Dalhousie University issues lockout notice to faculty if no deal is reached

CITYnews halifax / By Natasha O’Neill

Employees a part of the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) will be locked out beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 20, if a deal is not reached with the university.

According to the lockout notice, those within the association will not have access to the school starting at 9:30 a.m. Talks between the Dalhousie Board of Governors and the DFA ended in mid-July without a collective agreement.

The employees represented by the union include full-time instructors, librarians and counsellors at the university.

The board asked for a vote on the final offer last week, which has not been finalized by the union. Members have until after the start of the lockout to vote (Aug. 21).

What happens if there is a lockout

• Campus is open
• Classes taught by DFA faculty are suspended until the labour disruption is over
• Plans for summer classes are made
• If the disruption continues into the fall, students will be told which classes are impacted
• Students should still plan to come to school in the fall
• All employees not a part of the DFA are to report to work as normal
• Campus jobs, placements, co-ops and internships will continue unless otherwise stated

In a letter from Dalhousie President Kim Brooks, she writes that the negotiations have not been easy, but those who make the university what it is are the faculty.

“In this spirit, the Board is offering a final proposal that tries to balance fair compensation for faculty with our responsibility to ensure Dalhousie’s long-term financial health,” it reads.

It included a 2 per cent per year increase across a three-year agreement and ongoing Career Development Increments and promotions. The letter does detail that the offer is in line with current inflation, but is not reflective of the higher inflation of previous years.