The Administration of the University of Lethbridge has announced that it is planning to lockout faculty from their email accounts in the event a current labour impasse proceeds to strike lockout.

This is an irresponsible and reckless step for the administration of a research university to take, as it both endangers ongoing research projects, and places the health and safety of students, human subjects, and others at risk.

Since this list has been hosted by the University for almost 20 years, there is a possibility that the list will be disrupted. I have updated my profile to use my alternate email address (daniel.odonnell@gmail.com), but we are unsure as to whether or not the lockout will affect the operation of the list (the administration is compounding its recklessness by refusing to say which systems will be affected and how).

If you would like to register a concern about the Administration's decision to disrupt its faculty's professional communication and the operation of international research projects such as this, you can contact the president, Mike Mahon, at president@uleth.ca

The union has indicated that it will not strike against research, precisely because of the harm this poses to health, safety, and the long-term reputation of the university. This means that I will be able to continue my participation in this project without crossing its (virtual) picket lines.

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The Board of Governors of the University of Lethbridge and my Faculty Association are currently at an impasse in labour negotiations.

The Administration recently has informed us that they intend to lock faculty out of their university email and other online services in the event of job action.

To ensure continuity in the event the Board carries through on this reckless and irresponsible threat, please begin using the following alternate email for professional correspondence: daniel.odonnell@gmail.com. For union email, my usual address will remain operational: president@ulfa.ca.

Note that the Faculty Association has indicated that it will not ask members to strike against research and other non-service or teaching duties in the event of a strike or lockout. This is to avoid inflicting long-term damage on the institution and to ensure faculty are able to fulfil their research, ethical, and health and safety obligations.

It also means that I will be able to continue with most correspondence even in the event of Job Action without crossing our (virtual) picket lines.

If you would like to register a concern about the University’s decision to disrupt our professional communication, you can contact the president, Dr. Michael Mahon, at president@uleth.ca.

I apologise for any inconvenience.