Unionized Dalhousie staff members reject deal, urge board to return to table

CITYnews halifax / By Shelli Summers

The Dalhousie Faculty Association voted to reject an offer from the university’s board of governors.

Association president Dave Westwood said following the vote on Thursday night, the results send a clear message that members are willing to stay the course, and the board needs to return to the table with something they will seriously consider.

A record 93.4 per cent of the DFA membership participated in the vote, which opened Aug. 14.

The association is holding a lockout rally Friday at noon.

The university locked out nearly 1,000 professors, instructors, librarians and professional counsellors on Wednesday.

Related:

• Dalhousie University locks out faculty amid contract dispute
• Dalhousie University issues lockout notice to faculty if no deal is reached
• Can Nova Scotia universities survive the red line?

The most recent offer from the university included a 2 per cent per year increase across a three-year agreement and ongoing Career Development Increments and promotions. A previous letter from Dalhousie president Kim Brooks details that the offer is in line with current inflation, but is not reflective of the higher inflation of years before.

In a letter to students, Wanda Costen, provost and vice-president of academics at Dalhousie, said that more communication on the lockout was provided this week.

“If it appears disruption of fall classes is likely, we will notify you about which classes will go ahead, and which will be suspended until the lockout is resolved,” she said in an Aug. 20 message. “Please continue to plan to arrive on campus as normal: university services will be open, residences will welcome new students on schedule, and an agreement that would end the lockout could occur quickly with little notice.”