Dozens teaching assistants, research assistants and independent course appointees have walked off the job at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) after negotiations fell through.
In a news release, CUPE Local 3912 says talks with the school failed, late Tuesday.
“CUPE members need the profound insecurity they face addressed,” say Vice President Lachlan Sheldrick.
It was in February when the two sides reached an impasse after failing to agree on their first collective agreement.
The union says 113 academic workers are asking for a “fair and equitable” hiring procedure and “meaningful job security protections,” which are basic and necessary for a first contract.
According to CUPE, instructors do not have any guarantee of employment beyond a single semester.
“People are moving to Halifax from elsewhere in the country to work at NSCAD, only to find out they’re guaranteed work for just three months once they arrive,” says Lachlan Sheldrick, Unit Vice-President of CUPE 3912’s NSCAD component.
“That’s hard on our members and it’s not a reasonable expectation from the employer. As a newly organized group, we’re trying to establish clear, fair hiring rules that provide stability and recognize experience.”
They joined the union in 2023.
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