'It worries me': U of M students concerned as faculty strike nears
Between midterms and campus life, students at the University of Manitoba have a lot to think about - including a potential faculty strike.
"It worries me as a student and I think it worries other students because when our professors or lecturers go on strike, it's going to affect our academic year and how our studies are going to be," said Emmanuel Dwira, a student at U of M.
The University of Manitoba Faculty Association, the union representing more than 1,200 staff at the university, is asking for a pay raise of 2.75 per cent in each of the next two years.
Announced on Friday, staff will go on strike starting Nov. 2 if a deal isn't reached by next Sunday.
"Our members are committed to the future of public education in Manitoba, and we are frustrated that after five years of wage freezes and government interference that the administration can't recognize why we continue to struggle with issues of faculty retention," Orvie Dingwall, the UMFA President, said in a news release.
The faculty association has now gained the backing of the students' union after it took a vote on Thursday.
"(University of Manitoba Students’ Union) supports whatever it takes to get students back in the classroom, or I guess in this case, before Nov 2. Our official stance is, yes, supporting UMFA in these labour negotiations," said Brendan Scott, president of UMSA.
While the students' union officially supports the potential strike, some individual students are still worried about its impact on their education.
"Because of COVID-19, studies are online. So even online classes are making it a bit difficult for us to catch up and actually understand what is being taught. So a potential strike is going to worsen things," said Dwira.
"Because I'm a TA, some of my labs will be cancelled, and they do have to be made up eventually. So that might push back scheduling and it just messes up some things for me," said Rianna Espada-Belonio, a third-year nursing student.
In a previous statement, the president of the University of Manitoba said the school is going to continue to bargain in good faith and that it doesn't want a labour disruption.
-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby.