Faculty strike ends at MSVU
Mount Saint Vincent University resumes classes after union OKS new deal
Faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax are back on the job and classes will resume Thursday after they approved a new contract with the school.
A tentative deal was reached early Tuesday morning after a marathon bargaining session that began on the weekend. It was presented to members of the MSVU Faculty Association Tuesday afternoon and they approved the deal with 93 per cent voting in favour.
Full-time faculty, lab instuctors and librarians went on strike Feb. 12, seeking wage parity with other Nova Scotia and regional universities and to advance decolonizing and equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) efforts. Details of the new deal were not released.
In a news release announcing the deal, faculty association president Susan Brigham said it had been the longest strike in MSVU'S history.
“The members stood together and held the line until we got a new agreement that was fairer and more equitable than the previous agreement. How the members mobilized, stood on picket lines in all weather, and took up various strike duties was impressive. We were buoyed by the incredible support of students, staff, other unions, and community members.”
“This is just the start of real changes that will make our university a community that learns more, cares more, and that achieves more,” said the union's lead negotiator Geneviève Boutlet.
The university's vice-president of administration, Isabelle Nault, said in a message to students that "this has been a challenging time for all. I’m grateful to both bargaining teams for persevering in their efforts to reach a new collective agreement."
Union members returned to work Wednesday.
"We look forward to our continued work together on behalf of the students we serve," Nault said.
Students unable to return by this Thursday due to exceptional circumstances and students with questions about the resumption of a particular class or lab should contact their professors, the university said.
"We know that students are eager to hear whether there will be changes made to semester dates and other academic policies," Nault said. "A Senate meeting will be held soon to consider these issues. An update will follow as soon as possible."
In February 2022, Acadia University faculty went on strike for just over four weeks, which was also the longest ever at the Valley institution.