On February 9th, the Lecturer’s Union of Memorial University (LUMUN) released a statement saying they would no longer be continuing the conciliation process with the university. After having sent a financial proposal to MUN last November and receiving no response, LUMUN felt they were left with no other choice.
The last collective agreement expired in 2020. LUMUN and the university have now been in conciliation for a year leaving LUMUN members feeling as though “The University is very clearly delaying at this point and [they] are not willing to further sacrifice LUMUN members’ rights.”
Following a fifteen-day cooling-off period, LUMUN will be taking a legal strike vote this Thursday, February 29th. In preparation for the vote, they’ve created a Facts and FAQs page for all those who may be unsure or concerned as to what all of this means.
It is also important to note that the last collective agreement was only established once a strike vote on the part of LUMUN members demonstrated a majority in favour of the strike.
Bargaining teams met Friday afternoon
Both bargaining teams met on February 23rd where LUMUN received the university’s financial proposal. The two parties will reconvene on Wednesday, February 28th, at the request of LUMUN.
What is LUMUN asking for?
LUMUN’s bargaining team is asking for,
- A pay increase;
- Better working conditions;
- The protection of seniority and privacy transparency;
- A clear process for dealing with investigations and discipline
Find out more on their website: https://lumun.ca/2024/02/23/lumun-strike-facts-and-faqs/
The university’s response
In a recent email sent out to all students, the university states they “presented a full package, including a monetary proposal” to LUMUN at their meeting on February 23rd as they are committed to the collective bargaining process.
The university’s financial proposal offers a pay increase from the original per-course instructor salary of between $5,000 and $5,875 per course, to $7,169 per course for September 2024 and increasing to $7,312 in September 2025. The offer also contains an increase in professional development funding in support of teaching and learning initiatives for per-course instructors; and a commitment to address last-minute course cancellations with an increase in the cancellation fee.