WINNIPEG — Nearly 1,200 faculty members from the University of Manitoba are hitting the picket line for the second day of their strike.
The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) officially went on strike Tuesday at 12:01 a.m., leaving 29,000 students in academic limbo.
Mediation between the university and UMFA is set to continue Wednesday, and both sides said they will participate and aim for a deal.
The university has offered a seven per cent salary increase over four years, while the association is seeking a 6.9 per cent raise in one year.
Under Manitoba labour law, either side can trigger binding arbitration if the strike drags on for 60 days or more. The faculty association and the university said they hope the dispute is resolved before then.
READ MORE: Faculty on strike at the University of Manitoba
The university remains open and will continue with normal operations to the extent possible. A full list of classes that will continue to run can be found here.
Not an essential service
This isn’t the first time UMFA went on strike; staff hit the picket line in 1995 and 2001 and threatened to walk out in 2013. UMFA is not an essential service, such as doctors and nurses, meaning they can legally strike.
RELATED: Timeline: A look back at strikes at University of Manitoba
John Kearsey, vice-president of external relations for the University of Manitoba, said students are worried about how the school year will unfold now that classes are on hold.
“UMFA made a decision to begin a disruption to students during the school year, which is very disappointing,” Kearsey said.
The president of the faculty association, Mark Hudson, doesn’t believe turning professors into essential service providers will solve the problem.
“We’re the ones who are responsible for their learning, we take that seriously and we’ve dedicated our careers to it but at some point we have to stop the erosion of the integrity of the university,” he said.
Premier Brian Pallister said his government will not try to force an end to a strike at the province’s largest university, saying he respects the process.
WATCH: Should university faculty be considered an essential service?
With files from The Canadian Press
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- On the ‘frontline’: Toronto-area residents hiring security firms to fight auto theft
- Honda’s $15B Ontario EV plant marks ‘historic day,’ Trudeau says
- Canadians more likely to eat food past best-before date. What are the risks?
Comments