N.L. university profs ready for strike vote
Last Updated: Friday, August 10, 2007 | 4:58 PM NT
CBC News
Professors at Memorial University in Newfoundland say a strike is imminent, after 12 months of negotiations broke off Friday.
Faculty, librarians and other academic staff have been negotiating with the university for the past year, while working without a contract.
The Memorial University Faculty Association, or MUNFA, has been in a legal strike position since the middle of July and can now hold a strike vote.
"We feel that the negotiations have come to an impasse and we are increasingly convinced that some form of job action is going to be necessary before we can get moving on this again," said Sean Caddigan, spokesman for MUNFA.
The big obstacle is salary; the faculty association is proposing an increase of 10 to 15 per cent over three years while the university has offered six per cent over four years.
MUNFA says at that rate, the university will lose staff to other schools and won't be able to attract new professors to replace them.
Karen Hollet, director of faculty relations, said the offer made by the school is fair.
"It's consistent with what other employees at the university and within the province have accepted and we think it's a good offer in light of that," Hollet said.
Caddigan says MUNFA is still ready to talk to the university administration at any time.
Hollet says both parties have agreed that they will return to the bargaining table before there is any job action.
MUNFA went on strike in 2000, also looking for salary increases, among other concessions.
