The Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) has rejected an offer from Dalhousie University for interest arbitration to end their labour dispute as frustrations mount among students.
In a news release Thursday afternoon, DFA says the executive committee voted to reject the Board of Governor’s offer and filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Board of Labour.
DFA says the offer was not at the bargaining table, but rather to the union’s lead negotiator.
“If the Board had engaged in meaningful and substantive bargaining since we first sat down late May, it is possible that we could have already ratified a new collective agreement with no disruption to the fall semester,” says President Dave Westwood. “Instead, here we are, on the picket lines and classes were supposed to start on Tuesday.”
In a message to faculty and staff Wednesday, the university says the offer was extended to DFA earlier that day, to have a third party decide on a new collective agreement.
DFA says arbitration would focus on wage increases only, omitting other key issues such as benefits.
“All along we have been asking the Board to come back to the table and they have refused,” says Westwood. “They created this mess by refusing to bargain, refusing to come back to the table and refusing to listen when we warned them repeatedly of the dangerous game that they were playing by threatening, and then ultimately following through with, a lockout in August.”
Student frustrations
Meron Mealey, President of the Dalhousie Student Union tells our newsroom they are also hearing some confusion.
“Students feeling frustrated because they’re not able to make the plans that they’d like to make without a great deal of uncertainty. People are wondering whether they should buy tickets to travel here or not travel or work longer, stay at home longer, or come back to campus,” says Mealey.
She says she tells students it is still in their best interest to come while acknowledging individual circumstances in regard to flexibility.
“We’re still having our regular programming happening here to support students as they move on to campus. If a negotiation does start back up and a deal gets reached, classes could start back on in a couple of days,” adds Mealey.
Mealey says, it would not be ideal to have students scrambling to book last minute flights.
Urging negotiations
The student union has been in regular communication with the faculty association and Dalhousie, stressing, a deal that supports people is what is in the best interest of students.
“I guess from our end, we are disappointed that to date there hasn’t been a deal reached because every day that this gets prolonged is another day of severe impacts on students,” adds Mealey.
She says they are really hoping that both parties can come back to the table and come to a negotiated deal that serves all of the Dal community.
DFA has been locked out since August 20, a defensive strike took effect August 22, with another rally planned for August 29.
Classes are scheduled to start September 2.
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