It seems University of Regina students can breathe a sigh of relief after a tentative agreement between the U of R Faculty Association (URFA) and university administration was reached Monday evening.
Before details of the agreement are made public, the URFA’s bargaining team will present the deal to its members.
URFA will recommend that the agreement be ratified through a vote.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) expressed their gratitude, thanking both parties “for listening to the students and reaching an agreement.”
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The URSU were preparing for a strike after the URFA and administration failed to reach an agreement two weeks ago in four days of mediation.
Talks have been ongoing since April 2018 despite the collective agreement expiring in 2017.
The UFRA were looking for faculty ratio that prioritizes research, pension contributions, compensation that keeps pace with the rate of inflation, equal pay for equal teaching and hiring sufficient permanent teaching staff to provide excellent teaching for students.
The 2019-20 provincial budget, released March 20, committed $469 million to operating grants towards the U of R and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), a zero per cent increase for the second consecutive year.
The status quo had a number of students concerned that a new deal would be reached.
URSU president Shawn Wiskar spoke out against the zero per cent increase and called on the Saskatchewan government to freeze tuition, but to no avail.
There has been no word on whether the new collective bargaining agreement will impact tuition costs.
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