Résumés
Summary
No COVID-19 mitigation measure has proven more controversial than vaccination mandates. While the prospect of widespread vaccination in 2021 offered hope for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy on Canadian university campuses, proposals for on-campus vaccination mandates sparked intense debate and led to varying approaches at universities.
We examine the pivotal role of academic staff associations (ASAs) in advocating and influencing the adoption of vaccination mandates at Canadian universities in the run-up to the fall 2021 term. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with ASA leaders and staff, we delve into the factors behind ASA positions on such mandates.
Although the vast majority of ASAs advocated robust COVID-19 mitigation measures, including vaccination mandates, their approaches varied because of regional differences and institutional and sectoral dynamics. Many ASAs actively promoted mandatory vaccination, unlike the case with the vast majority of other unions.
We argue that ASAs played a crucial role in shaping university responses to the pandemic. Their advocacy contributed to widespread adoption of vaccination mandates before the fall 2021 term. We stress the importance of understanding the nuanced responses of ASAs to such mandates, while shedding light on the interplay of factors behind ASA positions.
Abstract
We examine the pivotal role of academic staff associations (ASAs) in advocating and influencing the adoption of vaccination mandates at Canadian universities in the run-up to the fall 2021 term. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with ASA leaders and staff, we delve into the factors behind ASA positions on such mandates. We demonstrate that the vast majority of ASAs advocated robust COVID-19 mitigation measures, including vaccination mandates, but their approaches varied because of regional differences and institutional and sectoral dynamics. Many ASAs actively promoted mandatory vaccination, unlike the case with the vast majority of other unions.
Keywords:
- COVID-19,
- universities,
- pandemic,
- faculty associations,
- academic labour,
- vaccination mandates,
- Canada
Résumé
Aucune mesure d'atténuation du COVID-19 ne s'est avérée plus controversée que l'obligation de vaccination. Alors que la perspective d'une vaccination généralisée en 2021 offrait l'espoir d'un retour à la normale sur les campus universitaires canadiens avant la pandémie, la perspective d'obliger la vaccination sur les campus ont suscité d'intenses débats et ont donné lieu à des approches différentes dans les universités.
Nous examinons le rôle central des associations de personnel académique (APA) dans la défense et l'influence sur l'adoption de mandats de vaccination dans les universités canadiennes à l'approche de la session d'automne 2021. Grâce à l'analyse de documents et à des entretiens semi-structurés avec des dirigeants et des membres du personnel des APA, nous examinons les facteurs qui sous-tendent les positions des APA à l'égard de ces mandats.
Bien que la grande majorité des APA aient préconisé des mesures robustes d'atténuation des effets du COVID-19, y compris des mandats de vaccination, leurs approches varient en raison des différences régionales et des dynamiques institutionnelles et sectorielles. De nombreuses APA ont activement promu la vaccination obligatoire, contrairement à la grande majorité des autres syndicats.
Nous soutenons que les APA ont joué un rôle crucial dans l'élaboration des réponses des universités à la pandémie. Leur plaidoyer a contribué à l'adoption généralisée de l'obligation de vaccination avant le trimestre d'automne 2021. Nous soulignons l'importance de comprendre les réponses nuancées des APA à ces mandats, tout en mettant en lumière l'interaction des facteurs qui sous-tendent les positions des APA.
Mots-clés :
- COVID-19,
- Universités,
- Pandémie,
- Associations universitaires,
- Travail académique,
- Vaccination obligatoire,
- Canada
Parties annexes
References
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