SUDBURY -- On Monday, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario, and Laurentian University Faculty Association filed an appeal to unseal correspondence between Laurentian University and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities that relates to the insolvency being claimed by Laurentian University.
Both the Ontario and Laurentian faculty associations had argued during a hearing last month the documents should be unsealed, but it was rejected by the court.
"Laurentian’s filed materials in this insolvency do not say much about the position of the Government of Ontario, which is the major funder of Laurentian," said a news release from the three groups Monday.
"However, the university’s president filed an affidavit with two sealed exhibits, one from the Ontario government to Laurentian and the other from Laurentian to the Ontario government. These documents are sealed and not available to the stakeholders, the public, or the media."
The order to seal the documents "raises vital questions about the transparency of Ontario’s role and its commitment to its public universities," the release said.
The groups said it is "vital" that all relevant files and materials are available to the public, including the two sealed documents.
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 professors and academic librarians in 30 faculty associations across Ontario. CUPE Ontario is the political wing of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canada’s largest union, representing more than 280,000 public sector workers.
Founded in 1979, LUFA represents more than 400 full-time and more than 300 part-time professors at Laurentian University, the University of Sudbury, Huntington University, and Thorneloe University.
