MUN faculty members vote in favour of strike
CBC
Members of MUN's faculty association have resoundingly voted to strike.
A vote was held on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with about 800 members eligible to cast a ballot.
MUNFA president Ash Hossain told the St. John's Morning Show that 93 per cent of members turned out to vote, and 90 per cent of those voted yes on striking.
The association is giving the university a deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 30 to come to an agreement, otherwise they will walk out.
"[The impact] will be all the classes taught by MUNFA members," Hossain said. "None of us will be teaching any courses. It will be a total strike."
The vote comes after months of negotiations stalled over two main points: salaries and the creation of what MUNFA calls a two-tiered system that divides its members.
The two sides are in agreement on two-per-cent increases in the final years of the four-year contract, but are stuck on what the raise should be in the first year. The association has been seeking a front-end salary increase of eight per cent backdated to September to combat inflation, but MUN says it's limited in what it can offer.
"Bear in mind we have not gotten a raise in six years," Hossain said.
In a written release, Hossain said: "We started bargaining in January 2022, and the administration has been unprepared at every turn to make a fair deal."
He said the impact will be felt by students, but said the issues at play are important for providing quality education at the university. If the strike goes ahead, he said professors will work with students when it's over to ensure a smooth transition back into classes.
CBC News will be following this story throughout the day, and will add information from Memorial University if it becomes available.
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