Every February, Black History Month is celebrated globally as a reminder of the resilience of black communities, including diaspora communities around the world as they struggle against an unequal society every day. College campuses should be a center for celebrations of Black History Month as they are essential to ensuring that all students feel a sense of belonging on campus. Regrettably, Black Students of the College of the North Atlantic- Grand Falls Windsor (GFW) campus felt an absence of belonging as they had to raise their voices on the lack of support they received from the administration regarding Black History Month Celebrations.
International Students’ Representative for CNA-GFW Campus and incoming International Students Representative Johnny Alubu Selemani said, “Black Students at the College of the North Atlantic feel unsupported and disregarded by the lack of action on Black History Month, and it is a missed opportunity for important conversations on Anti-Black sentiments in our communities,” Selemani further remarked, “Celebrating Black History Month is vital to help Black Students feel included and appreciated in all aspects of the college. The lack of coordination and participation in Black History Month celebrations is creating a silo effect for Black Students that makes them feel isolated.”
The Canadian Federation of Students shared the same sentiment- Newfoundland and Labrador’s chairperson, Mary Feltham, stated “It is vital that CNA administration listens to students when expressing our needs,” Feltham also emphasized the need for listening to marginalized communities on campus and demanded for “action to occur to rectify the discrimination occurring on campuses by administration continuing to put student needs at the wayside.”
CFS-NL released a statement in support of the students of the CNA-GFW campus on March 9th as well, calling out the lack of support from the side of the college administration. Events have already been organized in Stephenville and Grand Falls Windsor campus following the statement and the students will continue to advocate for administrative action to celebrate and honour Black History Month across all CNA campuses.
Voting is now open for the 2024 MUNSU elections and will close on March 12th at 9 pm. Undergraduate students can submit their votes through MUN self-service online.
To vote:
Log into MUN Self-Services
Access Student Main Menu
Select MUNSU Webvote
Vote for the wards for which you qualify.
Executive candidates
Each of the following positions require the majority of active voters, per faculty, ward, or union, to select them over other candidates.
Executive Director of External Affairs, Communication, and Research
The Executive Director of External Affairs, Communications, and Research is the official spokesperson of the Union, working with on and off campus groups on student issues. They oversee our media presence and coordinate research projects and workshops related to student issues, and oversee the internal documentation of union operations. They work closely with the Canadian Federation of Students both provincially and nationally, and work along CUPE 4554 to provide services to the MUNL St. John’s Campus.
Unlike other candidates, something I want to emphasize is this campaign is based purely on substance. That is, I am interested in purely advocating for the issues that MATTER.
40% of MUNL students are food insecure, this is a CRISIS that must be addressed.
The tuition hike isn’t just an unfortunate reality, it is a ROBBERY as we pay more tuition for LESS service.
We were promised infrastructure updates YEARS AGO, we must fight to make this a reality.
These are issues I am passionate about and will bring to the FOREFRONT. Cheers! Instagram: nathan4external
Alexandria Ada Goldface
Image credit: Alexandria Ada Goldface (via MUNSU website)
Hi, I’m Alexandria. I’m a highly intuitive and compassionate person. I have a lot of interests but I love poems, spoken words and art. I believe that we all have a unique gift that we come with when we are born, mine just happens to be writing and poetry. I’m committed to serving you to the best of my ability. If I’m elected.
Nicolas Keough
Image credit: Nicolas Keough (via MUNSU website)
My name is Nicolas (he/him) and I’m a fifth-year engineering student.
You should vote me for Director of External Affairs because of my experience, as well as what I want to achieve for the student movement:
an end to international student differential fees
a reversal of the massively irresponsible 2022 tuition fee hike
a gradual reduction in tuition to achieve fully-funded post-secondary education.
I am also the Campaigns Coordinator for CFS-NL, and have experience in public speaking, media appearances, and lobbying government officials.
Please consider voting for me and follow me on Instagram @nicolaskeough!
Executive Director Advocacy
Advocacy entails supporting students in dealing with MUNL administration and faculty. They assist students in making appeals, coordinate MUNSU’s Senate and Committee presence within administration, and help students get the legal support they need to thrive and to feel safe.
Devon Budden
Image credit: Devon Budden (via MUNSU website)
Last MUNSU election cycle, only 5% of undergraduate students voted. This means many students don’t know about MUNSU, and many who do know, don’t feel strongly about its leadership. To ALL students, I hear you, and I’m here for you.
Our students struggle with transportation, food, accessibility and discrimination issues, both within and outside the University. MUNSU should be the first line of defence against these issues, and I will make sure that each student knows, uses, and trusts their student governance to help.
If you feel the University has left you behind, I’m here to pick you back up. Vote Devon Budden for Director of Advocacy.
Hi! I’m Manaar and I’m studying Communications and Sociology. I’m also a journalist (The Muse, CBC) and activist, notably via ESVNL, Migrant Action Centre, YWCA, and MUN SAGA. Primarily focused on an empathetic approach, I am dedicated to helping people.
My experiences as an international student and volunteer have made me an advocate for all students, especially for affordable education. As Director of Advocacy, I intend to support and defend any student facing academic struggles, food insecurity, unsafe housing, healthcare inaccessibility, amongst other issues on or off-campus.
When I first came to MUN, I was overwhelmed. As a neurodivergent, disabled international student and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I needed to learn to fight for myself. I have continued that fight in the student movement and beyond, advocating for vulnerable students and those facing accessibility concerns and mental health issues. No matter who you are or what your struggle is, you have rights on campus and those rights must be protected. As Executive Director of Advocacy, I will use MUNSU’s resources to ensure that all students access the representation, safety, and accommodation that they are entitled to.
Executive Director Student Life
Student Life oversees the operations of our clubs, societies and Resource Centers, in addition to our on Campus Bar in the Breezeway.
They engage the student body on the day to day level, overseeing group funding allocation as well as our yearly student orientations and Winter Carnival.
Russell Waye
Image credit: Russell Waye (via MUNSU website)
I aim to be elected for Student Life because I care very deeply for the communities at our university. I want to spend my time assisting the clubs, societies, resource centers, and other student groups around campus so they can be the best they possibly can. With my years of experience of organizing events on campus I have strong personal knowledge about the systems and individuals that student groups on campus must interact with. This enables me to provide informed guidance to students looking to organize events and manage groups.
I am a business student here at MUN and I am running for MUNSU’s Executive Director of Student Life. I am passionate about creating fun and inviting events for all and I am excited to bring this passion to munsu. If elected my goals include: increasing social media outreach, creating events such as beer pong league and drag nights, and working with clubs and societies to help with outreach.
Executive Director Campaigns
Campaigns oversees the mobilization of the student body; boots on the ground organization during parades, rallies, and outreach events. They work closely with the Provincial and Federal organizing bodies of the Canadian Federation of Students, and also oversee Welcome Weeks, Pride on Campus, and Student Welfare.
Alida Zedel
Image credit: Alida Zedel (via MUNSU website)
I’m Alida Zedel (they/them), a second-year sociology student with a strong passion for social justice and activism. I have a natural talent for connecting with people and making them feel welcome. My activism spans several movements, including the climate and student movements, no space for hate, and Palestinian solidarity. I am a leader within the Fridays for Future St. John’s. I’m dedicated to working towards affordable tuition for all, a more climate-friendly future, and a campus where everyone feels safe and included regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity.
I will use my knowledge and experience to work hard for all the students.
Colby Squire
Image credit: Colby Squire (via MUNSU website)
Hi everyone! My name is Colby Squire I use the he/him pronouns. I’m running for executive director of campaigns this election. I’m asking for your support because I don’t want you to go along with my campaign, I want to help you elevate and raise the voices of your campaign. I have many years of experience of volunteering and working alongside the student movement and especially advocating for lower tuition costs and helping students with disabilities getting the accommodations and support they need to thrive! Any questions, please email me at cdfsquire@mun.ca
If you’d like to learn more about MUNSU’s Executive candidates, drop by the Breezeway today, March 11th, at noon to hear directly from candidates and help you decide who you’d like to lead your student union for the 2024-25 term.
Make sure to submit your vote before March 12th at 9 pm!
This Sunday night, MUN released a NEWSLINE email directing users to a post on the Labour Relations Information Hub at 11:33 p.m. announcing that it had reached a tentative agreement with LUMUN. More information will follow as the agreement ratification proceeds. All classes will resume as scheduled, while LUMUN members can expect some imminent gains from the development. The event will come to the relief of many students who eagerly awaited the outcome this weekend.
Labour relations update: Tentative agreement reached, March 10, 2024
Mar 10th, 2024
To members of the Memorial University community,
The negotiating teams for Memorial University and the Lecturers’ Union of Memorial University of Newfoundland (LUMUN) have reached a tentative agreement on March 10, 2024. The tentative contract includes improvements to compensation and working conditions for our valued per course instructors.
Next steps include ratification by the Board of Regents as well as by LUMUN’s members. The university will not share further details of the tentative agreement while the ratification process is ongoing. The university extends appreciation to the negotiating teams for both Memorial and LUMUN for their work in reaching this agreement. All classes and scheduled activities will proceed as scheduled tomorrow, Monday, March 11.
Jennifer Lokash, provost and vice-president (academic) pro tempore
Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore
Following the previous article that our paper published regarding the Lecturers’ Union of Memorial University (LUMUN) and the recent dispute over salary figures and sources for university rankings- MUN has responded with the aim of clarifying the source of the information. We have opted to share their statement directly so as not to misrepresent their views:
Here is what the university has shared with media that asked about LUMUN’s issues with Memorial’s data
The data used by Memorial for pay comparisons is sourced from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO). CAUBO compiles detailed information on wages of per course instructors in Canadian universities.
Memorial used base rates for comparison, as this is the most accurate means to compare collective agreements with a variety of renumeration [sic] models.
Additionally, CAUBO’s data does not include compensation rates in agreements that have not yet been ratified. It would be inappropriate to consider these agreements in advance of ratification as there is potential that it may not be accepted by their membership.
The current offer to LUMUN is a 25-46% increase in pay, depending where an instructor currently sits on their payscale. This would bring the rate of pay from $5,000 or $5,875 per course up to $7,312 per course.
The university recognizes their compensation needs to increase and is committed to significantly increasing their rate of pay within the scope of what is fiscally responsible.
Whenever we talk about the vast indigenous history of this land, talks of oppression, exploitation and cultural marginalization end up taking center stage overshadowing so many diverse aspects of the indigenous communities within Canada.
Stephanie Joline, when directing and co-producing her freshly released CBC documentary series ‘Women of This Land,’ took a different approach to telling indigenous stories to showcase the incredibly diverse cultural practices and history of indigenous women in Atlantic Canada, through the lens of four indigenous women embedded in the Atlantic Canadian provinces.
The 4 part series was released on March 8th in celebration of International Women’s Day and is now airing on CBC Gem online for free access for registered users as part of Season 24 of CBC’s ‘Absolutely Canadian’ series. Stephanie was happy to share her words with The Muse on the series and I was lucky to be able to interview this amazing director.
Inspiration from identity
I asked Joline about her inspiration behind this series. She was candid, “I love collaborating with women, I’m very much a feminist and I love working with other women and lifting each other up, and I love working with indigenous people so, doing a docuseries about inspiring indigenous women in Atlantic Canada just seemed like a dream job.”
Being born and raised in Nova Scotia with her mother being an indigenous woman from Labrador, Stephanie brings that spirit of belonging to her work.
Telling a different perspective on the indigenous story
When asked about media representation in Canada of indigenous people, Joline replied “In general growing up in Canada, I rarely saw indigenous representation on TV. The only things I’d generally see are, stereotypes, of the old wise native man in the films of the missing and murdered indigenous women’s stories, or fisheries dispute – that was it.”
“I didn’t see all the joy and fun and you know, different aspects of the culture and this docuseries, I think, would be a refreshing change of scene from that,” she added.
Joline was optimistic about structural changes in Canadian society and media going towards diversity, saying “I think for representation in Canada in general, things are getting better. I always tend to look at government funding and where they’re going and, I noticed that within the last 15 or 20 years the funding especially in the arts and culture sector is going more towards diversity. It’s almost a ‘trend’ where they want more diversity now and I hope it continues to be that way. I hope it’s more than a passing fad.”
Credit: Media assets provided by the publisher
Highlighting new voices
I asked Joline about the difficulties of making it in the media industry as an indigenous woman. Looking back at her own experience, she mentioned, “Through my career, I would get very annoyed coming from a low-income background, seeing that when diversity started becoming trendy, people started posting stuff like come be a shadow director or something and, it’d always be unpaid. So, if I’m already privileged enough to not have to work for a living, I can come into your set and work for free. They would always make it sound like oh aren’t we doing a great thing and I used to be like on principle, I’m not applying to any of these…… On this series when I started pitching it I made it clear that we are going to bring an aspiring indigenous filmmaker on every shoot and we’re going to pay them.”
She was optimistic about the changes in the landscape as well, adding, “There’s more space for diverse voices now than there were before so, it’s getting better, always. There are gatekeepers and maybe you could argue that there always needs to be some gatekeepers, but when the gatekeepers do care about bringing fresh new voices you’re like phew.”
Lessons learned
Joline emphasized the role of humility in having a better glance at indigenous communities and their diverse cultures. “We have such a history where our stories, women’s stories, are written by men, the same with people of colour, their stories being shaped by white people or indigenous stories being written by non-indigenous people. There’s always been this outside point of view on other people’s cultures, and so now being able to get into the culture and telling an inside view from authentic voices feels good. I have humility about it, though; even though I’m from an Inuit background, I cannot walk into any indigenous community and pretend I know everything. I have to approach it in a humble way and learn more about their culture from them.”
She also added, “It was just amazing, to see these women being so passionate about their communities. The remarkable moments, there were many, you know, being surrounded by these amazing women.”
We acknowledge that the lands on which Memorial University’s campuses are situated are in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, and we acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit of this province.
Editing Note: A previous version of this article erroneously stated that the previous Communications Manager, Dave Sorensen, took a “sabbatical” and departed from the university. MUN’s Manager of Media Relations has reached out to the Muse, emphasizing that the Communications Manager had no role in strike negotiations and that the sabbatical was actually a “planned vacation” followed by a planned retirement. The previous version of this article also accidentally implied that LUMUN members would be “locked out of their offices.” MUN has explained that this is not currently being considered, nor has it been discussed.
In a recent communique to the media, LUMUN President Allison Coffin claimed that the University administration was incorrectly representing the offer which they presented to the union and the public.
“Memorial University has been making factually inaccurate claims to the media about the offer they presented to us in negotiations. Normally such details are not discussed in the media during ongoing negotiations, but given that incorrect information is being presented by the Employer we are now required to clarify the facts for journalists covering this issue.”
Allison Coffin, President of the Lecturers Union of Memorial University
LUMUN’s primary contentions with MUN’s recent statements target the following assertions by MUN:
MUN’s offer would approach the average rate for Atlantic Canada
MUN’s offer to LUMUN would boost lecturers to the fifth highest salaries for Atlantic Canadian universities.
This is disputed by LUMUN, according to a table provided, which shows the actual rankings never reaching fifth place nor achieving the Atlantic Canadian average. Furthermore, according to LUMUN, the calculations appear to be directly recycled from talks with MUNFA. LUMUN also states that they are unable to determine what numbers the university was sourcing to present their information.
“Figure 1: The Offer from Memorial University”
The table above was provided to the Muse in the recent media release from LUMUN. According to the union, it displays inaccuracies on behalf of MUN’s communications to the public and media. Elaborating on the situation, the LUMUN President stated the following:
“We don’t know what numbers they used, nor how any averages were determined (all steps? Floor? Ceiling? Multi years? One year?). Rankings are here discussed in terms of top of scale since this is the maximum pay a Lecturer could theoretically achieve at an institution, and proposals made would get rid of steps. What this does mean, however, is that whatever calculations were used to devise Memorial’s claimed ‘average’ wage are at least a year out of date.
However, even taking into account up to date data on university pay levels (our data is current as of this January) the Employer’s offer does not achieve 5th place out of 12th in any time frame. Also again the amount offered to MUN never reaches the average of Atlantic Canadian universities.”
Allison Coffin, LUMUN President
LUMUN went on to criticize MUN further, stating that “the claims Memorial University are making have no real impact in analyzing the fairness of an offer.” Specifically, MUN was critized for their perceived failure to observe that “wages are not static” and change with increases- thus altering the rankings each year.
“This renders discussion of rankings all but useless. When MUN says we will be 5th, they are making an absolute statement about a dynamic system. We can talk of rankings in a given year, but not overall.”
Allison Coffin, LUMUN President
Thematic in the media advisory was a critique of the lack of fairness received from MUN towards the union.
“[Memorial’s] argument about comparisons to other universities also misses the core point of LUMUN’s calls for fairness, since LUMUN has argued that Lecturer wages should be comparable to pay normally given for a course at Memorial University.
The offer fails completely to account for the increased costs to Lecturers living in NL for example, a major factor that hurts the competitiveness of wages for Lecturers at Memorial.”
Allison Coffin, LUMUN President
LUMUN concluded the letter by calling on MUN to “provide factual proof of further claims.”
“LUMUN sincerely hopes that this is not the totally-lacking-standard of research rigour that the University holds itself too when deciding how to allocate money internally.”
Allison Coffin, LUMUN President
Attached to the release were a series of “quick facts” which can be summarized as follows:
The Auditor General reported that MUN was catering employees and guests with an “Employee Service Award Dinner,” which cost $6,936 and provided food and alcohol to its attendees. PCI salaries stand at $5,000-5,875. In November, during an interview with VOCM, Coffin stated that LUMUN was “gobsmacked” regarding the administration’s spending habits. Specifically, she stated that the dinner itself was the same cost to cover a LUMUN member “to teach 104 students an economics course” without enough funding leftover “to get everyone a 2-piece fish and chips.”
MUN may not lead the country in lecturers pay- but it does rank the highest administrative salaries per student, at a rate of $2,369 per student.
A few reflections on the absolute state of things…
Contemplating the dispute between the university and LUMUN is liable to give one whiplash. Once again, the student body finds itself observing strange habits on behalf of faceless bureaucrats they have never met.
Simultaneously we can view the strange recurrence of MUN allegedly failing to employ academic standards during their negotiations. This, of course, is a reference to the episode last year when our paper reached out to MUN regarding what clearly appeared to be plagiarism in their tips on how students should cross the picket line. After responding to our inquiry, the previous Communications Manager blamed the cut-and-pasting on a clerical error, proceeded with a “planned vacation” for the remainder of the strike, and then retired from the university amid a complete implosion of Timmons’ presidency.
However, this was not the only instance during the 2023 negotiations, which prompted frustration over salary figures which did not have a clear origin. We also reported on figures that the university “modified” in their presentation, which misrepresented payroll data during the labour dispute.
Even more broadly, we see the frustrations of academics, which continually present itself in many facets outside of our campus and country. Climate change is the example that comes to mind most prominently- but you might also think of the growing gap between the rich and poor, human rights violations, the lack of new housing projects in our province, the crime rates, or even electoral results South of the border. The role of a strike, working-class protestors, or mass mobilization in the face of empirical disagreements over math seems surreal- but it happens every day. Our campus is a microcosm of the greater trend society faces: a leadership deficit. In the background of this is a student union election, which makes one wonder about the future of our university.
A brief note on the question of “misinformation” vs “disinformation”
Over the next few days (or weeks, if there is a strike) you’ll likely hear an array of disagreements varying about different interpretations and facts. It may stress you as you engage in your midsemester studies and approach final exams. However, any of us who went through the MUNFA strike (or even the 2019 Winter Semester) can attest that it will not go on forever. In one sense, the strike can only conclude with a mutual agreement on information regarding money and labour. Good faith arguments are the backbone of fair negotiations, which LUMUN is likely referring to.
It necessitates differentiation that, according to the APA’s definition, “misinformation is false or inaccurate information- getting the facts wrong.” Distinctly, “disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead- intentionally misstating the facts.” It is now up to the University administration to respond to LUMUN’s call for “factual proof” of their claims and prove their intent, clarify their statements, or apologize for inaccuracy.
“The spread of misinformation and disinformation has affected our ability to improve public health, address climate change, maintain a stable democracy, and more.”
Memorial University sent out a Newsline item earlier today, March 8th, updating the university community on their ongoing collective bargaining process with the Lecturers’ Union of Memorial University (LUMUN).
In the release, the university emphasizes that “[They] are doing everything possible to reach a mutually beneficial agreement and will be meeting throughout the weekend.”
As LUMUN has given the university a strike deadline of Sunday, March 10th, at 11:59 pm, if they do not reach a mutual agreement by then, the union may choose to strike effective Monday, March 11th, at 12 am. In the event of a strike, courses taught by per-course instructors will be paused.
Memorial shared the following information with the university community, including the link to a course identification tool for students to identify which of their courses may be paused,
All campuses will remain open, including student residences, libraries, student services and food service operations.
Classes taught by LUMUN members will be paused; classes taught by non-LUMUN members are expected to continue. An online course identification tool is available now for planning purposes.
All non-LUMUN employees will be expected to continue work as per their current arrangement.
LUMUN members may set up picket lines at some campus entrance/exits. Please show patience and courtesy as this may lead to some delays when leaving or entering campus.
It is a difficult time to be an RN, nursing student, or recent graduate within the province.
On Tuesday, February 27th, the Registered Nurses’ Union (RNU) of Newfoundland and Labrador gathered at the Confederation Building for the “Profit Doesn’t Care!” rally, calling for an end to the privatization of healthcare within the province.
This transpired following a Globe & Mail release stating that Newfoundland spent nearly $36 million on travel nurses from April to August 2023. This is an over $1 million annual increase since pre-pandemic.
The RNU had two main protest demands:
Government accountability
An Auditor General investigation into the spending
This news has been met with animosity from individuals all over the province, nurses and non-nurses alike, demanding answers for the exorbitant spending. A February 20th VOCM poll concluded with a resounding 86% vote towards the Auditor General being called in for investigation.
On February 17th, the RNU issued a letter to Premier Furey and Minister Osborne, urging them to take action regarding the province-wide nursing crisis. The letter states:
“To fix the health care crisis, we need to fix the nursing shortage. Without enough registered nurses we can’t address the critical issues jeopardizing patient care in our province – we need more RNs to open long-term care beds, address the backlog of surgeries and procedures and improve wait times in our emergency rooms.”
“Solving the nursing shortage starts with retention. It’s critical that we not only recruit but retain the incredible, hard-working RNs who are currently providing health care in our province.”
RNs need a reason to stay within the province, and this is not being given to them.
A third-year nursing student at MUN, who requested to remain anonymous, says, “Less than 20% of [2023] nursing graduates in the province have a permanent full-time position, and yet there is still a demand for nurses and a shortage in staff.”
She stated that nursing students are often overlooked within the province, emphasizing their excessive amount of unpaid work hours.
“Since beginning my degree, I have recorded over 1400 hours of unpaid clinical work,” she says. “This is a demonstration of the underappreciation of student nurses by the government.”
She also described a class visit from two government officials last fall semester.
“They visited to show their appreciation for nursing students at MUN,” she explains. “They mentioned how the government of Newfoundland and Labrador is here for us in support of nurses and students. They also said that the government will prioritize their graduates and local students.”
She, and her classmates, took this as a plea to stay and work within the province. However, she feels that the values expressed in this meeting versus the government’s recent actions do not align.
She says, “It is disheartening when government representatives come to our class, tell us that they appreciate us and our work, and just months later, there are only a few graduates who have stable job positions, or job security, and the rest of the graduates who do decide to stay within the province will be looking for another position 3-5 months after starting their job. Working for a government that will say one thing, and whose actions demonstrate another, especially surrounding job security and a career, is not something that I am comfortable with if my value as a future RN is not being appreciated.”
When she began her nursing degree, she was constantly told that she would have no trouble finding a job, which initially felt true. She no longer feels this way.
She says, “Seeing the recent graduate employment numbers as someone who will start the application process later this year is not promising. Lately, I have been considering out-of-province positions for more stability. I used to think that I would be able to find a job and live comfortably as a new graduate here in the province, but with only 3 months of guaranteed full-time employment and the chance of having to reapply and reorient only months later is not comfortable for me and could cause an increased level of stress.”
Furey’s visit
Last year, Premier Furey spoke with The Muse about his visit to MUN in 2022, which he described as positive.
It was great to deliver job offers to each member of the graduating class of @MUN_Nursing this morning!
Minister Osborne and I were happy to discuss the rewarding careers they can have in our province, and our ongoing work to improve our province's health care system. pic.twitter.com/WKjIeJ8r0S
He spoke of the “letters of intent to job offers” that he issued to each member of the 2022 MUN nursing graduate class. Details regarding these job offers were notoriously vague, and he did not specify whether these were permanent, temporary, full-time, or casual positions, all of which are vastly different.
Regarding his discussions with MUN nursing students, he said:
“There was some good feedback about what their needs were, coming out of nursing school, what their desires were, and I think we took that back as feedback, and we’ll act on it.”
“Most encouraging for me was within the classes, there was a real spirit and desire of wanting to stay in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
If these comments were taken as feedback, they were not acted upon. Further, the ‘spirit and desire’ to stay in NL may remain just that: a desire, not a feasible reality.
If the government does not improve the treatment of our hard-working RNs, and hopeful future RNs, as the RNU claimed in their letter, the healthcare crisis will never cease, and the quality of our province’s healthcare will remain on a steady decline. We need to demand better for our local nurses, students, and graduates.
Attendees rally outside of the Arts and Administration Building, March 6th, 2024.
This past Wednesday at noon, the Lecturers’ Union of Memorial University (LUMUN) rallied outside the Arts and Administration building. Tensions are running high as the anniversary of the 2023 MUNFA strike echoes throughout campus. With the vocal frustrations of LUMUN organizers, the precise certainty of a strike is unknown. However, little seems to be improving, which could work to prevent such an outcome, as negotiations stall and a strike deadline approaches at midnight on Sunday, March 10th. It could now be decided by the level of dread the school’s negotiators recall brought by those difficult weeks from the year now past.
Chants barraged the upper offices of a building picketed by labour activists and trade unions in a similar fashion just a year prior. Variations of the following chants were amplified at the front steps amid an enthusiastic crowd:
“LET’S GO LOKASH, LET’S GO NEIL- GIVE OUR TEACHERS A FAIR DEAL!”
“HEY-HEY, HO-HO- ADMIN BLOAT HAS GOT TO GO!”
“THE PEOPLE UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!”
“SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE! THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!”
A collection of faces familiar to audience members from the MUNFA rallies appeared before the microphone. One of the speakers was MUNFA President Josh Lepawksy, who appeared to state MUNFA’s support for LUMUN and discussed the difficulties of including the phrase “fairness” in their contract with MUN, the need to protect academic freedom, and the empowerment of workers during negotiations.
Jim Dinn, leader of the NLNDP, also took a moment at the mic to back the union’s negotiation efforts. Specifically, he criticized the maximum rate a LUMUN member can earn for their contracts- $5800 per course, with a maximum of two courses per term. He stated that the existence of these contracts was “shameful… disrespectful… [and] shows a lack of understanding or appreciation for the people who are basically here making the university operate. That is not fair.” Dinn, a former teacher himself, also spoke about the difficulty when negotiations stalled around salary “templates” stressed by the university when rejecting the demands of the union. He also mentioned plans to speak on the issue in the House of Assembly.
Bill Kavanagh of CUPE 1615 spoke in support of “solidarity amongst all of the union locals.” He also spoke on plans to bring his union members to picket during non-working hours, alongside LUMUN picket lines- should a strike unfold after the upcoming deadline.
“it is time to stop… [the] Systematic unfair labour practises of this university who… in the public eye, has a diminished reputation.”
Bill Kavanagh, CUPE 1615 President
The Lecturers’ Union has sent out a petition asking the public for support signatures, which can be found at the following link.
Attendees rally outside of the Arts and Administration Building, March 6th, 2024.
Memorial’s woes seem to be stuck on a loop, with difficulties finding permanent administrative leadership, recurring complications negotiating with labour, struggling national reputation, and financial troubles. One dominating scandal occurs nearly every semester, which often results in the firing or departure of some supposedly essential figurehead and conversion of that season’s recurring extra into a leading role on the academic melodrama that is Memorial.
While a hazardous storm makes its way towards St. John’s this weekend, this January marked the fourth anniversary of the “Snowmageddon” blizzard of 2020. During the Snowmageddon, “over 90cm of snow fell on top of nearly 100cm already on the ground.” Many are declaring that another storm may arrive in St. John’s this weekend- one which may rival the infamous Snowmageddon, bringing with it estimates of 50 to 80cm of snow. Perhaps it is a sign- the static snow brought on by the campus collectively trying to change the channel.
Some say history repeats itself—first as tragedy, then as farce. While MUN can’t control the weather, they could certainly stop a strike and the storm it brings.
The Lecturer’s Union of Memorial University (LUMUN) released a statement this morning announcing that they have set a strike deadline for this Sunday, March 10th, at 11:59 pm.
After holding a well-attended rally, with an immense showing of support, LUMUN members came together for a meeting where they were consulted on the most recent offer from the University.
“LUMUN has clearly expressed to the Employer our willingness to continue bargaining if the Employer comes back to the table with a respectful wage offer,” says Alison Coffin of LUMUN. “We care about the education students receive, and fundamentally that’s what this is about. Will the university put money towards student education? Or is the top administration concerned primarily with their own wages and throwing expensive parties.”
In the release, LUMUN states “They don’t want a strike and don’t want to disrupt students’ learning, they just want the proper funding of student education and that Memorial has the power well within its means to avert a strike.”
For more information on strike facts and important details visit LUMUN’s website: https://lumun.ca/news/
