Faculty, librarians and archivists across campus have filed a grievance following security concerns with their devices.
Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), a union representing Faculty, Librarians, and Archivists at the University, filed a grievance against the University over complaints from faculty around a new software called Endpoint Protection. While the date that the grievance was filed hasn’t been disclosed, QUFA announced the grievance in their monthly digest in June.
In a statement to The Journal, the University was unable to comment on the nature of the grievance, citing that the complaint is ongoing. However, the University did discuss Endpoint and what it seeks to do at Queen’s.
“Endpoint Protection (EP) is a cybersecurity practice that safeguards end-user devices–including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices–from unauthorized access and malicious activity. The purpose of EP at Queen’s is to ensure that only secure, compliant devices connect to university systems, thereby reducing the risk of vulnerabilities or data compromise,” the University wrote.
QUFA president, Karen Rudie, also told The Journal she couldn’t discuss the specific reasons behind the ongoing grievance. She did, however, address the broader issues the union is currently facing with the software system.
“The crux of the dispute is about whether Endpoint Protection’s requirements strike a reasonable balance between the legitimate needs of Queen’s as an organization and as the employer of faculty members, and the privacy interests of faculty members,” Rudie said.
In January, Catherine Stinson, an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and the School of Computing, told The Journal she shared the union’s concerns about the software, questioning whether it gave the university access to personal content on employees’ phones that was often unrelated to Queen’s.
READ MORE: IT security update raises red flags for faculty privacy
The University was unable to comment on the grievance in a statement to The Journal, similarly citing that the complaint is ongoing. However, Queen’s explained that the “matter has been referred to arbitration and is expected to be heard later this fall.”
“This is an active grievance; therefore, the university will not comment on specific details at this time,” the University wrote. “Endpoint Protection (EP) is a cybersecurity practice that safeguards end-user devices – including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices – from unauthorized access and malicious activity. The purpose of EP at Queen’s is to ensure that only secure, compliant devices connect to university systems, thereby reducing the risk of vulnerabilities or data compromise.”
While still not able to speak to the grievance specifically, Rudie parroted the concerns that were raised to her by QUFA members before they filed the grievance.
“Various faculty members in different departments have been concerned about privacy, because Endpoint allows, potentially, the administration to go into our devices, including personal devices like my cell phone,” she said. “It’s a balancing act between the universities needing to carry out their duties and protect us through cybersecurity protection, but also our rights.”
Before a grievance is filed, Rudie explained they always prioritize informal conversations first—with most concerns being addressed this way. She outlined that while they attempted to resolve this informally, an agreement wasn’t met, leading to the official grievance.
“We really tried. We really tried to get our concerns satisfied informally over many, many months. In fact, the university’s original date, when they wanted Endpoint to be imposed, was shifting in response to our concerns. But then ultimately, they said, ‘this is the final date.’”
According to Rudie, the University initially aimed to launch the software in November 2021, but after the union r aised concerns, the date was delayed. It has since gone live this year on June 2. She said the implementation moved forward despite QUFA’s request for more time to address their concerns.
In their statement, the University explained that the matter has been referred to arbitration, where a neutral third party will make a decision on the issue after considering both parties arguments, which is expected to be heard later this fall.
Tags
Endpoint Protection, Faculty Association, grievance, QUFA
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