Faculty lockout begins at Dalhousie after university, union fail to reach agreement

Dalhousie University in Halifax has locked out more than 1,000 faculty members

Dalhousie University in Halifax has locked out its more than 1,000 faculty members.

The lockout began at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for members of the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA), which represents full-time faculty, instructors, librarians and counselors.

DFA and Dalhousie’s board of governors began negotiations for a new contract in May. The previous three-year collective agreement expired at the end of June.

Conciliation talks ended in mid-July without a collective agreement.

Last week, Dalhousie president Kim Brooks issued the university’s final offer to the union, proposing a wage increase of two per cent per year for three years.

David Westwood, president of the association, previously told CTV News Atlantic the union is looking for a seven per cent wage increase in the first year, followed by four per cent increases in the second and third years.

The university, which reported a $20.6-million deficit in its 2025-2026 operating budget, previously said it had “significant financial challenges” in meeting the association’s wage increase request.

“The uncertainty created by the DFA leadership’s timeline and process for responding to the offer puts the University in an impossible situation. Dalhousie does not have the financial capacity to meet the DFA bargaining team’s salary demands,” Brooks said in a letter to faculty and staff earlier this week.

While campus remains open during the lockout, classes taught by DFA faculty are suspended.

The Dalhousie Student Union shared the concerns of student impact from the lockout.

“The Dalhousie Student Union is deeply concerned about the impacts of a lockout on students. As students, we deserve stability, access to a quality education and confidence that our investment in our academics is being respected,” a statement from the union reads.

If the lockout extends into the fall term, students will receive further instruction about possible course suspensions.

Students are still being told they should plan to arrive to campus as normal for the fall term.

“This decision has not been made lightly. The University understands this unresolved situation creates significant uncertainty for our students, faculty, and staff as we approach the fall term. With that timeline in mind, these steps are being taken to protect the integrity of our academic operations and minimize the potential disruption to our community,” the university said in a statement to CTV Atlantic.

The University of King’s College says if the disruption is still unresolved on Sept. 2, classes at King’s open to both King’s and Dalhousie students will be suspended.

All other employees outside of the DFA are being told to report to work as usual.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sean Mott.

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