Carleton’s contract instructors (CIs), teaching assistants (TAs), and safety workers are nearing the legal date they can strike, 12:01 a.m. on March 10.
If these strikes happen, they could affect student academics and campus life.
Would Carleton close during a strike? What about classes?
The university will be open and operate as normally as possible during any strike, according to Carleton’s human resources policy.
All campus services, including residence, the dining hall, the library, and administrative offices would remain open, according to the university website.
Carleton has policies against picketing by unions blocking anyone from entering the university.
“The right to carry on peaceful picketing does not include the right to trespass on private property or to engage in mass picketing with the effect of preventing persons from entering the premises,” Carleton’s human resources policy states.
Classes not taught by TAs or CIs would continue.
Carleton also allows TAs and CIs to continue teaching their classes, with pay, even if their union is striking, director of university communications Don Cumming said via email.
However, jumping the picket line is not encouraged by CUPE 4600, the union representing TAs and CIs, according to its president James Meades.
“We highly frown upon it,” he said.
Tabatha Armstrong, part of the team bargaining for TAs, said students should assume all CIs and TAs would strike with their union.
Students would be expected to continue class work, such as assignments and readings, according to a university statement.
At what point would the semester be cancelled or pushed back?
Cumming said it is too early to tell how long a strike could last and if it would impact exam schedules, or the academic year.
Armstrong said it is “very rare” for a semester to be cancelled due to job action.
Assistant sociology professor Justin Paulson, speaking at a CUPE 4600 forum for strike information, said it is the university registrar’s decision to cancel or extend the semester in the event of a strike.
Are students refunded if the semester is cancelled?
Cumming said Carleton’s normal fee payment policies remain in effect.
What do campus safety workers do?
Campus safety workers provide immediate response to emergency situations, said Devon Reeves, president of OPSEU 404, their workers’ union, and special constable with the department.
“Our job is to be the first contact for any emergency on campus,” he said.
Reeves said if the union strikes various safety personnel would not be working, including dispatchers, student patrollers, and special constables, some of whom are in management positions.
Dispatchers, who are in touch with the Carleton University Student Emergency Response Team (CUSERT), can send them to scenes requiring medical attention.
Safety officers are trained in first aid and can provide basic medical assistance if CUSERT is not available.
Campus safety also has special constables, sworn peace officers with some police authority, including the abilities to arrest and use force.
How would these services be replaced?
Shift managers and contracted security officers would be patrolling campus and responding to service calls, manager of public affairs Beth Gorham said via email.
The department of university safety would continue to work with outside emergency services such as Ottawa Police Service and Ottawa Fire Service if their assistance is required, Gorham said.
For emergency assistance, students can still call 4444 from any campus phone.
