Students worried about looming strike
Exams are scheduled to start a couple of weeks after Nov. 27
The president of the Acadia Students’ Union says she has been averaging an email every half hour from worried students and parents since professors set Nov. 27 as a strike date following failed talks with the university
“People are concerned and they are worried and they have a lot of questions,” Grace Hamilton-burge said. “I think people understand the process. I’m not getting many questions about how conciliation works . . . it’s ‘what about my exams,’ or ‘what about my (thesis) defence,’ or ‘what about my reference letter.’ It’s really valid questions that people are concerned with.”
As it has done during past contract impasses, the students’ union isn’t taking sides.
“We take a strong pro-student stance to make sure that the students’ education isn’t jeopardized,” Hamilton-burge said.
She said the threatened job action naturally causes concern for the university’s 4,100 students, but especially at this time of year.
“We will reach a collective agreement eventually, but this time isn’t fantastic for students who are writing exams soon, or defending their honours theses or their master’s theses soon, (or) who plan to graduate this semester,” Hamilton-burge said.
She said there is a lengthy list of people scheduled to graduate this semester, “so it is concerning for them.”
Exams are scheduled to start a couple of weeks after Nov. 27.
Hamilton-burge said students planning to move to a graduate degree in January or on to other things after graduation this semester could have those plans put on hold by a labour disruption.
“That’s not fair to students, to have their academics disrupted like this,” she said.
Even a short strike, with a settlement that extends the semester by a couple of days, could impact out-of-province students who have already purchased plane tickets home for the winter break. And, she said, a stoppage could have students trying to figure out whether they should stay or buy tickets to head home early.
“Students face mental health issues disproportionately anyway, and this possible strike is definitely an added stress,” Hamilton-burge said. “Adding to those mental health concerns is not fair for students.”
The students’ union has met with the faculty association and the university’s board of governors.
“We’ve met with them multiple times over the past couple of weeks,” she said. “We just continue to make sure, when we do meet with them, that we tell them this is not a good time for a labour action. No time is a good time for students. They’ve paid thousands of dollars to be here and it’s unfair to jeopardize their education in this manner.”
On Tuesday, the Acadia University Faculty Association set the strike deadline after months of trying to negotiate a new collective agreement with the Wolfville school. The old contract expired over the summer, and the faculty say the university isn’t making any meaningful counter-proposals.
Conciliation talks have failed a couple of times.
The university says it can’t sign an agreement that threatens the future finances of Acadia. The union says it wants to see fulltime positions restored and salaries in line with the average wages for professors at similar-sized universities in the region.
More conciliation is scheduled for Thursday.
The faculty association represents 331 full-time and part-time professors, instructors, librarians and archivists.
We take a strong pro-student stance to make sure that the students’ education isn’t jeopardized.
Grace Hamilton- Burge Students’ Union president