Manitoba Teachers’ Society pledges support for U of M faculty strike

MTS President James Bedford pledges support for UFMA strike action on November 3

WINNIPEG -

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society announced its support of the University of Manitoba faculty strike Wednesday on the picket line.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, MTS President James Bedford stressed the importance of fair collective bargaining, and how essential quality post-secondary institutions are to the province.

“Without strong universities for those students to attend, they’re going to be seeking post-secondary opportunities outside of the province of Manitoba,” said Bedford. “When students leave the province of Manitoba for education, they rarely return.”

Bedford said the provincial education system currently has a teacher shortage which could be compounded by the labour dispute. He said the university graduates a large number of teachers who transition into the province’s education system.

“If opportunities for our young people are to be found in better universities in other provinces, they’re also going to seek employment in other provinces and we need those young people here,” said Bedford.

The strike comes after months of negotiations between the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) and university administration.

UMFA President Orvie Dingwallsaid U of M wages are ranked 14 out of 15 in comparable universities in the country, which makes recruitment and retention of faculty members challenging.

On Tuesday, the university administration said it believes it has offered a fair deal.

"We feel we did put a fair offer on the table that provides benefit to not just current members, but also puts in a much stronger place to recruit faculty when positions open up," said Michael Benarroch, president and vice-chancellor of U of M.

-With files from CTV’s Mason Depatie