The University of Regina faculty association have voted 87.4 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. The association and university have been bargaining since April. The contract expired in June, 2017.
“Overwhelmingly, our members have signaled that they do not accept the unworkable proposals that have been put forward by university management,” said faculty association president Sylvain Rheault in a statement.
The association said that several bargaining dates are scheduled, and students can expect to finish the fall semester without disruption.
The association represents faculty, instructors, laboratory instructors, librarians and sessional lecturers.
Issues that need to be resolved include job security for sessionals, protecting the academic mission of the U of R, maintaining professional relationships in performance reviews and tenure decisions, plus keep compensation on pace with inflation.
“Throughout the bargaining process, university management has made proposals that contradict the University of Regina’s mission statement of ‘offering a welcoming and rewarding academic and work environment for students, faculty, and staff’. With this strike mandate, we can return to the table and negotiate a collective agreement that recognizes and values the crucial role that our members play in supporting students at this university,” Rheault said.
“Our working environment is their learning environment.”
The University of Regina Faculty Association represents 1,400 full and part-time employees across six bargaining units at the U of R, First Nations University of Canada, Campion College and Luther College.
The vote for a strike mandate doesn’t mean faculty are going on strike, but gives the association the ability to go on strike.
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