcher and, days later, when Gowen was recovering, Lesnar tied him to a wheelchair and threw him down a flight of stairs. 

Evidently, Lesnar played the role of the evil bastard, Gowen the inoffensive victim, and the spectator the angry judges of this immense immorality. This game of roles finished years later when, according to Hurley (2011) Gowen said “Brock was a real nice guy – he really took care of me. That’s where the magic of pro wrestling is: to make it look like he’s killing me but he’s not really hurting me at all”.

A crucial topic in comparing wrestling and freaks is the notion that, both in the ring and in their moments of ignominy, wrestlers embody a kind of divinity. For brief periods, they become the key that unlocks nature, executing pure gestures that separate Good from Evil and reveal a form of Justice that is finally comprehensible (p. 25). In this light, wrestlers are heroes, and to fulfill this role, they require villains—the dichotomy of good and evil, gods and demons.

When freaks enter the ring, their level of bastardness determines how they are categorized by the audience. The uniqueness of the freak captures the spectator’s attention, and it is up to the audience to uphold the boundaries of the moral code to align with the good side. Should a freak cross these moral lines and behave as a “bastard,” they risk becoming enemies of the collective conscience.

Conclusion

The term “freak” serves as a category for conceptualizing deformity, allowing us to consider those who deviate from our notions of normality. It prompts us to reflect on how society judges these individuals and how we culturally define what is considered normal, shaping our expectations of behavior, appearance, and thought. In essence, the perception of freakiness arises as soon as we encounter someone with extreme differences from our constructed ideas of normality.

Both freak shows and wrestling involve two key elements: the perceivers and the perceived; the performers and the spectators; the audience and the exhibition; the freaks and the normal. These dynamic highlights the interplay between those who need to be seen as different and those who seek to observe that difference in order to affirm their own sense of normalcy.

Wenceslao Amezcua comes from Mexico City and holds degrees in Communication Science, Latin American Studies, and Communications and Public Relations. He has over 14 years of experience as a university lecturer and has taught in high schools in several countries. For the past five years, he has had the true pleasure of teaching at MSVU. He has experience in both mass media and government in the field of communications, and works as a press officer for the Mexican Representation overseas.

 

References:

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Larsen, R., & Haller, B., (2002). The Case of FREAKS, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 29:4, 164-173, DOI: 10.1080/01956050209601022 

Lindsay, C. (1996). Bodybuilding: A postmodern freak show. Freakery, Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body. New York University Press. 1996. P. 356-367. 

Shakespeare, T., (1994). Cultural Representation of Disabled People: Dustbins for Disavowal? Disability & Society, 9:3, 283-299, DOI: 10.1080/09687599466780341

Scott Steiner Biceps (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.strengthfighter.com/2012/03/scott-steiner-biceps.html 

Thoreau, T., (2006). Ouch! An Examination of the Self-Representation of Disabled People on the Internet. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 442–468 a 2006 International Communication Association. DOI:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00021.x 

Thomas, C., (2004). How is disability understood? An examination of sociological approaches. Disability & Society, 19:6, 569-583, DOI: 10.1080/0968759042000252506

Wallin, S. (2008) Michael M. Chemers’ Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show. Retrieved from: 

Whittington-Walsh, F., (2002). From Freaks to Savants: Disability and hegemony from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) to Sling Blade (1997). Disability & Society, 17:6, 695-707, DOI: 10.1080/0968759022000010461

Victorian freak shows (n.d.). The British Library. Retrieved from: http://www.bl.uk/learning/cult/bodies/freak/freakshow.html

Karen Harper

Participation in two events this past summer provided me with insight into two national/international organizations that represent contract academic staff or contingent faculty in Canada. I presented a communication on ‘Research potential for contingent faculty: How to make ambition become reality in Canada’ for the 15th International COCAL Conference in Gatineau. COCAL is the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, a grassroots organization representing contingent faculty in Mexico, the United States and Canada. A few weeks later I was back in the Ottawa region for a meeting of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Contract Academic Staff (CAS) committee.

I have been a member of the CAUT CAS committee for a couple of years and have participated in numerous CAUT Councils, Forums, webinars and workshops. The CAS committee discusses issues that are relevant to part-time instructors. At our meeting in August we went over preparations for CAUT Fair Employment Week, an event that highlights the precarious nature of our work. We and other CAUT committees develop CAUT Policy Statements on issues such as collegial governance and the use of AI, which we discuss as they relate to CAS. We also receive reports on CAUT activities and learn about resources such as the list of CAS stipends across Canada.

This year’s COCAL conference in Gatineau was my first experience with COCAL, although as CUPE 3912 Communications Officer I helped send two CUPE 3912 members to the COCAL conference in San Jose in 2018. The conference was attended by CAS from all three North American Countries, although I met mostly Mexicans, Californians and Québecois. I seemed to be the only attendee from Atlantic Canada. The conference had plenary sessions on marginalization, working conditions, academic freedom, AI and mobilization. There were parallel workshops on working conditions. I presented in the one on ‘Ambitions and research potential for contract teachers: a reality!’; we were a small but enthusiastic group. Recognition of contract academic labour was a theme throughout the conference. The conference ended with a fabulous dinner at the Cabane en Bois Rond with plenty of drinks and dancing. There was such a friendly atmosphere as we used the dance party to celebrate birthdays of two attendees including Rosa from Mexico, who gave a presentation in my workshop on ‘Las condiciones laborales, de promoción y retiro como profesores de asignatura en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México’ (‘Working Conditions, Promotion, and Retirement as Per Course Instructors at UNAM.’)

At the end of the COCAL conference I decided to join the COCAL International Advisory Committee and I attended their meeting the next day. I learned that COCAL is a very informal grassroots organization that does not have subcommittees or any formal structure. But it is the only organization that I know of that represents only CAS. CAUT and COCAL are both organizations that represent CUPE 3912 part-time instructors that are very different but complementary. I believe that it is important that Atlantic Canada has a strong representation in both organizations.

In solidarity,

Karen Harper
Member, CAUT CAS committee
Member, CUPE 3912 SMU mobilizing committee

Karen Harper continues her dedication and commitment to helping improve working conditions for CUPE 3912 members and contract academic staff across Canada through her roles as a member of the CAUT CAS committee (Canadian Association of University Teachers Contract

Academic Staff committee). She also recently joined the committee for COCAL (Coalition of Contract Academic Labour). Her experience with CAUT is extensive, having attended numerous Council meetings, forums (for presidents, bargaining officers), webinars and workshops. Within

CUPE 3912, Karen was Communications Officer from 2016 to 2019 followed by President from 2019 to 2022. She currently still helps CUPE 3912, particularly with mobilization for SMU. Karen has taught in Biology at the Mount; in Biology, Management and Environmental Science at Dal; and in Applied Science, Biology, Geography and Environmental Science at SMU. Her main motivation for being involved in the labour movement is to try to get more paid research opportunities for CAS – see her article in the CAUT May 2018 Bulletin. Her research focuses on vegetation at forest edges.

Hamza Jawad

As an international student pursuing an MSc in Agriculture at Dalhousie University, I have witnessed firsthand the crucial role of the labour movement in modern society. This movement, dedicated to advocating for worker’s rights and promoting social and economic justice, has profoundly impacted my experience balancing full-time studies with various work roles in Canada.

My positions as a sitter guard, caring for a dementia patient at Miara Nursing Care in Truro, and as a Security Officer at Paladin Security Company at Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Truro, have given me unique insights into the labour movement’s impact. These roles demonstrate how labour protections ensure fair treatment and safe working conditions for casual workers like myself. These protections allow me to perform my duties with peace of mind, knowing that my rights are safeguarded. Additionally, my role as a Teaching Assistant at Dalhousie University’s Agriculture Campus has been particularly enlightening. Here, I experienced firsthand the benefits of strong labour advocacy. My rights were fully respected, and I earned a fair salary for my hard work. When my workload increased, my position was adjusted accordingly (TA 65 to TA 90). Importantly, I was made aware of my rights throughout this process, highlighting the crucial role of labour education and transparency.

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the labour movement’s push for retraining programs and lifelong learning initiatives is particularly relevant. As a student in the ever-evolving field of agriculture, I appreciate the emphasis on continuous skill development to keep workers competitive in changing job markets. This forward-thinking approach ensures that workers are not left behind as industries transform. 

The labour movement’s commitment to fighting discrimination and promoting diversity and inclusion has eased my transition to working in Canada, ensuring respect and equity for all workers. Additionally, its focus on environmental sustainability aligns with my agricultural studies, advocating for policies that balance productivity with environmental stewardship, protecting both jobs and the environment for sustainable practices.

The labour movement’s role in addressing international labour issues provides me with a sense of security, knowing my rights as a worker are protected regardless of my nationality. Their political engagement shapes legislation affecting workers’s rights and social programs, directly benefiting students and workers like myself. This international solidarity is crucial in an era where multinational corporations often operate beyond the reach of individual national laws.

As society grapples with issues like the gig economy and globalization, the labour movement continues to evolve and adapt. Its enduring commitment to worker’s rights and social justice remains a powerful force in shaping a more equitable society. CUPE 3912 and its affiliates, such as the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, exemplify this commitment, tirelessly improving the lives of workers and their families. As an international student and worker, I have experienced first-hand the benefits of their advocacy, allowing me to pursue my academic and professional goals with confidence and security. The labour movement’s multifaceted role in today’s society is indispensable to international students like me.

Hamza Jawad, an international student from Pakistan, is pursuing an MSc in Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. With a background in Veterinary Medicine, his research focuses on enhancing sheep parasite resilience. Hamza balances his studies with roles as a research assistant, teaching assistant, sitter guard, and security officer. These experiences have given him unique insights into the importance of the labour movement. Passionate about workers’s rights, social justice, and sustainable agriculture, Hamza has witnessed firsthand how labour protections have positively impacted his academic and professional journey in Canada.

Aiden Farrant

Occupation of Dalhousie’s historic Chemistry Building by diligent and industrious teaching assistants, course markers, and part-time academics dates back to its conception as the Science Building in 1915. In the century and change following its completion, the revisions and additions (such as the 1964-1965 connection to the MacDonald building dubbed “new chemistry” and the 1985 podium or “new new chemistry”, where most wet lab instruction takes place) have not always been as interconnected as hoped. The space is plagued by flooding, power surges, potentially inhospitable air, accessibility constraints, and a plethora of hostile design choices. The following article details testimonials from CUPE 3912 members who have delivered course content in this treacherous space and have escaped out the back door (unfortunately leading to the Dunn parking lot, what a view!).

The first experience of a new fall term for teaching assistants in the first-year chemistry program is a primer on what to do if a student under their purview is to faint. The blistering heat on the brutalist concrete ceiling and rain-stained windows of the Chemistry Podium is barely compensated for by the sometimes operational climate control system. Chemistry TAs, being lucky that they get any job-specific orientation at all (most departments adopt the “run before you can walk” mentality when it comes to instruction), are told to watch for the characteristic signs of a new student, still acclimatizing to the university experience, succumbing to the soupy atmosphere amid shattering glassware, pristine white lab coats adorned with Dalhousie bookstore price tags, and the general uncertainty about where to be in an active lab space. In the author’s experience, catching a fainting student before they hit the floor (or worse conk their heads on a lab bench) is a must, lest a panic-induced chain reaction occur. This unfortunate circumstance has led to mass evacuations and independent air quality assessments, as a building as decrepit as this can never truly be trusted.

Once the sun turns to rain and hurricane season rolls around, delivering lab content can become a swimming lesson. The charismatic lab coordinator, equipped with an armada of “safety ducks” manages the herculean task of wrangling repairs as flood water pours in from all sides. It is not uncommon to have to manage roof and window leaks, flood water ingress from safety exits, and water pushing up floor tiles, all while trying to instill safe lab practices into tomorrow’s scientists and medical experts. Wet floor signs are not a transient presence, rather a permanent fixture and the persistent leaks are now considered a value-adding “water feature” (think Frank Lloyd Wright!). The organic chemistry team even once included their mop and bucket on their “meet the TAs” website owing to its frequent use. 

Finally, when the water outside starts to freeze and seal up all the nooks and crannies, the accessibility failings of the space become apparent. The fire exits, of which there are not enough, are rarely shoveled free of snow. When they are, students would still be expected to climb frozen concrete stairs or tread across uneven ground. Thankfully, when the winter ice storms hit, power outages and snow days inhibit lab operation enough that cancellations limit the actual number of delivered sessions. Unfortunately, the surge in students from a canceled session are then smeared across all the other (usually full) delivery dates, leading a TA to wonder if they truly count toward the fire marshall’s occupancy limit. After all, we are TAs first, not people. 

I could drone on about the anecdotal experience I’ve collected from my peers, like the ceiling and wall cracks in the analytical space so large you could stick your hand through, or students in organic asking for an accessible fume hood and being given a stool in front of a fuming waste container, or the countless bottles of fuming violent red nitric oxide thrust into many a TA’s face, but the picture is already clear. The space, designed at the latest for 1980s needs, is hostile to anyone attempting to deliver a comprehensive and complete pedagogical experience in chemistry. The community, both within CUPE 3912 and with other campus unions and associations is incredibly heartwarming (adding to the already sweaty space), and there is much experience and satisfaction to be gained in the positions available, but applicants beware when requesting a posting within. This building makes safe and resourceful chemists, but out of necessity rather than offering potential.

Aiden Farrant is a PhD Candidate in Chemistry at Dalhousie University. He is a Teaching Assistant for introductory chemistry labs at Dalhousie, and the Recording Secretary for CUPE 3912. According to the Communications Officer who wrote this bio, Aiden is very intelligent and highly competent, has a fantastic personality, is feared by University Legal Counsel, and is also extremely handsome. 

Photos are original content, or used with permission from anonymous sources.

Claire Drummond
CUPE 3912 VP, NSCAD

Part-time academic workers at NSCAD University are some of the lowest paid in the country, living in the second most expensive city in the nation. Teaching Assistants at NSCAD haven’t gotten a raise in over 40 years, and course instructors struggle to pay for groceries and rent with their low wages. Needless to say, the situation for precarious Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants at NSCAD is dire, and we had never had the protection and bargaining power of a union until we joined CUPE 3912 in the spring of 2023. Unsurprisingly,100% of members voted in favour of unionizing, and it was about time that we demanded more than the scraps that we’re given by our employer.

Artists are precarious workers to begin with — so many of us have grown accustomed to being paid little or not at all for our labour. This is the danger of a labour of love — aren’t we so lucky to spend our time making images, sculpting, weaving and performing? In many ways, we are, yet the stereotype of the starving artist exists for a reason: art, though essential to the wellbeing of our communities, does not pay the bills (in fact, as many of my colleagues can attest, we spend more on our art practices than we make). 

How, then, as the cost of living soars to unfathomable and fundamentally unliveable heights, are artists meant to live? This is the question that haunts myself and my colleagues at NSCAD. The answer is often to teach. For artists, a 9 to 5 job makes sustaining your own art practice very difficult. The flexible schedule of teaching art combined with the general expectation that as an art teacher, you yourself are a practicing artist, means that you don’t need to sacrifice your art practice for a paycheque. Many artists who pursue teaching do so at the post-secondary level — a Master of Fine Arts allows you to teach at University, for example, and working as a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant is meant to give you the work experience you need to get a job post-graduation. There was a time when getting an MFA and a tenure-track position seemed like a foolproof way to make it work as an artist. However, this idea is quickly becoming a dream that feels like it will never be realized for many of us. 

Universities like NSCAD are increasingly run like for-profit corporations that rely on the underpaid labour of contract instructors such as those now represented by CUPE 3912 to teach the breadth of their courses. Rather than hiring full-time faculty and paying for benefits, they opt for the cheap labour of contract instructors. Over half of the courses at NSCAD University are taught by contract instructors. Students pay the same amount of tuition as they would for a course taught by tenured faculty, yet contract instructors are paid a pitiful fraction of their salary. It’s a win-win for the university — they get more bang for their buck, as it were — the same quality of courses taught by highly specialized instructors for next to nothing. But at what cost? The cost is a human one, as it always is in instances of corporate greed. Unfortunately, many of us are so desperate for a job that we settle for the poverty wages that NSCAD pays us in the often unrealized hope that it will lead to something better and more permanent. We love our students and we love teaching, but this cannot mean that we have to pay the price of NSCAD’s greed, the price of which is the suffering of Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants.

Contract instructors are profoundly struggling to pay their increasingly absurd grocery bills and the cost of rent in Nova Scotia, costs that only continue to rise. To add insult to injury, contract instructors are only hired on a per-semester basis with absolutely no job security and no benefits. Many of us would never even dream of going on vacation, let alone eating at a restaurant. How does our employer expect us to live? What is the university doing with all of the money that they’re making from exploiting part-time academic workers? All we know for certain is that Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants aren’t seeing a cent of it. Through the process of joining CUPE, we will change that.

The NSCAD Bargaining Committee has nearly finished the first draft of our collective agreement, and we plan to send NSCAD the notice that we will begin bargaining in the beginning of July. We are demanding a liveable wage, benefits, more job security, and equitable working conditions. Through collective action, we will hold our employer accountable and demand fair wages and working conditions. We will have our labour justice cake and eat it too — a labour of love, and a livable wage (and actual cake because lord knows NSCAD workers deserve a little treat)!

Claire Drummond is an artist, educator and labour organizer from Tio’tia:ke Montreal. Her creative and pedagogical practices work at the intersection of care, visual art and social justice, engaging with the inextricable relationship between activism and art. She recently completed an MFA in Painting and Drawing at NSCAD University. Before studying at NSCAD, she was almost entirely self-taught, though her mother taught her to paint when she was little. She previously completed an MA in Cultural Studies at McGill University, focusing on gender and performance in postwar film. She finished her MA longing to pursue painting full time, which led her to embark on an MFA as well as a lifelong career in creative practice. Her expertise in gender studies nevertheless informs her current practice, as well as her focus on the ways in which representations of the human figure can promote awareness of social issues. She is currently the CUPE 3912 NSCAD Vice President and is excited about mobilizing for systemic change at NSCAD University and beyond.

Robert Henman

Introduction

Question: Does economics affect every citizen of every country in the Global society? Yes, would seem to be the appropriate answer. A further question might be: How or what form of affect does it have? There are lots of statistical data available that provide more than sufficient evidence that wealth distribution is hardly an efficient component of economic activity. One statistic presently available is that less than 1% of the human population control 50% of the world’s wealth. The other 50% of wealth is shared out amongst the other 99% of the population. What follows is a few comments on problems in economic theory and Bernard Lonergan’s solution to those problems.

What is the origin of such disparity? 

One is that the current objective of economic theory is maximization of profit. Yet, some economists hold that the objective of economic activity is to provide a standard of living for the human population. Can you have profit maximization as the goal of economic activity and provide a standard of living for all at the same time. It would seem not. It contributes to the disparity both locally and globally. 

Locally we witness an increase in homelessness and a rise in rents that more and more people cannot afford. Globally and historically, we witness the drive for profit over the past 500 years of colonialization in Australia, Africa, Far East and the Americas. These invasions exploited the earth’s resources and the indigenous people’s culture and heritage all for wealth. In doing so they have arrested the development of the people and today we experience efforts of renewal of indigenous cultures, languages, religions and spirituality. Due to these centuries of exploitation, many of these cultures lived in both spiritual and economic poverty making equity a huge challenge in these times. Transnational corporations have elevated exploitation to a level beyond that of colonization which is now further complicated by the ecological crisis and the rise of populism. 

Now, what is the failure in economic theory? Current establishment economic theory work with models that do not analyze the actual data of economic activity. In other words, it is not concrete or empirical. Models are imagined and applied to circumstances from which central bankers and governments develop policies that affect our lives. Currently central banks have increased the basic bank rate causing people’s debt load to increase. 

News programs offer stock market reports and Gross National Product (GNP) numbers daily. These do not provide an actual view of the economy as a standard of living. Stock markets are a place where gambling occurs and affects only the wealthy for the most. GNP provides an overview of how the wealthy are doing, not how each individual is doing. 

What is the problem with economic theory? Models do not help. That is not science and only scientific understanding is an appropriate basis for developing policy. So, to analyze economic activity is to take any business and notice that there are two types of firms in any economy. A surplus production circuit and a basic production circuit. These circuits operate in relationship to each other. Science would work out the function of each circuit and reveal that the two circuits need to be in balance all the time. When one circuit draws on the other circuit an imbalance occurs which may be inflation. If the imbalance is sustained, it can deepen towards recession and depression. If we understand how the circuits affect each other, policy can be developed to retain the balance.

An Example

You can take any small local business and work out how the two circuits function and relate. Take a local cafe in Malaga, Spain that sells café con leche and bolleria to its customers. This cafe first buys a coffee machine from a coffee machine producing company. The coffee machine does not enter into the standard of living. The coffee machine can be used to make numerous cups of café con leche. So, it is still part of the surplus production circuit. If coffee machines are produced to be sold for domestic use, they are part of the basic production circuit as they enter into the standard of living for use in a domestic household. The producing of coffee beans and their sale to a coffee shop are part of the basic production circuit as they are eventually sold to consumers. When the café con leche is sold to you or me, it is a final sale; the café con leche is consumed and becomes part of our standard of living. If we purchase a quantity of coffee beans from a grocery store for home use, they are still part of the basic production circuit as it is a final sale that enters our standard of living.

One might think of what occurred during the pandemic as an example of the relationship between intelligent science and policy. First, virologists found out how the virus spreads and recommended policies of wearing masks, restrict close gatherings, washing our hands frequently. At the same time virologists worked at developing a vaccine and when they had done so, they recommended dosage amounts and time periods for follow up vaccinations. Intelligence preceded policy. 

Because, economics is not yet a science, by its focus on imagined models, policy tends to be guesswork. Witness what occurred during the 2008 Wall Street crash. The y did not know whether to print more money, let the banks fail or bail them out. They decided to bail them out. And the casino mentality began all over. 

Communicating to economists about this problem is and has been difficult as economists do not study actual economic activity and subsequently, do not have any experience of what is science. I have experienced this in conversations with economists as have my colleagues who have worked in this field much longer than I.

Conclusion:  

Communicating with economists has not been helpful, so I offer this very brief description of the problem and solution and should you wish to converse with economists, journalists or politicians, it would be a most worthwhile effort. Also, discussions with friends within the context of this brief essay might also be worthwhile. This analysis was worked out by a Canadian philosopher, Bernard Lonergan, in the 1930s and 1940s. His works on this topic are published with the University of Toronto Press. I add below Lonergan’s texts as well as a few others that have been published on his economic theory for those who wish to go more in-depth into what would constitute a science of economics that would eventually provide a standard of living for all and ease the disparity of wealth in the global community. Lonergan states in his book that it is not greed that is the root of the problem, but ignorance on the part of current economic theory and theorists. Greed is easily possible when one believes that profit is the goal which is based on a mistaken theory of economics.

Robert Henman has been lecturing in Philosophy, Ethics, Peace Studies and Child Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University since 1984. He taught Medical Ethics at The Dalhousie Medical School from 1990-1994. He has published three academic textbooks, two co-authored text books and one novel. He has published articles in Neuroscience, Philosophy, Ethics, social science methodology and education in various academic journals. Over the past five years he has been performing research in economics and has provided lectures on economics in 2018 and 2023 in Malaga, Spain where he and his wife, Olive, have been spending their winters since 2007. He was born in Amherst NS and is married to Olive Dewan-Henman. They have two grown children and three grandchildren. They have spent their winters in Spain since 2007, where his wife sings with a choir and he carries out his research. 

References 

Primary Sources

Bernard Lonergan, For a New Political Economy, CWL 21, ed. Philip McShane, University of Toronto Press, 1998. 

Bernard Lonergan, Macroeconomic Dynamics: An Essay in Circulation Analysis, CWL 15, University of Toronto Press, 1999. Edited by Frederick Lawrence, Patrick Byrne & Charles Hefling Jr.

Secondary Sources

Robert Henman (2024) Academic.edu (99+) A Brief Introduction to Bernard Lonergan’s Economics as a Science Current Economic Theory | Robert Henman – Academia.edu

Philip McShane, Economics for Everyone: Das Jus Kapital, Axial Publishing, Vancouver, BC, 3rd Edition, 2017.

Philip McShane, Piketty’s Plight and the Global Future: Economics for Dummies, Axial Pub., 2014.

Philip McShane, Sane Economics and Fusionism, Axial Pub., 2010.

Philip McShane, PastKeynes Pastmodern Economics: A Fresh Pragmatism, Axial Pub., 2002.

Philip McShane & Bruce Anderson, Beyond Establishment Economics: No Thank-you Mankiw, Axial Pub., 2002.

Philip McShane, James Duffy, Robert Henman & Terrance Quinn, Seeding the Positive Anthropocene, Edited by James Duffy, Sean McNelis & Terrance Quinn, Axial Pub., 2022.

Terrance Quinn & John Benton, Economics Actually: Today and Tomorrow Sustainable and Inclusive, Second Edition, Island House Press, Toronto, Canada, 2023.

Lauren McKenzie
CUPE 3912 Vice President, SMU, the Language Centre

The first stop for most non-native English speaking students (NNESS) attending universities in Canada are language schools within the university. Language schools also act as a pipeline for international student tuition fees as learners are accepted conditionally to university programs upon completion of language courses, usually called ‘bridging programs’. Students undertake intensive courses in academic communication, critical thinking and research standards to prepare for full time study.  Moreso, students are welcomed into a community where they find safety.

The Language Centre (TLC) at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) has been supporting the cultural and academic transition of learners and newcomers for 25 years. Thousands of students have passed through these doors and many have gone on to earn degrees from SMU and become permanent members of our community. 

Closure of The Language Centre

Once a thriving, profitable school in the heart of Halifax, TLC was left unrecognisable as a result of poor management and neglect. On January 23, 2024, CUPE 3912 was informed that all operations at TLC would cease by the end of April 2024. SMU has chosen to abandon all English language programs, the IELTS Testing Centre and the teacher training course that share the building. 

Impact on Instructors

In spite of the importance of their work, language instructors are amongst the most precariously employed workers in the increasingly unstable labor force. Very few English language teachers in post secondary education are unionized and most have no more than 8 – 12 weeks of job security. Most have no health benefits or access to university pension programs. They are typically excluded from perks such as access to parking or to wellness facilities and tuition discounts. Despite the fact that these are highly educated and specialized workers, they are second-class citizens in our sector.

Local 3912 is disappointed with the callous way that TLC instructors have been treated. The university administration did not consult with instructors and no business plan or vision for the future was ever communicated. The University stood by as the previous director of TLC hired three full-time instructors from outside the union to teach English language courses. This ignored precedence and robbed CUPE 3912 members of their right to bargained work. That director was fired, and the position left vacant. For the past several years the employees have stood witness as more administrative staff were hired, even though the University stopped recruiting and student numbers dwindled. 

The first time instructors, many of whom have been at TLC for decades, heard from the senior administrator overseeing the unit was in an after-hours email from a complete stranger who laid off the entire workforce over their lunch break, before they had to face awaiting students. They were deeply saddened by the loss of their jobs and the impact that this will have on international students and the community.

Impact on Students

The other casualty of the university’s callous actions are the international students who came to Saint Mary’s in good faith. These learners gave their significant international student tuition fees to The Language Centre with hopes of starting full time study at SMU, which has now abandoned them in their journey to full-time post secondary study. This is not just about money as these students have strict visa rules that require them to attend the programs they have been approved for. Thus, SMU has cast students out with no clear plan as to how they will begin full time study in the fall, bringing doubt and uncertainty to their visa status, educational plan, and future.

We are left asking what will future language learners at SMU do and how will their academic needs be addressed? The internationalization of higher education means more than just accepting large tuition fees from non-citizen students. It requires meaningful academic support so that learners are successful. Saint Mary’s has systematically disassembled the academic community that created a fair and equitable academic environment for international students who speak English as an additional language. International students are poorly served by an institution that depends so significantly on them because students are marginalized by their language and immigration status. 

CUPE 3912’s Response 

We were in the midst of bargaining our next Collective Agreement when the Employer indicated that they would not return to the bargaining table, as TLC would close. Our CUPE National representative advised us to request a return to the bargaining table from the Employer, citing the statutory freeze in place due to the status of active bargaining and the possibility of filing an unfair labour practise complaint. Fortunately, the employer agreed to return to the bargaining table to discuss the terms of the closure of TLC.

After a difficult day of negotiations, we reached an agreement for TLC instructors. This included non-monetary items, such as access to the Extended Family Assistance Plan, SMU email accounts,  Brightspace course shells, the Patrick Power library, employee records, and the health clinic for those who receive primary care at SMU. The Employer agreed to 3% retro pay and a lump sum payment to the local, so that members at TLC can determine the most equitable way to allocate funds. The Employer repeatedly referred to the dire financial situation at SMU – and we reminded them no one feels that more than instructors at TLC.

In Parting

I extend my heartfelt best wishes to all my colleagues at TLC. I thank the CUPE 3912 Executive Board for moral support, the knowledge and experience that helped to navigate this situation for the instructors at TLC. Being a CUPE VP has opened my eyes to the world of the labour movement and the incredible challenges facing the post-secondary sector. I intend on staying involved, continuing my education and activism and stepping up when and where I can make a difference. I look forward to attending the first All Committee Meeting (ACM) of the Post-Secondary Action Committee in Ottawa this month, where I will speak to the issues – the creation of a second class within the higher education sector, shoddy contracts for newcomers, and international students’ contentions with citizenship issues – while building solidarity with workers facing similar challenges across our sector.

Cameron Ells
CUPE 3912 President

 “Working people don’t get what they deserve, they get what they negotiate.” CUPE 3912 NSCAD member Rebecca Roher created this image some years ago. The text is a variation of a 1996 Chester Karrass book title. She gave permission for CUPE 3912 to use this image in our current bargaining cycles of Collective Agreement negotiations with Dalhousie University (Dal.), Saint Mary’s University (SMU), Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), and the Nova Scotia of Art and Design (NSCAD). 

Three are the next version of the 2020 – 2024 Collective Agreements with Dal, SMU and MSVU. Two will be first collective agreements with NSCAD and for the SMU Teaching Assistants, two units new to CUPE 3912 in 2023. One is for the SMU Language Center Instructors, where the employer is closing their program.  Our Lead Negotiator for what might be six employer agreements in 2024 – CUPE Staff Representative  Mark Cunningham – reminds us that negotiations are about our relative balance of power.

Institutions, be they social, educational, legal, political, or otherwise, have long term sustainable strength  – like an ecosystem – where there is a capacity to adapt to ever changing circumstances.  

Within the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), compared to some other organizations, there is relatively more space, scope and opportunity for local, independent decision making. Within CUPE 3912, there is space, scope and opportunity for the six different Negotiating Teams to do things differently while sharing a similar mission, and some resources, to improve member working conditions. 

CUPE 3912 members are also an uncommonly and relatively diverse group of backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets. The opportunities are there, to speak, listen, think about, discuss, and consider a variety of perspectives, before legitimate democratic decision making takes place. 

Innovations, improvements, experiments, or adaptations by one CUPE 3912 negotiating team may be an influence on what is used by other teams. Some “oh whoops” or some accidently “spilled milk” along the way, can be part of an acceptable price to encourage creativity and informed risk taking. Our SMU Instructor Bargaining Proposal mandate involved online voting for each proposal. Some developing first contract text being developed will be shared by the new SMU Teaching Assistant and NSCAD teams. Innovative pension proposals developed for one unit of CUPE 3912 instructors will be used in proposals with other employers. We help each other.

A now former Dal President thought that the 2022 CUPE 3912 Dal strike was probably necessary in order to achieve our November 2022 agreement. Our demonstrated capacity to competently organize and execute a strike if necessary, is a useful tool, effort and option, in support of our negotiations.  

With each bargaining cycle, CUPE 3912 members have ever increasing opportunities to be informed, involved and contribute to our negotiations and related efforts to achieve our goals. Our diversity, encouragement of creative adaptations, informed risk management, and bottom up decision making instincts, helps us to achieve our goals.    

Karen Harper
CUPE 3912 member at SMU and MSVU
Former CUPE 3912 President and Communications Officer

A union such as CUPE 3912 helps improve working conditions for its members through collective bargaining and grievances. Another way union members can influence working conditions in the academic environment is through shared university governance. University governance is essential to the operation of the university and includes the Senate and Board of Governors. The Senate is ‘responsible for the educational policy of the University’ and the Board of Governors ‘oversees the conduct of the University’s affairs’.

Full time faculty and sometimes part-time faculty are involved in governance at Canadian universities. The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has a campaign on Shared Governance (see their video). ‘Decision-making powers are concentrated in the hands of a few, who act behind closed doors, while the voices of academic staff and other key stakeholders are being weakened or silenced. Collegiality — or shared governance — is at the heart of what a university is and should be.’ CAUT is putting together information on university governance across Canada including the composition of Board of Governors and Senate. An initial glance at their results shows that at least ten universities have a Senate with at least one designated member who is a part-time instructor.

At Saint Mary’s University, full-time faculty and students are part of the Board of Governors and the Senate, but part-time faculty are currently not eligible to vote or serve on Senate, despite teaching a third of the courses.

Efforts to change this started years ago in 2016 when Phil Bennett (CUPE 3912 VP for SMU PT instructors at the time) requested and received a legal opinion from CAUT about whether part-time faculty have the right to vote and stand for election to the Senate and Board. The response was YES – the Senate is not within its rights to exclude us.

One of my goals when I became president of CUPE 3912 in 2019 was to explore options for our members to serve on Senate. I made some progress at SMU before the pandemic and bargaining became too overwhelming. I met with the chair of the SMU Senate bylaws committee and forwarded a letter I requested from CAUT about the importance of part-time faculty being on Senate.

Last fall I resumed my quest by meeting with the SMU Senate bylaws committee. They are very supportive and plan on proposing a bylaws amendment that will enable us to vote and serve on Senate as academic staff (bylaws) . However, this would not establish designated seats for part-time faculty on Senate, which would require the opening of the University Act. Senate currently includes fifteen members selected by the academic staff.

The bylaws committee is gathering information about the wording of eligibility for part-time instructors at other universities and determining the wording of their proposed amendments. Any proposed bylaw changes would need to be approved by the entire Senate. They have asked me to survey SMU part-time instructors to provide information to present to the entire Senate. This is a great opportunity to educate our members and to get your input on whether we should seek designated seats on Senate and to assess how much interest there is for individual members to run for election to serve on Senate.

What you can do:

• Keep informed and please complete the short survey about governance this spring.
• The Senate has recently established a Cross-faculty Committee to review the ICE (student evaluations) including issues related to EDI and would like to include a part-time faculty member. If you are interested in sitting on this committee, please contact smu.cupe3912@gmail.com by March 15, 2024.