MUN professors to vote on strike as university prepares to cancel classes
Classes taught by members of faculty association would be suspended if professors strike
More than 800 faculty members at Memorial University are set to cast their vote Wednesday on a strike, while the school expects the large majority of classes to be suspended if a strike happens.
Contract talks between the university and the Memorial University Faculty Association, which began in June, stalled in December. The faculty association will vote on a strike on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. NT.
Union representatives say they expect a strong majority in favour of a strike.
"People are excited, they cannot wait to vote yes tomorrow," faculty association president Ash Hossain said Tuesday. "Obviously the vote's going to pass, but we would like to see a super-majority."
Hossain said talks have been stalled over two main points: salaries and the creation of what Hossain calls a two-tiered system that divides its members.
The association is seeking an eight per cent front-end salary increase backdated to September to combat inflation, but MUN says it's limited in what it can offer.
The contract system is also a sticking point, Hossain says.
"They are trying to create a two-tiered system between our membership, which is like the tenured professors, like me, and contractuals, who get their contract renewed on a rollover basis," Hossain said. "They have less job security, a much [more] dire work situation, and the pay is also pretty low for them."
Hossain says the union had been ready to go back to the bargaining table since December, so he was surprised when he was told by the school that they won't resume negotiations until after the strike vote takes place.
"If two sensible people sit in the room and government doesn't interfere, it's going to be done in one hour, honestly speaking," he said.
Hossain said the union would likely introduce a deadline to MUN for a deal to be done after the strike vote, and doesn't intend for the strike to begin within the next week.
Classes taught by members of faculty association would be suspended: MUN
MUN's interim provost and vice-president of research says school officials are starting to plan for both strike action and a return to negotiations.
"I'm cautiously optimistic that we can avoid it. In reality, it's probably about 50/50 at the moment," Neil Bose said Tuesday.
"We have to prepare for the worst, which means that we have to prepare for a strike among the members."
Bose said all courses taught by faculty association members or those tied to ones taught by faculty association members — about 85 to 90 per cent of all courses — would be put on hold in the event of strike action.
"We are making it clear that all courses taught by the faculty union MUNFA members, they will be paused. But we are making it clear that courses that are taught by non-MUNFA members will proceed, or more of them will proceed," he said.
"There will be some need for some workers to cross picket lines, that's for sure. But … we'll open up the possibility to courses taught by members who are not, or instructors who are not MUNFA members, where it's possible to work with department heads to pivot their course to remote online learning."
Bose said it's tough to say what suspending classes would mean for students preparing to graduate as it's uncertain how long a strike action would last.
The university would also work with immigration authorities to make sure international students who must attend classes to stay in Canada aren't affected, he said.
With files from The St. John's Morning Show and CBC Newfoundland Morning