Part-time faculty at Saint Mary’s University join job action with MSVU

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Job action is impacting another Halifax university on Thursday.

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3912 says part-time faculty at Saint Mary’s University hit the picket lines at 8:30 a.m. after talks with the university on Wednesday failed to produce a deal.

The move follows strike action undertaken this week by more than 150part-time faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University. Those workers are also represented by CUPE.

Lauren McKenzie, President CUPE 3912, said the discussions between the universities have been “fruitful” but they just couldn’t end on an agreement.

“We just couldn’t get there, the employer is just not willing to sort of treat us with the same financial care that they treat themselves,” she said.

According to McKenzie, the university “will not budge” on the union’s request to pay members more. However, job security also remains a top priority for employees, the union said.

Related:

• Part-time faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University head to the picket lines
• ‘Last-ditch effort’ talks between universities and part-time workers’ union

“Our members have to apply and reapply for their job every four months, a couple times a year,” she said. “And these are folks who work at the universities for 10 (or) 20 years.”

McKenzie said the union isn’t asking for promises from the universities but instead “acknowledgement of how precarity” impacts part-time staff.

“We’re looking for something fair and something that our members can get behind,” she said.

Dalhousie signed a tentative deal with CUPE after talks on Monday ended to avoid another job action at the university, after full-time staff were locked out for several weeks at the beginning of the semester.

“I want to be clear, this is not a perfect deal, but it is a good deal and a fair deal that we feel we can put in front of our members,” McKenzie said of the agreement with Dalhousie.