President’s Welcome
Hi everyone, and welcome back!
To all returning members, it’s great to have you with us again. And to those of you who are new—welcome to the Atlantic Academic Union. We’re glad you’re here.
My name is Neil Cody, and as of August 1st, I’ve stepped into the role of President of the AAU. I’m joined by a fantastic Executive team:
• David Pearson, your VP Faculty
• Seana Blanchard, VP Professional Support
• Todd Verge, VP Member Engagement
• Melanie Sampson, VP Administration
• And Sherry Sullivan, VP Organizational Structure and Inclusion
It’s been a busy start I won’t lie. Picture it like the first day of a new school year: you walk in and get handed a list of everyone you're responsible for—except in this case, the list is over 1100 names long, and the role is part-time.
What I’ve come to appreciate more than ever is how much work happens behind the scenes. In just the past month, our small but mighty team of 3 full-time staff and 6 part-time executives has invested countless hours addressing member concerns, managing grievances, rethinking our systems, and building engagement strategies for the year ahead.
We’ve all heard the phrase many hands make light work—and we mean it. If you’ve ever considered becoming a Campus Rep or joining a committee, now is the time. Your involvement helps lighten the load for everyone and ultimately strengthens our union.
Some of you have asked about the presidential leave that was approved in the last budget. I’ve made the decision not to take a full-year leave. Instead, I’ll continue teaching a full course load this fall and take a half-year leave beginning in January.
This wasn’t budgetary—it was a strategic choice. We believe we need to invest a portion of that leave funding into building long-term infrastructure for the union. That includes Union365, integrated into our newly refreshed website, Union 365 is a powerful new platform we’re rolling out in the coming weeks to better manage grievances, track representative activity, collect and analyze data, and modernize our communications.
But the investment goes beyond technology. We’re also planning to present the member an impassioned pitch seeking your support in joining the Canadian Association of University Teachers otherwise known as CAUT. We all see what’s happened across colleges in Ontario, Dalhousie, and now St. Anne and we need to strengthen and educate our
members. CAUT offers incredible training, strategy sessions, and networking opportunities along with a strike fund that has grown above $38m. These aren’t just academic—they’re practical tools we can leverage to develop stronger representation, build solidarity with other post-secondary unions, and position ourselves more effectively for the next round of negotiations.
By redirecting some of the presidential leave funding toward these programs, we’re laying the groundwork for a more professional, responsive, and united AAU. There’s lots to talk about but we can do that another time because you want to get started on your long weekend.
Before I sign off, let’s remember why we celebrate Labour Day: it honours the workers' movement and the rights we enjoy because of it. If you’re curious, I encourage you to explore more about its history using the link in the email.
If you have any follow-up questions, know a new member who might not be connected with us yet, Or if you're interested in getting involved, please take the first step and reach out to Amber at coordinator@atlanticau.ca
For now, take a deep breath, enjoy the last long weekend of summer, and let’s get ready for a strong, united Fall semester.
From all of us at the AAU.
Happy Labour Day—see you soon.