Dalhousie University’s part-time faculty could go on strike Tuesday if deal isn’t made

Dalhousie University says its part-time faculty and teaching assistants could go on strike as early as Tuesday if a new collective agreement is not reached.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3912 says its members voted more than 87 per cent in favour of a strike action in August. They will have a conciliation meeting with Dalhousie on Monday following their previous round of negotiations on Oct. 2.

“We remain hopeful an agreement can be reached on Monday,” said Wanda M. Costen, provost and vice-president academic for Dalhousie, in a news release. “We recognize the vital role CUPE members play in the academic life of Dalhousie.

“The negotiating team representing the Board is working hard to achieve a fair deal at the bargaining table that increases our support for CUPE members in alignment with both our financial realities and our agreements with other employee groups.”

CUPE’s members have been without a collective agreement since August 2024. They are seeking a wage increase that reflects the cost of living in Halifax, job security and access to health benefits.

Dalhousie says if a strike does happen, only courses directly taught by CUPE members will be suspended. Most classes would continue uninterrupted.

“There may be impacts on course delivery, assessments, and/or labs and tutorials in courses supported by CUPE Tas (teaching assistants), Markers or Demonstrators, but these courses will continue,” Costen said. “If a strike occurs, students can expect to receive more information from their Faculty, program or instructors on how individual courses and programs would be affected.”

In September, the university ratified a new agreement with the Dalhousie Faculty Association, ending a month-long strike. The deal for the union’s nearly 1,000 members includes a 10 per cent wage increase over three years.

CUPE 3912 is also representing part-time faculty at Saint Mary’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University, which will both have negotiations for new collective agreements later this week. Those groups could also go on strike if deals aren’t reached.

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