UManitoba faculty on strike, province appoints conciliator
The University of Manitoba Faculty Association has gone on strike as of yesterday morning. UMFA President Mark Hudson told reporters that the disagreement between the faculty and university centres on the fairness of faculty evaluations, workload protection, and job security. While faculty salaries have also played a role in negotiations, Hudson added that this issue is being pursued through legal avenues, as UMFA is reportedly speaking with its legal team about the possibility of filing an unfair labour practice complaint against the university. UManitoba Vice-President of External Relations John Kearsey says that the school “is anticipat[ing] teaching assistants, sessional instructors and other non-UMFA members will continue to teach their classes” in an effort to create minimal disruption for students. CBC reports that the Manitoba government has appointed a conciliator to resolve the issues between the university and faculty.
UManitoba strike over as UMFA accepts one-year agreement
The UMFA has accepted a one-year collective agreement after going on strike Nov 1. According to The Star, the UMFA opted to forego a salary increase in exchange for improvements to governance issues, such as workload and tenure standards. The Winnipeg Free Press reports that the University of Manitoba and the UMFA will be back at the bargaining table in 2017.
