Some classes have been cancelled at the University of Ottawa as part-time professors walk on the picket lines outside the campus. The Association of Teaching Professors of the University of Ottawa (ATPUO) began strike action on Saturday after negotiations with the university remained at an impasse and a deal was not reached. Part-time faculty walked the picket lines at entrances to uOttawa on Monday morning carrying signs that said “I miss my students,” “Equal Work Equal Pay” and “I’d rather be teaching.” “This is a pivotal moment for our Association. Together, we will stand up for our working conditions, our rights, and the quality of education at uOttawa,” the union said in a statement. The union says picket lines will be set up daily at seven locations around the campus: Nicholas and Waller streets, Laurier Avenue and Cumberland Street, Laurier Avenue and King Edward Avenue, the corner of Marie-Curie Private and King Edward, on Nelson Street and at Lees Campus. The striking members say they are fighting for fair wages and job security. “There really is a second-class situation happening that I think people aren’t aware of,” Tansi Etrobeko, uOttawa professor, told CTV News Ottawa. “We have the same degrees as our colleagues. We do the same research. We are published in the same journals. So, why are we treated so differently?” Etrobeko notes contracts for part-time professors are renewed every four to eight months. Negotiations stalled after five months of contract talks. “We want the administration to get back to the table of negotiations as soon as possible,” Emilie Bernier, strike coordinator with ATPUO, said. “And we’re open for it. We’re available to get back to the negotiation table. So we want the strike to be short.” Some classes cancelled The University of Ottawa says “many courses” taught by professors at uOttawa are suspended during the strike. A list of suspended courses will be posted on the uOttawa website daily. A uOttawa spokesperson said the list of affected courses will be updated on a daily basis as “faculties deploy contingency measures.” “We understand that this disruption creates uncertainty and concern, especially for students working to complete their courses and continue their academic journeys,” uOttawa said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Monday. “The University regrets the disruption and the added stress this may cause. Our priority remains supporting students and helping them continue their studies with as little disruption as possible. The University has activated its contingency plans and is working closely with faculties and academic units to minimize disruption to teaching, learning, research and other University operations.” The university says courses not taught by striking part-time professors will continue, and there will be no changes to most co-op, internships, practicums or other experimental learning activities. All clinical placements in the BSc Nursing program will be suspended during the strike. “Our part-time professors are valued members of our community. They play an essential role in our students’ learning experience and in the life of our university. Over the past five months, we have worked hard to reach a negotiated collective agreement with their union,” the university said. “The University is disappointed the parties were unable to reach a negotiated agreement before this point. We remain committed to bargaining in good faith to achieve a fair agreement and bring this disruption to an end as quickly as possible.” The Association of Teaching Professors of the University of Ottawa (ATPUO) represents more than 2,800 teaching professors at the University of Ottawa. The union says its members teach “more than half of all undergraduate courses at the university, including many large first- and second-year lecture courses.” The union said it is seeking proposals aimed at improving job security and protections for its members. In the fall of 2025, uOttawa employed 1,143 part-time professors, including part-time language teachers. With files from CTV News Ottawa’s William Eltherington and Dylan Dyson
