Month-Long Strike At Acadia University Ends With No Agreement
WOLFVILLE–A month-long strike by faculty members at Acadia University is ending without an agreement.
The university says the strike has ended and classes will resume Thursday. However, a consensus has not yet been reached on a new collective agreement after three days of mediation.
The strike began February 1 and classes were cancelled as members of the Acadia University Faculty Association hit the picket lines. The association represents 350 full- and part-time professors, librarians, archivists, and instructors.
The union and university had been negotiating a new collective agreement since July and a provincial conciliator was brought in to help in November. Negotiations reached an impasse earlier this month and talks picked back up last week.
Both parties have agreed to send their terms to provincially-appointed Mediator William Kaplan, who will make the final binding decision.
In a statement released at the beginning of the strike, AUFA President Andrew Biro said he was “disappointed” with the university’s approach to the negotiations.
Unfortunately, the board has been unwilling to acknowledge the importance of faculty or recognize that decent working conditions guaranteed by a fair and equitable contract are paramount for us to continue to serve our important role in sustaining Acadia’s strong academic programming,” he said.
Acadia’s bargaining team spokesperson, Dr. Dale Keefe, meanwhile said there was disagreement on what the final collective agreement should look like but that both parties “ultimately want the best for our students.”
RELATED: Acadia Cancels Classes As 350 Staff Members Go On Strike
Acadia’s Senate will gather in the coming days to determine if they need to change the academic calendar because of the strike and what the financial impact was to students.
Jakob Postlwaite is a reporter with CKBW in Bridgewater, a Huddle content partner.