On May 16 and 17, members of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) voted 73 per cent in favour of strike action.
But, the result of the vote does not mean that CUASA will be going on strike, a post on the union’s website said. According to the union, the result of the strike vote gives “added leverage” at the bargaining table during upcoming meetings with the provincial mediator.
CUASA is set to meet with Carleton University administration on four dates with provincial arbitrator William Kaplan for May 26-29.
The union had decided to call for a vote on strike action in an emergency meeting earlier this month after Carleton administration requested provincial conciliation and cancelled a bargaining session scheduled for May 3.
A recent online update from Jerry Tomberlin, Carleton interim provost and vice-president (academic), says that the university and the union have agreed to mediation. He added that the school is “confident the bargaining teams will successfully conclude negotiations.”
CUASA represents about 850 instructors, faculty members and librarians.
The union has been in bargaining with the administration since last August, with CUASA’s previous contract having ended in April 2017.
