Sudbury, Ontario (Rajeev Sharma): Faculty members, academic librarians and counsellors represented by the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) have gone on strike after mediated contract negotiations with the university reached an impasse.
The strike came into effect at 12:01 am on Monday, following the breakdown of talks on Sunday afternoon, the union said.
In a media release, LUFA president Fabrice Colin said faculty members had already made significant sacrifices to help the university survive its financial crisis and insolvency proceedings.
“We made enormous sacrifices to keep Laurentian alive,” Colin said. “Throughout the insolvency process, we did our part to save this institution. Our members endured job losses, the dismantling of our pension plan, wage rollbacks and dramatically increased workloads. We did everything asked of us to help stabilize this university.”
He added that now that Laurentian University has regained financial stability, the Board of Governors must take responsibility and address the concerns of faculty and staff.
Meanwhile, the university, in an official statement, expressed disappointment over the strike action, saying it was not the outcome it had hoped for and acknowledging that the situation would trigger strong emotions across the campus community.
Laurentian University confirmed that the campus will remain open, but all classes have been temporarily suspended due to the strike.
The administration stated that it had presented an offer it believes is “fair, reasonable and sustainable,” while also recognising the important role played by LUFA members in academic and non-academic functions.
“We acknowledge the critical role that LUFA members play both inside and outside the classroom,” the university said. “We recognize that the university community has been through a tremendously difficult few years.”
The statement further added that the administration remains committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that balances faculty interests with the university’s long-term financial sustainability.
The strike has raised concerns among students and staff, with uncertainty surrounding the resumption of classes as negotiations remain stalled.
