Job security, wage hikes outstanding issues: URFA
Members of the University of Regina academic staff bargaining unit — representing faculty, instructors, laboratory instructors, librarians and sessionals — sent management a strong message after 87.4 per cent of ballots were cast in favour of a strike mandate on Nov. 7.
“Overwhelmingly, our members have signalled that they do not accept the unworkable proposals that have been put forward by university management,” said Sylvain Rheault, University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA) president.
Outstanding issues include job security for sessionals, protecting the academic mission of the university, maintaining the collegiality of performance review and tenure decisions and compensation that keeps pace with the rate of inflation, said the union.
The collective agreement covering academic staff members expired in June 2017, and negotiations have been ongoing since April 2018, according to URFA.
Several bargaining dates are scheduled, and students can expect to finish the fall semester without interruption, said Rheault.
URFA is the certified bargaining agent for 1,400 full and part-time employees in six bargaining units at the University of Regina, First Nations University of Canada, Campion College and Luther College.
