James Leonard Turk[1] is a Canadian academic and labour leader. He is a frequent media commentator and public speaker on post-secondary education, academic freedom, labour and other public policy issues. Until June 2014, he was executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). In September 2014, Turk joined Ryerson University's school of journalism as a visiting professor.[2]
Turk received his Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from Harvard University, studied political science and philosophy as a Knox Fellow at the University of Cambridge, received his Master of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and his doctor of philosophy from the University of Toronto. He is married to Lynne Browne and they have three children.
Turk taught in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto, specializing in Canadian Studies and Labour Studies. He left his position as a tenured associate professor to become research director for the United Electrical Workers Union of Canada. He served as director of education for the Ontario Federation of Labour and executive assistant to the national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees before being selected for his position with CAUT. From 1990 to 1998, he chaired the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice and was a lead organizer of the Ontario's Days of Action.[3] Turk is a member of the Board of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives,[4] former secretary of the Harry Crowe Foundation, and adjunct research professor at the Institute of Political Economy at Carleton University. Previously he served as president of the Ontario New Democratic Party.