Udo Schuklenk, Professor, Queen's Dept of Philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics

I am writing to strongly support your efforts to unionize Queen's staff. In this day and age, more than ever, it is important that workers join unions to strengthen their bargaining powers in their interactions with employers. To me joining unions wherever I work has become something like a standard operating procedure. I grew up, back in Germany, in a family of trade unionists.

I worked collectively with colleagues back in Australia to achieve reasonable pay objectives and working conditions. While working in the UK I fought with my local union to prevent the ongoing piecemeal privatization of higher education. Bargaining strength is in numbers. Just as it is important for faculty members to join unions, so it is for other groups of workers employed by the university. Queen's staff are indispensable and hugely valuable colleagues. You are as important to the successful functioning of the university as everyone else working here. I do wish you best of success in your efforts.

Udo Schuklenk
Professor of Philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics