Laurentian University in Sudbury and its striking faculty union have agreed to resume contract negotiations. The two sides have agreed to return to the bargaining table for talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a university news release issued Tuesday. “These negotiations will be supported by a mediator as both parties continue to work towards a new collective agreement,” said the university. The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) strike is now in its third week. Positions explained The resumption of talks follows a period of public disagreement. University President Lynn Wells previously told CTV News the administration’s offer was shaped by fiscal responsibility. “That means that we need to have a balanced budget every year and that we need to make sure that we’re not putting Laurentian back into a position where it’s not financially sustainable for the future,” Wells said on Jan. 26. “We figured out the best possible deal that we could put on the table and we’ve done that now.” LUFA President Fabrice Colin has argued the offer fails to address financial sacrifices made by faculty during the university’s recent court-supervised restructuring. “We suffered a cut of five per cent followed by two years of freeze, followed by three years at one per cent,” Colin said. “Now our salaries are far from the sector norm and as you also are aware our pension fund was decimated.” No details on the mediated talks have been released and neither side has advised of any change in positioning. “We will provide further updates as soon as they become available,” said the university. With file from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Lyndsay Aelick
