In the last two decades, there have been noticeable changes in the ranks of academic labourers, specifically the increasing reliance on part-time instructors. The use of part-time instructors can be attributed to, among other things, cutbacks in state funding to universities and colleges due to, or as a response to, globalization. This study examines, at a theoretical level, the role of part-time academic labourers in the teaching mandate of Canadian universities and colleges. The study analyses the teaching duties of part-time academic labourers and notes significant theoretical difficulties that could undermine the quality of undergraduate teaching. The study also addresses the political problem of how to ensure that the quality of undergraduate teaching is not jeopardized due to the increasing reliance on part-time instructors.