Dalhousie University reached an agreement with its part-time workers, avoiding potential job action after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3912 ratified a new three-year contract. The contract received overwhelming support from members, with 85 percent voting in favor following negotiations that concluded on October 20. Lauren McKenzie, President of CUPE 3912, emphasized that while the deal is "not perfect," it serves as a "fair" foundation for the union's members at Dalhousie.
McKenzie pointed out that the agreement was not solely focused on financial compensation. A significant aspect of the negotiations addressed the precarity of work faced by part-time workers. "As much as we look at wages, we look at trying to give our members a little more job security, a little more stability, knowing where the next paycheck is coming from, the next contract is lined up," she stated, highlighting the importance of job security in the negotiations.
Simultaneously, the situation remains complex at other institutions, notably St. Mary's University and Mount Saint Vincent University, where CUPE describes ongoing negotiations as "cold." According to McKenzie, St. Mary's has not established contact with the union, which raises concerns regarding the status of their part-time faculty. In an update from St. Mary's University on October 31, the administration acknowledged the uncertainty caused by the current labor disruption and committed to supporting students during this period.
In contrast, Mount Saint Vincent University has engaged in talks with CUPE, but McKenzie characterized these discussions as "not productive." The university purportedly provided another unsatisfactory offer, prompting CUPE to declare it meaningless for negotiations. The latest update from Mount Saint Vincent, dated November 4, indicated that the union met with a provincially appointed conciliator, where CUPE outright rejected the university's four-year agreement proposal. The offer included stipulation adjustments, an increase of stipends by $1,000, and changes to the evaluation process for part-time workers, summing up to a total monetary increase of 19.4 percent over four years.
In contrast, CUPE's position requested a total monetary increase of 45.6 percent over three years, reflecting their demand for more substantial compensation. Mount Saint Vincent defended its latest proposal as "fair and responsible," asking CUPE Local 3912 to present the offer to their membership, which the union refused to do. Despite the ongoing tensions and cooler weather ahead for the picket lines, McKenzie reported that morale remains high among union members. She stressed that the union holds the power to initiate a strike, while it was ultimately the employers' responsibility to resolve these labor disputes and facilitate a return to normalcy in the classroom setting.
