St. Francis Xavier University says the union representing its faculty has walked out of conciliation talks, triggering a 14-day countdown to a potential strike.

The Antigonish university said talks broke down between the two sides on Saturday after the union rejected the school's latest offer.

St. Francis Xavier University said it was offering a nearly seven per cent raise over four years during a time when the school is cutting back.

There's no word yet from the union. The school is asking the union to come back to the table.

Of the 78.4 per cent of Association of University Teachers who participated in a strike vote in October, 79.6 per cent voted in favour of giving their negotiators a strike mandate.

The 400-member association represents faculty, librarians, lab instructors and extension staff.