Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) will be in a legal strike position in early May.
The university and CUASA will participate in mediation with William Kaplan, a labour arbitrator and mediator, on April 26 and 27, according to an email sent to students and a statement on their website.
“The university’s goal is to achieve a negotiated agreement that reflects the important and valued work that faculty and librarians perform, while also considering the university’s current financial situation,” the statement reads.
CUASA, the union representing full-time faculty and professional librarians, has been in collective bargaining since early October.
On Jan. 28, CUASA applied to the Ministry of Labour to request the appointment of a conciliation officer, the statement reads.
“Should CUASA decide to strike, contingency plans will ensure operational continuity throughout the negotiation process.”
CUPE 4600, the union representing contract instructors and teaching assistants, expressed their support for CUASA in an April 15 Instagram post.
CUASA president Dominique Marshall said CUASA applied to the Ministry of Labour for a no-board report on Thursday April 10.
This report signifies a 17-day cooling off period before the union can legally strike.
“We expect that report to be issued by the end of next week, putting us in a lockout or strike position on the first day of the Summer Term – Monday, May 5th,” she told the Charlatan in an email.
“A no-board does not stop the negotiation process,” Marshall added, citing that CUASA has previously applied for a no-board in 2006 and 2010 and gone on to successfully negotiate improved collective agreements.
Marshall said the negotiating team is hopeful that a strike will be averted.
“We are committed to keeping up regular contact with students so that there are no surprises,” she said.
Marshall added a summer strike would be “bad for everyone” and could affect the progress of students’ degrees.
“There are currently hundreds of classes planned for the summer semester at Carleton taught by our members. Compressed summer courses could be lost to even a very short strike,” she said.
A summer strike would also interrupt research plans, she said.
“Fundamentally research is knowledge creation and crucially important to the success of the university,” she said.
“The research grants held by members bring significant funding to the university, some of which is used for equipment and infrastructure, and often in employing students.”
According to the university, updates will be provided regularly on the bargaining website.
Featured image by Sadeen Mohsen.
