Memorial University Faculty Association (MUNFA) members voted 90% in favour of authorizing strike action on Wednesday.
In a press release, MUNFA says, “Academic staff members at Memorial University have voted overwhelmingly in favour of authorizing their executive to call a strike.”
90% of votes are in favour of a strike, with voter turnout representing 93% of MUNFA members.
“MUNFA members are fighting for changes that will protect students’ quality of education and improve the university as a whole,” said Ash Hossain, a professor in the Faculty of Business Administration and the president of MUNFA.
With this decisive mandate from members, the Executive Committee of MUNFA can authorize a strike at any time.
In consultation with MUNFA’s Negotiating Committee, the executive has set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 30.
In the meantime, MUNFA is scheduled to return to the negotiating table with the MUN administration’s bargaining team on Monday, Jan. 23.
“We started bargaining in January 2022, and the administration has been unprepared at every turn to make a fair deal. They have refused to discuss crucial proposals for months on end, come unprepared to bargaining sessions, and failed to make compromises that would allow us to reach a satisfactory agreement,” said Hossain.
“MUNFA has been prepared, has presented thorough proposals developed through a lengthy process of member consultation, and has proposed compromises that should have been agreeable to the administration while remaining fair for our members. It is time for the administration to get serious about improving this university and treating MUNFA members fairly,” he said.
MUNFA represents more than 800 academic staff members across Memorial University, including faculty (both tenured and contract), librarians, counsellors, and cooperative and field education coordinators.