The University of Manitoba Faculty Association says it is setting a bargaining deadline of October 31 and a strike deadline of November 2 as it continues to battle with school administration over a new deal.
The UMFA says there are issues with faculty retention and recruitment.
“We are frustrated that after 5 years of wage freezes and government interference that the administration can’t recognize why we continue to struggle with issues of faculty retention,” UMFA president Orvie Dingwall said.
READ MORE: U of M faculty vote for strike mandate, union says
The union represents more than 1,200 professors, instructors, academic librarians, and archivists at the University of Manitoba.
Earlier this week, the UMFA voted 85 per cent in favour of calling a strike, should it be necessary.
On Thursday, the University of Manitoba Students Union board passed a motion to “stand in solidarity with the UMFA and students supporting UMFA”.
“UMSU stands firmly with the faculties’ cause,” said a statement from the students union. “A wage increase is overdue for our university’s professors who work hard for their students, especially as they have adapted to online learning.”
In a statement earlier this week, U of M president Michael Benarroch said “I want to assure you that the university will continue to bargain in good faith with UMFA, with the intention of concluding a collective agreement without a labour disruption,” he said.
But the faculty union says the university is falling short right now.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that both the administration and the provincial government continue to put the short- and long-term future of students in jeopardy,” said Dingwall.
“We know that students support UMFA in our fight to protect high-quality public education in Manitoba. We need an administration who prioritizes students and their learning conditions.”
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