MSVU employees vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike mandate

Employees at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate ahead of conciliation talks.

In a news release on Tuesday, the Mount Saint Vincent University Faculty Association (MSVUFA) said of the 99 per cent or the university’s staff who voted, 94 per cent of them voted in favour of supporting their bargaining team.

The MSVUFA represents all full-time faculty, laboratory instructors and librarians at the university.

“The union has been in negotiations since June and after a record number of meetings had hoped to reach an agreement with the employer at the table,” the release reads.

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“Fair compensation, workload and support for caregivers and victims of domestic violence are main unsettled issues.”

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In a statement, MSVUFA president Robert Farmer said their requests are “totally reasonable.”

“We simply want a fair and equitable settlement to ensure parity with other Nova Scotian universities,” he said. “This is something that MSVU is well able to afford.”

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The association says compensation and working conditions have fallen behind those at most Nova Scotian universities.

“This is at odds with a university dedicated to the advancement of women,’ the release reads. “It also undermines the ability to attract and retain qualified full-time faculty, laboratory instructors and librarians necessary to ensure quality post-education for students and their communities.”