U of M faculty on strike after failed negotiations with administration
As of Nov. 2 the halls and classrooms at the University of Manitoba are going to be a lot less busy.
On Monday, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) announced it would be going on strike after months of failed negotiations with the University of Manitoba administration.
Orvie Dingwall, president of the UMFA, said administration hasn’t come to the table with a reasonable salary offer.
“Our salaries are ranked at the bottom of comparable universities and that’s impacting our ability to recruit and retain other faculty,” Dingwall said.
Dingwall said the PC government’s wage freeze for faculty members has the UMFA trying to play catch up after five years without an increase. She added that the UMFA sent a letter to the new PC Leader Heather Stefanson asking that they allow bargaining to happen without interference.
Dingwall said the U of M had a $94 million surplus last year.
“Our salary ask is far less than $94 million, so what we’re asking for is well within the means on the university to afford,” she said.
Dingwall said not being able to recruit and retain new faculty impacts the quality of education provided to students.
Brendan Scott, president of the University of Manitoba Students Union (UMSU), said a lot of classes will be on pause during the strike.
“We are very much left in the dark on what’s being said at the table and if something will be resolved anytime soon,” he said.
Scott said the UMSU supports the UMFA in getting a fair deal, but it hopes the strike is resolved quickly.
“I think there’s also some worry that if the strike goes on long enough, are winter semesters effected? And that would affect the time that students graduate,” he said.
Michael Benarroch, president and vice Chancellor of the university, said it offered the UMFA a deal that features a two-year monetary proposal that has general salary increases, and salary structure changes that would see salaries increase by 9.5 per cent over that two-year period.
He said it can’t solve the wage issues from the last five years in one round of bargaining.
“There’s more in this contract in future years, and if we’re able to keep up on cost of living increase with other provinces, I think this salary structure will keep us competitive across Canada,” he said.
Dingwall said the education provided at U of M is world class, at least right now.
“We have students from all around the world who come and choose the University of Manitoba, and we need to keep it that way,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.