UMFA ends 35-day strike; classes to resume at U of M
The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has ended its 35-day strike after ratifying the tentative agreement.
In a news release issued on Tuesday morning, the union said students and faculty will be heading back to class this morning.
According to UMFA, the new agreement improves maternity and parental leave benefits, and establishes a family resource position. Compensation will be determined through binding arbitration, which will ignore government mandates.
Orvie Dingwall, UMFA president, said in a news release that the union members were on strike in order to improve working and learning conditions.
“This agreement will improve equity for the lowest paid and most precarious UMFA members, while also ensuring that we can recruit and retain professors, instructors, and librarians at the University of Manitoba,” she said.
UMFA noted that 969 of its 1,264 members voted in the ratification vote, with 881 voting in favour and 88 opposed.
In a statement, Michael Benarroch, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manitoba (U of M), said the work of the school’s faculty members is important, as it improves health outcomes for people around the world; drives Manitoba’s economic, social and cultural success; and supports the education of U of M students.
He noted the strike was a challenging time for the community.
“I regret the impact of the labour disruption on our students and recognize there is a great deal of work ahead in setting the academic year back on course,” Benarroch said.
“We now have an opportunity to learn from this experience and recommit to the exceptional work and learning environment to which we all aspire.”
Benarroch said the path forward won’t be easy.
“As we move forward, we must commit to communicate openly, listen to one other, and engage in respectful dialogue to better address the challenges before us,” he said.
“I think it is important to reflect on our negotiation process and ensure that our approach to bargaining is meeting our shared needs.”
He said the university is focused on welcoming everyone back and making sure the community is supported through the transition.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.