Law professors at McGill University were on the picket line Thursday, forcing the cancellation of classes during the first week of the fall semester.
Kirsten Anker, a law professor and the union’s vice-president, says 45 classes have so far been cancelled, adding that the unlimited strike involving more than 40 professors will continue until McGill returns to the bargaining table.
Anker says the Association of McGill Professors of Law, which represents full-time professors, is fighting for the right to unionize, for better pay, and for more of a say in university governance.
She says McGill is contesting the union’s right to exist and is deliberately dragging out the negotiation process until a Quebec Superior Court hearing in December on the university’s challenge to the union’s certification in 2022.
Law professor Richard Janda says he did not always support joining a union but has been pushed into doing so because the university is preventing teachers from having a say in governance issues.
Law student Casey Broughton, 25, picketed alongside her professors outside the law faculty building, saying that the disruption is difficult for students but that supporting her professors is more important than missing class.
McGill University did not immediately respond to a request for comment but told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that the administration is doing what it can to minimize student impact while negotiations continue.