Menu

Topics

Connect

Comments

Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.

Faculty strike begins at Mount Saint Vincent University after no deal reached

WATCH: Faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University have taken to the picket lines after failing to reach a deal with the school. Their union is seeking wage parity with other Nova Scotian universities and says there is more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion. Skye Bryden-Blom reports. – Feb 12, 2024

Full-time faculty, librarians and lab instructors at Mount Saint Vincent University declared a strike Monday after failing to reach a deal with the school.

Story continues below advertisement

“We don’t want to be here … but we’ve been forced into this position,” said Mount Saint Vincent University Faculty Association spokesperson Jeff MacLeod.

“We want to support our community, we want to be there for our students, but we feel we have no choice given what’s happened over the last few months with these negotiations.”

In December, members of the Mount Saint Vincent University Faculty Association voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.

The MSVUFA contract expired at the end of June, and the association is looking to modernize its collective agreement, which is 35 years old. They are also seeking to “advance decolonizing and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) efforts.”

The daily email you need for 's top news stories.
Get the day's top stories from  and surrounding communities, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily news

Get the day's top stories from and surrounding communities, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

In a statement, the association said it failed to reach an agreement with MSVU after three days of conciliation meetings.

“While the strike looms large, the MSVUFA Bargaining Team is continuing negotiations with the Employer and will do so until there is a new Collective Agreement,” lead negotiator Geneviève Boulet said.

Story continues below advertisement

In a statement to the MSVU community, vice-president of administration Isabelle Nault said she was “disappointed” that an agreement was not reached.

It said the parties bargained on Friday and over the weekend, and “agreed on numerous language items” to improve equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Nault said the association responded to the school’s financial proposal from Jan. 25 on Saturday night, indicating members were set to strike on Monday.

“Still, negotiations continued Sunday as planned. Regrettably, a tentative agreement was not reached,” Nault said.

She said the school will “do all we can” to support students throughout the strike and minimize its impact on the students’ academic experience.

Campus remains open, it said, though classes taught by full-time faculty, librarians and lab instructors will not run during the strike. Classes taught by part-time faculty will continue, except for a “small number of labs.”

Story continues below advertisement

The library will also remain open, though some services will be impacted.

Advertisement

You are viewing an Accelerated Mobile Webpage.

View Original Article